I have been changing the oil in all my cars from day one. I change them every 10m km (roughly 6,000 miles) filter and oil every time not as some say change the oil every time but the filter every second time. If you don't change the filter too, then u will get some old dirty oil into the system and for the price of filters its worth doing it right. This is with regular 10w30 or 5w20 as whatever is called for in that vehicle, but I don't use semi or full synthetic.... to me just change the oil and filter regularly and you shouldn't have any problems.
Because it used to be the pretty standard oil change interval. Oils are better nowadays though, but most places still say either 3 or 5 thousand miles. I think it's partly due to wanting to sell more product, and also just because some full synthetics say they last 15000 miles (read: Mobil1 Extended Performance) doesn't actually mean you can always wait that long. All engines burn SOME oil, mostly due to cylinder vacuum upon deceleration, and engines driven aggressively use a lot more. And that's for a healthy engine. So if you put oil in and disregard a change for 15000 miles, you may find you are pretty low on oil at that point.
A lot of new vehicles (including new Hondas/Acuras) have sensors that help the ECU compute oil life. In those cases, you're supposed to take the car in at 15% oil life, whether it's been 3k miles or 10k.
I think most newer cars ask you to change your oil every 3000 to 5000 miles or every 6 months or so.
Oil is a lubricant and a coolant. Synthetic oil lasts longer and cools better, but costs more. The most important thing that most people don't know is, "OIL IN A GAS ENGINE, IS CONTAMINATED BY BURNING GASOLINE." So you have to change it, even if you don't drive much. That's why they give you a time limit. If you changed your oil every 3 to 6 months, depending on how much you drive, how hard you drive, you'll be safe. But running old contaminated oil, is the big problem. The acids that form in a gas engine damage bearings and seals, the softer internal parts. If you convert a gas engine to LP or natural gas, the contamination problem is gone, There are test facilities that will examine engine oil for a fee. Racers and fleet operators, car rental places, and engine builders have a lot of money invested in engines and need to know if the oil holding up or fall on it's face. The API, American Petroleum Institute, has a set of standards used by auto manufacturers. I bet they have a lot of do's and don'ts about motor oil too. Look them up and see if they have info available that can help you.
This used to be the recommendation, years ago. Now, its just a waste of money as oils and filters are so much better. And the tolerances in the engines are better, so less acids and water get into the oil. Between 8 and 10,000 miles is fine. Or once a year if you don't cover that many.
If you have an antique or classic stick to the old change intervals.
A 3k oil change is normally only for sports or supercars.
Change the oil and filter every 5k max on any standard car.It prolongs engine life,improves performance and increases MPG.You won't save anything by keeping old oil in there even if it looks ok. A good oil and filter is about the same as a tank of fuel.
Garages are of the mind if it isn't broke don't fix it, they like to give you a cheaper bill rather than do what is best for the car because people assume they are getting a good deal.
The 3000 mile change your oil is "Old School" thinking. Us old folks were raised that way. Nowdays oiles are more refined, and you now have synthetic oils. These new oils will let you go anywhere between 5000- 7500 + miles before an oil change. A lot of it depends on how and where you drive. I still use regular oil in my 2008 chevy and i change it every 3000-4000 miles. Old habits are hard to break.
I believe your question was " Why ? " so here is the simple answer. As a car dealer we want to see you every week so we could not only sell you an oil change , but perhaps other things like Batteries/ Tires/ Shocks/ Belts/ Hoses/ Plugs/ Filters/ Fuel Pumps/ Wiper Blades/ Paint Jobs/ Body Work/ and just maybe a certified pre-owned or new car or truck . Now , do you understand why we suggest every 3000 miles or at least 4 times a year for the average American driver. ?
I would like to change every 5,000 at least but my instinct is that wear is increasing after 3,000. 7500 is okay but in fact most people's service is severe in one or more ways, such as short trips, dusty environment, extreme cold, you name it. While the oil may be better it still becomes contaminated with gas and dirt. While it is an old timer thing it is at the same time founded in fact. Not the fact of the common man but fact nonetheless. At 3,000 miles changes there is no telling how long the engine would run. 7500 is based on you are going to junk it at 150k anyway. Or 250k. But still accelerated wear.
Car manufacturers have given in to the lazy public that will do anything to try and get out of doing oil changes at 3,000 mile intervals. They use the oil change maintenance reminder built into the dash to help sell cars. Bottom line is at 3,000 miles the motor usually uses some oil and if a car owner doesn't change the oil (or top it up) by the time you get to 7,500 miles the motor is down a quart and the oil is black. Vehicles with adjustable cam timing start throwing codes for the cam timing and it's a good $1,200 to replace the gummed up cam advance actuator and control solenoid to repair the damage and pass emission tests. People that change the oil and filter at 3,000 mile intervals get over 250,000 miles on their car and the motor oil is still caramel colored instead of black when changed. You going to trust a master mechanic's opinion or listen to a car salesman trying to sell a car and DIYers that haven't got a clue?
