In polite company you don’t talk about sex, religion, politics — or oil changes. Frequency of oil changes brings out the car experts in all of us — and some fierce opinions.
Some swear by the 11th commandment, “Thou shalt change thy oil every 3,000 miles.” But nowadays, many say that’s a wa
ste of money. You need to change oil about every 7,500 miles.
“The vast majority of American commuters are changing their oil way too often and wasting a lot of money in the process,” said Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor for auto website Edmunds.com.
Here are some questions and answers to help you change oil often enough to protect your car but not so often that you’re wasting money, with help from Reed; Gary Pollak, program manager of technical projects at the Society of Automotive Engineers; and Pam Oakes, a technician certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
Why change?
Besides the obvious job of lubricating metal parts of an engine, oil also acts as a coolant by reducing friction and dispersing heat. It’s also a cleaner, trapping tiny particles. Oil becomes dirty and doesn’t work as well over time. So you need to drain the old stuff.
And the 3,000-mile rule?
This used to be the standard, and a good one. “It was true when our father told us that,” Reed said. But things have changed. Both engine technology and oil formulations have improved, allowing you to travel longer between oil changes.
Repair and oil-change shops confuse the issue. They affix to your windshield what Reed calls “that horrible little sticker” as a reminder to change oil in three months or 3,000 miles. “People are really busy, and they rely on the sticker, but it’s really a marketing tool,” he said.
Change how often?
The average car’s oil change interval is 7,800 miles, Edmunds found. Consumer Reports says most people would be fine changing oil every 7,500 miles or six months. But averages don’t necessarily apply to your car. The best rule is this: Check the maintenance section of your manufacturer owner’s manual.
What’s “severe” driving?
This is the loophole through which many repair shops drive their overly cautious advice about 3,000-mile oil changes.
Reed’s advice? “Severe means severe,” he said. So that means off-roading in the desert, towing heavy loads or really abusing a vehicle — think taxicab or delivery van, he said.
Trust the dashboard?
Yes. Newer vehicles have monitoring systems for oil. For 2010 vehicles, 14 of 35 carmakers had oil-life monitoring systems that have sensors that monitor your driving and certain vehicle conditions. Based on that information, the system uses an algorithm to estimate how dirty the oil is and alerts you when an oil change is needed.
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