Your Oil Change Habits and the Effect on the Environment

Getting an oil change is just a part of owning a vehicle. Perhaps as a young car owner your parents would remind you to make sure and get this taken care of as soon as you have gone 3,000 miles or if it has been 3 months since your last maintenance. It likely became a habit that is a trait to you of being a responsible car owner. This habit might be one that is now worth breaking. Cars have changed and so has the product that is put in them.

Because of the changes in the engines of cars and the products available today, it is no longer necessary to have an oil change so often. Still sticking with your old habit is not only costing you an extra amount of money, it is also taking its toll on the environment. The entire extra product becomes a part of the environment and this is not helping to make the environment greener.

Perhaps you had no idea that anything had changed and that you should reconsider how often you get an oil change. Now you may be wondering when to get your next one. The answer is that you should check the manual in your vehicle. It might have a suggested time frame. You are at an advantage if you do mostly highway driving or driving without having to stop often because this does extend the time before a need of an oil change.

If you notice that your mechanic is still putting the sticker on your windshield that says to change oil at a certain mile number or date, speak with them about it. Many places still do this even though they have likely heard about the changes. They may be doing this to get more money from their customers whether or not they believe it is a necessity.

If you are speculating about whether it really is true that you can cut back, do your own research among mechanics you might know. You may not want to go to a salesperson who sells this product because they will possibly dishonestly give you a differing opinion because of their desire to sell more. Your mechanic, if they do care about your business, will be honest with you and agree that things have changed. They may be able to give you an approximate time that would be better to have your car maintained in this way even if they have been putting the 3,000-mile or 3 month sticker on your car.

Once you are convinced that you can switch your old car maintenance habits, help friends, family and the earth by sharing what you have learned. Your parents who ingrained this habit into your life might take some convincing, but hopefully they will soon see that technology has changed something else, and this adjustment really will help them.