Changing your oil depends on what kind of oil used, car type, mileage, and distance/purpose of the use of the car.
I drive a 2003 Ford Mustang v6 and I use 10-30w on my car, i usually change it every 3,000 miles, which is roughly 3 months. But I do determine when to change it by the color. it gets darker. the darker the worse. if you cannot see through it, you are practically damaging your engine. some oils last longer and some need services quicker. the newer cars, the better oil, you do not need to change your car oil as often.
Check the levels (keep at more than the half)
and keep it from being too dark.
My dad says that's crap, he says check owners manual, I did and it said I could go (depending on driving conditions)7500 miles between changes !
You need an answer from an engine builder, an answer from an auto engineer, some experience as a tech, in order to understand that what it says in some automotive manuals, is the company's "position on the issue" at time of sale.
After getting your well rounded answer formed in your mind about your usage of your vehicle, Your climate and the temperatures and moisture content of the air in your area, and the brand of oil of your choice, you will see that oil recommendations printed in that manual do not explain themselves.
The schedule and usage are not included.
There are other ways to check that manufacturer's
"position on the issue"
But you should ask your factory trained technician to find out his recommendation for your car.
If he needs to, after asking you a few questions, he can look up the schedule, and see where your usage and factors put YOU and YOUR CAR.
He will run his eye down the page and find the interval for you.
Hopefully, his service manager can provide the factory manual where THIS information can be seen.
Your selling dealer is where you find your answer.
It depends on driving conditions, most dealers say that because most drivers fall under hard driving conditions, but you should go with whatever the owners manual says. My car actually requires my oil to be changed at 2,850 miles so owners manual is your best bet to see when to change it.
3000 miles will make your engine wear the least, but you can go 5000 miles if you really can't afford to do it every 3000 miles, but every 7500 miles, is too long, your car will not last you as long, that is why cars are making it 250,000 miles, sooner oil changes than back in the 70's, if you go back to the old ways, don't expect more than 150,000 miles
It just depends on how quick ur oil breaks down in your vehicle and the grade of oil u use, 3000 miles is just an suggested distance for ppl who never check their oil to prevent engine wear, as long as ur oil will last for 7500 miles then thats fine.
2 DIFFERENT SCALES THERE. normal driving conditions, you are at free way speeds with no load or stops. if you drive in the city with many stops and a load, that is classified as severe driving conditions. i must add that tests have been run on the oil life idea. 300 miles has been dropped by some. the oil is still ok. 5,000 miles is the point that i have heard with standard oil. i did work in a lube shop for 17 years so...
Its usually 8 to 10 thousand miles
The oil Change at 3,000 miles would depend on the age of the car.
The oil Change at 3,000 miles would depend on the age of the car.
Dealerships don't make money doing the oil changes the real motivator is to get you in there so they can find something else and charge you plenty to do it. It should be fraud if it is more frequent than stated in your owner's manual
Its usually 8 to 10 thousand miles in the cars sold in the UK.
Its usually 8 to 10 thousand miles in the cars sold in the UK.
Its usually 8 to 10 thousand miles in the cars sold in the UK.
Its usually 8 to 10 thousand miles in the cars sold in the UK.
Its usually 8 to 10 thousand miles in the cars sold in the UK.
Hi so here is the what should be what even your father does not know. old cars have more acid present in the fuel due due to age of the engine. yes as man engine wears it produces acids which collect in the oil. the oil filter is actually more important an item to change generally as this where the collect along with the fine metal particles shaved off during the engine working.
Instead of changing the oil every 6,000 miles, they can double their oil change income by changing your oil every 3,000 miles. It also gets you into the shop so that they can check and try to get you to pay for other items that may or may not need servicing.
There's a lot of dicusssion abouit that going one now. It's a matter of long term use - If you are never ever going to get another car & you love the one you have & are going to keep it forever, then more oftern is better, in the long run. If you get a new one every three or four years, 5,000 will keep it going. The biggest thing is to never let it run low on oil - Ever.
I never changed the oil on a geo metro .lasted me 100,000 miles . I saved money on all those filters and oil and didn't have to listen to the dealership people tell me fiction stories.
Show your manual to your dealer! Not one new car or truck recommends 3,000 mile oil changes.
I've never heard about a 3000 mile oil change. My Mercedes regularly does 14,000 miles (about 8 months) between services.
I use fully-synthetic low ash oil.
Dr Bearface. "So here is what should be whatever your father does"........."Old cars have more 'acid' present in the fuel"..........WTF are you really talking about ? Please explain....!
