When does your car’s oil really need to be changed?
It seems that I am the sucker that is constantly panicking when my car has reached its allotted mileage recommended by Jiffy Lube. You know that little sticker in the left upper corner of your windshield indicating when your next oil change is due; it says something like 37,659 miles or whatever yours says. Whenever I hit this number I am panicking. I am racing on in to that Jiffy Lube because in my mind my engine is going to fry if I don’t get in and get the oil changed!
Obviously, somebody was a marketing Genius, because in doing a little research it seems that most cars virtually never need their oil changed every 3,000 miles, which incidentally is when the next change is recommended by all the leading chains. Here are a few comments from car care professionals who give us some insight into the reality, rather than the myth of when our oil really needs to be changed.
Consumer Reports had this to say on the subject:
Myth: Engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles.
Reality: Although oil companies and quick-lube shops like to promote this idea, it’s usually not necessary. Go by the recommended oil-change schedule in your vehicle’s owner’s manual. Most vehicles driven under normal conditions can go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. Some models now come with a monitoring system that alerts the driver when the oil needs changing. Depending on driving conditions, these can extend change intervals to 10,000 or 15,000 miles.
This was from an interesting article I found on MSNBC on the subject….
Tom and Ray, the hosts of Car Talk on National Public Radio, recommend an oil change every 5,000 miles, although they admit knowing when to change the oil is not an exact science. “It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few,” they say, “but for the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe, old age.”
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