Oil changes are a necessary evil to properly maintain your vehicle. Typically, you should get your oil changed around 3,000 to 10,000 miles. Yet that depends on how you drive, the conditions, and what type and the year of the vehicle you own.
When Should You Get Your Oil Changed?
If you own a new vehicle, you want to follow the owner’s manual so that you don’t void your powertrain warranty. Vehicles these days have built-in oil monitors, which use software to keep track of drive temperatures, cold starts, idle hours, driving hours, and engine revolutions. The system takes that data and determines the oil’s condition and oil change intervals.
If your vehicle is out of warranty, and you don’t have an oil-life monitor, it comes down to your familiarity with your vehicle and common sense. Overall, the life of your oil is determined by how you drive, whether you commute daily or just take short trips around town. Conditions that can shorten the time between oil changes include short trips, extreme weather, driving at low speed for long distances, long-distance trailer towing, track driving, and dirty roads (salt, sand, dirt, mud, gravel, etc.).
Should You Get Frequent Oil Changes?
It’s best to stick with the manufacturer’s recommendation for oil changes. Service shops and dealerships will do their best to ensure that you return every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Frequent oil changes are not bad for your engine, but they don’t enhance your performance either. The only thing that will be impacted is your wallet. Heed your oil-life monitor and check your oil levels at least once per month.
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What Type Of Oil Should I Use?
If you have a new vehicle, your engine will use synthetic oil. Most older vehicles, however, use conventional oil, but you can use synthetic oil if you would like. Synthetic oil extends the time between oil changes because it resists high-temperature breakdowns better and keeps dirt in suspension so that the oil filter can catch them. Synthetic does cost more than conventional oil, but you will save money in the long run.
Whatever you do, be sure to get routine oil changes to ensure that your vehicle continues to run efficiently for years to come.
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