Sanity check on oil change interval
Yes, I'm a little cheap, but also I don't want to throw out perfectly good oil (think green). I changed the oil (Mobil1 0W-40) last fall and drove the car less than 1000 miles this summer. Not raced, not dusty conditions, just gently around town and some highway. The oil on the dipstick still looks golden, not dirty. Given I'm using a top-rated synthetic, is it really mechanically necessary to change the oil? (Please don't tell me it's cheap "insurance"...I really want to know if synthetic oil breaks down with age or is good for a couple years.)