Do You Really Need An Oil Change Every 3000 Miles?

When you leave your local garage or lube shop after your regular oil change the sticker in your window will tell you to come back in 3 months or when 3000 miles has ticked over on your odometer. Is it necessary for the upkeep of your vehicle to keep the oil that fresh that often or is it fine for to wait a little longer? If your engine is showing signs of wear, whether idling roughly or starting slowly then you should definitely check the oil in your system for quality and cleanliness. But with modern vehicles and modern oils very often you can go much longer than 3000 miles between changes, here are some quick and easy tips to help you know when exactly you should visit your local garage or lube shop.

The best indication of how often you should have an oil change is the oil that is present in your vehicle, you can check the oil very simply and quickly yourself. Engine oil should be a rich amber color, not black like most imagine, if the oil on your dipstick is thick with black particles it might be time to go in for an oil change. Modern synthetic oils are rated for much longer life and higher mileage than older natural lubricants. Another good indicator are the warning lights on your dashboard, most modern vehicle have sensors to check the quality of the oil in your engine and will display an indicator if that oil gets too dirty and is in need of changing. Often a garage will tell you if the display is showing it has been too long already, but unless the sensor is damaged or in need of replacement modern vehicles will be over sensitive to oil quality rather than under sensitive. Often a good technique during a professional service is to upgrade the oil quality that the garage puts in your car, this will ensure a longer life and greater efficiency and importantly less need to change as quickly.

Another simple way to decide how often to have an oil change is to simply look at your vehicles operator manual, most modern vehicles recommend changing anywhere from 5000 to even 10,000 miles. The combination of checking what your manufacturer recommends, the vehicle equipment and the the quality of the oil that is in your engine will allow you to gauge properly when exactly to go for a professional oil change or to do it yourself at home if you feel comfortable. Remember these simple tips and you can save yourself not only a lot of time but a large amount of money reducing your oil change costs by often as much as 3 times over the course of a year.