Changing oil regularly is one of the most common pieces of advice that all respectable mechanics give to their customers. For decades, an unwritten rule has existed regarding how often you should do it, which suggested that the best time to change oil every 3,000 miles or every 3 months. But, as car engines get more sophisticated and more efficient, a lot of experts are starting to realize that this rule doesn’t apply any more, and are trying to convince car owners that it’s about time to forget about this old myth. But, it’s tough to get rid of the old habits, and even refuse to believe the recommendations in the owner’s manual.
Apart from modern engines, the way oil is produced nowadays affects car experts’ opinions about oil change frequency. Today’s oil is more efficient at burning fuel, but oil manufacturers still insist that it needs to be changed every 3,000 miles, which is understandable, since they make a lot of money by selling it.
Now, most car manufacturers recommend that you change oil every 5,000 miles, which is a significant difference compared to what was recommended so far. There are even some manufacturers that recommend even longer oil change intervals, such as 7,500 miles for the Honda Odyssey and 10,000 miles for the 2011 Ford Escape, which applies to normal driving, meaning no excessive stop-and-go driving, without extensive idling or too many abrupt braking or accelerating.
If you still have doubts about how often you should change your oil, and don’t know whether to trust the old practice that has been stuck into your brain ever since you were a teen, listening to your father saying you must follow the 3,000 miles rule no matter what, today there is one very sophisticated solution to that dilemma. There are several car makers, such as Honda, that install oil life monitoring systems, which alert you when there is only 15 % of useful life left in the oil.
So, if you do decide to trust these facts that are supported by a lot of engineers, experts and mechanics, not only will you save a decent amount of money, but you will also help decrease the negative effects frequent oil changes have on the environment, by dumping large amounts of oil that can still be used.