Why Have Oil Change Rules Changed?

The manufacturing process of the oil itself has changed. Just like anything else, as time progresses, we learn to produce things more efficiently. Old engine lubricant downs faster, causing the sludge on the engine that we are trying to avoid by an accurate and frequent oil change. But how do we know for sure the oil is different?

In recent decades, the Federal Emissions Mandates have made new laws concerning how much exhaust (AKA tailpipe emissions) may escape a vehicle. We have become increasingly aware of our environment, and as a result, we want to keep as much pollution out as possible. It cannot really be left up to a consumer to keep emissions down, so manufactures were made to design vehicles that keep them down for us.

Carmakers changed the way they design vehicles to accommodate the new regulations. Things began to be built in vehicles that provided for cleaner fuel systems, higher engine compressions, and better ignition timing. These things result in running a hotter engine. And a hotter engine equals less tailpipe emissions into the environment.

Because the design of cars has changed significantly, and because the way cars run was changed significantly, the engine oil industry also changed its product to better serve. A better lubricant was needed in order to lubricate the engines that were now running at hotter temperatures, so the product was improved to better coat the moving parts of these new, more efficient engines.

The new consistency of the oil meant that the breakdown of the substance was slower, and therefore, sludge formed later and less frequently than the previous products that were on the market. So now, the three thousand mile or three month rule is obsolete. Just like technology has nearly made the watch, the alarm clock, the camera, etc. obsolete, the old standby oil change rule is also now obsolete.

So how often do you need an oil change? It depends on the conditions in which you drive. Manuals are now suggesting that a car go five thousand to even seventy-five hundred miles before it really needs such maintenance, though more frequent changes are necessary for certain driving conditions. Your vehicle manual will give you an idea, and even that annoying dashboard light knows what it is talking about. It is not just a light-- it is a system that is set to measure certain conditions in your vehicle, in addition to watching the mileage and the calendar. So believe the hype, believe the manual, and expect more technological advances that will eventually make the new rules obsolete.