The Most Important Part of Car Maintenance
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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. The sticker always gives you a mileage of 3,000 miles or 3 months into the future, whichever comes first.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 every 3,000 miles?
Most automakers now recommend getting an oil change every 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. However, they recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles if you drive in “severe” conditions.What do they mean by “severe” driving? If you live near the ocean or in a dusty environment, if you live in a hot or cold place, if you tow a trailer, if you do a lot of city driving or make many short trips, then your car experiences “severe” driving conditions. That’s a lot of drivers!
We all know that over-maintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil change are cheap. You should be able to get your oil changed for about . It’s certainly worth an extra per year if you drive under any of these “severe” conditions. Your other choice is risking under-maintenance, which may mean costly repairs or a shortened useful life. With proper maintenance, newer cars will easily last 200,000 miles or even more. The longer you can go without buying a new car, the more money you’ll save. What if you could pay your car off and then save the money that you’re no longer using for car payments. You could get your next car free and clear!
Some of us don’t get oil changes as often as we should because it’s inconvenient. 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 at your local car dealership, service station, or even WalMart. If you can get an oil change done while you’re shopping, you’ll save time. There are even specialty shops that will guarantee to have you out in less than an hour! And shops are increasingly offering convenient and pleasant environments for waiting. Many offer coffee, free wi-fi and television.
Most of us should follow the old standard of 3,000 miles. It’s inexpensive, easy and smart. So find the shop that’s convenient for you and get into the habit of changing your oil regularly. When your car has 200,000 miles and is still going, you’ll be glad you did.
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