How often Should You Change your Oil

The Myth of 3,000 Miles

Most people have been taught to think you need to change your oil and filter in your car every 3,000 miles by the small oil change shops. They have created this myth so you will bring your car in sooner than it needs and they will get more business. Most manufacturers have listed a much higher number in their owner's manuals and if you read carefully, you will find they recommend changing the oil ever 5,000 - 7,500 miles. Remember, the manufacturer designed, build and tested your vehicle. They also warranty most cars up to 40,000 miles now so they would not put down bad advice in their owner's manuals and be stuck fixing their vehicles.

Who Promotes the 3,000 Mile Oil Change?

It is funny to think who promotes the notion that we should change the oil in our vehicles every 3,000 miles. This is supported and promoted by those who profit from changing the oil. Have you noticed who sponsors ads or articles that make you feel guilty for not changing your oil at this mark? Oil companies and oil change shops!! If these businesses can convince you to get new oil every 3,000 miles instead of 6,000 or 7,500, their profit doubles. I'm sure we have all been scared we will ruin our motor if we go over the 3,000 mile mark without changing our oil and this is simply not true. Today's oil is so good and will protect your engine even if you choose to leave it in their for as long as 7,500 miles, and you can perform this auto maintenance by yourself.

What is Correct Mileage for Oil Change?

So what is the correct interval for oil changes? In truth, there are many different opinions about the proper mileage for changing your oil as their are people interested in the debate. Some swear for changing ever 3,000 and others have had great luck changing every 8,000 miles. When all factors are considered, the best oil change will be between 5,000 and 6,000 miles depending on your owners manual. This is also a great time to get your tires rotated! Rotating your tires and changing your oil at the same time helps you remember to have it done and saves your time.

Why Changing Your Vehicle's Oil is Important

By Dirk Gibson 

 Ask anyone about the oil in the car and they'll say what? Oh, it has to be changed every 3,000 miles!

In truth, this is really an inaccurate figure. The 3,000 mile figure comes from a marketing pitch. Exact figures are more dependent on the type of driving style you have. Regardless, it is absolutely true that you need to change your oil every so often to get the most out of your car. Most people don't know why though. In this article, we delve into the reasons.

Oil is a magical substance. For all the bashing that it gets in the environmental debates, our lives would be drastically different without it. Oil is used in everything from plastics to fertilizers to fuel and, of course, lubrication. When it comes to your engine, oil is the key to making it last. Without lubrication, the metal parts would just grind together and seize up in a matter of minutes. That would make owning a car a perilous investment.

So, what is it that oil specifically does for your car? The first thing it does is keep the engine cooler. It does this as a matter of design. By that, I mean the design of the engine and the layout of the oil system allows it to actually cool and draw heat from the engine. It does this because the oil collects in something called the oil pan. The oil pan is located at the bottom of the engine. As the car is moving, air rushes by the oil pan. The cooled oil then circulates up through the engine and siphons off some of the heat being produced. A car still needs a coolant system, but oil definitely plays a part in the process.