How Often Should You Really Change Your Oil?

How Often Should You Really Change Your Oil?

As it turns out, some of the conventional wisdom we grew up on may not be entirely accurate (or even partially accurate!) 

When I fixed up my first car enough to drive, one of the first things my dad told me was that the oil needed to be changed every 3 thousand miles or less. Granted, my dad was an executive for a large petroleum company, but I doubted he'd steer me wrong. From that point on I changed my oil on a strict regimen. If I went even a few miles over that three thousand I'd feel an itch in the back of my mind that got worse until I made an appointment. Years later things changed with the advent of synthetic oil. My new magic number floated closer to five thousand! As it turns out,  I probably wasted a good amount of time and money because of these habits. Habits that could have been modified with a quick glance at my car's manual and a few key pieces of information.

Most manufacturers suggest that their current models receive a conventional oil change in the 5,000 to 7,500 mile range. This extends out to 10,000 miles with most synthetic oils. Some longer-lasting synthetics such as Red Line or Amsoil can even last up to 25,000 miles or one year (whichever occurs first.) There are, however, a few caveats. Two factors play into these numbers heavily. They are the age of the vehicle and driving habits. 

The age of the vehicle factoring into the duration between changes may come as no shock. The older the vehicle, the more often you'll need a change due to buildups and deposits from years of use. What surprised me is the importance of driving habits. The shorter the distances driven and the frequency of key-turns plays a huge part in the need for oil changes. The new rule is this: the less often you start the vehicle and the longer you go in one shot, the better for oil longevity. When you drive in short bursts with cold oil, the condensation that needs to be burned off to maintain the right atmosphere from pump to engine...isn't. You need to get the oil to a certain temperature for it to both act optimally and perform the whole range of its duties. 

This means if you only drive an average of one mile at a time several times a day, you may need to get an oil change every thousand miles. It may sound a little extreme, but on the other end of the spectrum if you drive 20 miles or more at a time only a few times a day, with the right oil you may get away with only changing every 25,000 miles! Even though recent studies have packed in some serious data, it's always best to check with those who are the real experts in your make and model: technicians at your dealership's service center such as Wilder Toyota Auto Repair Service of Port Angeles, WA. There are factors that can only be identified by those intimately familiar with your exact make and model.

Written By: Todd Hendrickson
Source: Scientific American