Oil Change Less Often For Nature And The Bottom Line

The old adage about switching out lubricant every 3,000 miles or three months is not only really applicable to modern drivers since it is incredibly wasteful. Some are finding that such frequent oil changes not only waste the money of drivers, but it is also wasting millions of gallons of petroleum that could be better conserved or used in another application and thus reduce the environmental impact. In California the practice is so widespread that the government has stepped in to try and help curb the problem.

They call it the Check Your Number campaign and it is aimed at the more than half of the total drivers who still hold to the old schedule. Some of these people even have the maintenance done more frequently citing if sometimes is good more frequently is better. The fact is, with better-built engines and improvement in lubricants many of these vehicles do not need service for five, seven, even ten thousand miles.

Instead of the antiquated one-schedule fits all campaign that people are used to these activists recommend following the recommended schedule that is found in the owner's manual. It will often call for vastly different intervals. The hope is that by getting people to stop having unnecessary service that consumes and disposes of perfectly good motor lubricant then each state can cut down their consumption significantly. In California alone it is estimated that more than ten million gallons are consumed from unneeded oil change work.

This is a great opportunity for people to not only save money by having an oil change less frequently but it also saves the environment. In addition to the simple act of not getting something done there are a bunch of things that save money and also preserve the environment. Simply pumping up the tires of the car to the manufacturer recommended PSI would improve gas mileage. Also, avoiding idling while waiting for traffic or friends to come meet you or when starting a car to let the heater warm up. These are all situations that waste fuel and it is not necessary and causes more wear and tear than need be.

Automobile maintenance is really important. It is the best way to make sure that a car runs for a long time with a minimal amount of wear and low cost of ownership. The fact is that it is not strictly needed as frequently as recommended and the persistence in keeping to a regimen that was designed for cast iron motors is doing nature a great disservice. Having an oil change is a good way to keep the car running for years but it should be done only as often as is recommended by the manufacturer.