Does Your Car Need More Oil Changes than the Manufacturer Recommends?
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When you get your oil changed, they put that little sticker on your windshield to remind you when it’s time to get your next oil change. They always set the reminders to 3,000 miles or 3 months.The old standard used to be 3,000 miles, but newer cars are built to need less maintenance. Do you really have to have an oil change every 3,000 miles?
Most car manufacturers now recommend changing your oil every 7,500 miles or six months. However, for “severe” driving they recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles. What’s “severe” driving? Hot, cold, dusty, and ocean-side environments, towing a trailer, making many short trips and city driving are all considered “severe” conditions. A lot of cars fall into that category!
I agree with those who say that overmaintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil changes are pretty cheap. An oil change only costs about $25. It’s certainly worth an extra $50 per year if you drive under any of these “severe” conditions. The alternative is that your car might not last as long or will need costly repairs. If you take good care of your car, it can easily last 200,000 miles or more. The longer you can put off replacing your car, the more money you save. Imagine paying off your car and then continuing to make that “payment” into a savings account. You could get your next car free and clear!
No one enjoys taking their car in for any maintenance or repairs. But an oil change should take less than an hour if you go when the shop isn’t busy. Since an oil change is such a simple matter, every repair shop does them. You can get an oil change from your mechanic, your car dealership, or your local WalMart. Getting an oil change done while you’re shopping or working makes it much less time consuming. There are even specialty shops that will guarantee to have you out in less than an hour! And many shops are trying to make their waiting areas more pleasant and convenient. Many offer free wifi, snacks and tv to make the wait go by faster.
For most cars, I recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it’s a good idea. So find a mechanic or shop and get into the habit of regular oil changes. When your car has 200,000 + miles and is still going strong, you’ll be happy that you did.
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