How Often for an Oil Change?

- Automobiles, trucks and SUVs are quite different than they were years ago. Their technology has radically changed and along with it, the science of auto lubricants, engines and chemical reactions within a vehicle.

- Recommendations on newer vehicles are to perform this service detail every 7,500 to 10,000 miles. This may seem almost like sacrilege to those schooled in the old 3,000 mile rule.

- The old rule, however, may still apply to vehicles which were manufactured seven to ten years ago.

- The owner’s manual of every car states how often services, including oil changes, must be done. Adhere to its guidelines.

- Environmentalists say that changing motor lubricants less often is better for the environment. Even a quart of oil that isn’t properly disposed of may pollute thousands of gallons of ground water. Recycling oil so that it may be re-used after being cleaned and filtered is a better idea.

- It’s less expensive to maintain a vehicle that only needs to have its lubricants drained and replaced every 7,500 to 10,000 miles. That equates to getting two or three times more use out of the four to six quarts of oil than old recommendations.

- The frequency will depend on where and how a vehicle is driven. Cars, SUVs and trucks that are driven in extreme cold or hot temperatures will have a higher maintenance frequency. This is also true of those driven on steep inclines and mountainous roadways. Hauling trailers will also create more wear and tear which will necessitate more frequent changing.

- There are laboratories which analyze motor oil in order to determine how often a change is needed as well as a slew of other things about the vehicle in question. Consumers can send away for a testing kit that costs approximately twenty-five dollars in order to properly collect and submit their sample. The lab will do all the testing and send back answers in a report for the owner.

- If a car’s oil isn’t changed when needed, whether at 3,000 to 10,000 miles, it can wreck havoc in the engine. Too little of the lubricant can cause the parts to rub together, grinding away into damage. Dirty fluid has sediment and sludge that can damage the moving parts of the engine, as well.

- Filters must be changed every time, as well. It has always been important to use high quality products, but with longer intervals between switching them out, it’s even more crucial.

- Oil and lube shops may still tout the 3,000 mile rule. A consumer has to stop and ponder where their bias may be coming from.

Newer vehicles are requiring less frequent oil change but the importance of the task remains the same.