How often should you have the oil in your car changed
While changing your oil more frequently won't harm your car, it will put a dent in your wallet. Following the 3,000-mile rule, the average American would change his car's oil five times a year, yet the average manufacturer's recommendation could be anywhere from one to three times a year. Since every car is different, every car requires different oil change intervals. The best place to start in determining you car’s specific oil change needs is your owner’s manual. Usually, manuals will give a timeline for ideal conditions and for rough conditions. So how often should you change your oil? It depends on many factors, including the way you drive, how old your engine is and where you live. Many mechanics will recommend you change your oil every 3,000 miles. Automobile manufacturers might suggest a longer interval, such as 5,000 miles. Regular oil changes (every 3000 to 7000 miles, or every 6 months if it's a vehicle that's not driven often) with the proper type of oil for your car will assure you get the maximum possible mileage and performance from your engine. So if your vehicle consumes 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles and you have your oil changed every 7,000 miles, and the engine of your vehicle only holds 5 quarts of oil. How often should you change oil in your car. There were times when engine oil was recommended to be changed every 3,000 miles. Gradually, car manufacturers have been extending oil change intervals to 5,000 miles, then to 8,000 and in some cases even to 15,000 miles. While it is true many drivers experience at least one of these conditions regularly, it does not mean those drivers should automatically default to a 3,000-mile oil-change schedule, especially since the manufacturers' recommendations for today's cars range from 5,000 miles to 20,000 miles. If your car has been around the block a couple of times, oil changes should be at increasingly more frequent intervals compared to how often you changed it when your car was new. This is due to “blowby”: compressed fuel and air that has leaked into the engine’s crankcase. Since the introduction of synthetic oils and the further refinement of oils, vehicle manufacturers have lengthened the suggested oil change intervals to anywhere from every 5000 miles up to every 10,000 miles. If you've read the manufacturer's recommendations thoroughly, you've probably seen a note that indicates you should change your oil more frequently if you run your car in severe driving situations, and there may even be notes about using a different weight of oil depending on your climate.
Every 3000 to 7000 miles, or every 6 months.