So, we don't need to drive much... we only have the one car, and it maybe goes 2000 miles a year.

So the usual maintenance schedule really just doesn't make much sense as it's highly mileage dependent. So what I have always wondered is... how often in terms of just pure "time" are each of the fluids reasonably good for?

I change the oil at least once a year with full synthetic regardless of mileage, but other stuff like transmission fluid, differential gear fluid etc. I have no idea if I'm throwing my money away by replacing it even every 3 years.

Thoughts?

 

Every three years is good for that stuff. Any more and the oil will begin to break down, especially in the heat/cold cycles of Ontario Canada.

 

Read your owner's manual please!!!!
It specifies the change interval in the form of xx months or yyyy kms whichever comes first.

Why do we keep seeing this type of questions every week?
The owner should have read the owner's manual first before operating his/her vehicle.

 

Yes, yes, I have read all that and seen the service schedules but it's clear to anybody capable of any critical thinking that their "or months" schedule is complete BS because the months and the mileage are tied together in 6 month increments and the month count thus is a totally arbitrary number. If I were following the maintenance schedule to the letter then I would probably be paying for new iridium spark plugs even though the ones in there have hardly seen any sparks compared to their expected lifetime.

I would take it seriously if there were two separate and unlinked schedules based on either time or mileage.

Thanks for the sermon but I'm not religious.

 

Oil change with synthetic once a year is probably sufficient (twice a year if youre using regular oil).
Brake fluid should be changed every two years, it is hydrascopic (absorbs moisture), no mileage doesnt mean much here.
Trans and differential fluids.. 3-4 years is probably fine..
Coolant.. hard to say, stagnant coolant/water can corrode the cooling system over time... so i dunno when to recommend that flush.