Myth of Myths

There are many articles concerning old wives tales and conventional wisdom when it comes to car maintenance. One that you often see is that it is a myth to change your oil every 3,000 miles. Well even these new theories can be myths. Let's look at motor oil and how if relates to modern cars.

First, you do need to check your motor oil every 2 weeks or 2 tank fulls whichever comes first. Car manufactures consider 600 miles per quart of oil an acceptable usage, even though many cars go thousands of miles per quart. Since most cars contain about 4 quarts of oil, would you want to drive missing 25% of your oil?

Second, you should change your oil at least 2 times a year. With cars not requiring the same amount of maintenance as in years past, it is not unusual for cars to go years without major repairs. That does not mean that things don't go wrong and preventative maintenance is better than waiting for things to fail. Getting your car in in the early spring and late fall* for an oil change and general look over is a good habit to get into. For someone doing 20,000 miles per year, putting another oil change visit in the summer keeps you up to most auto manufacturer's schedule, although 4 times a year is not expensive and out of line with protecting your investment..

Third, consider using synthetic oil in your car, especially if you live in areas where it gets very cold in the winter. The synthetic oil will flow easier at low temperatures and put less strain on your starting system and may even extend the life of your battery. Now synthetic oil is only a few dollars more than conventional oil, but may shops try to charge an outrageous premium. If synthetic oil is more than $10 - $15 extra per oil change, consider going somewhere else.

Fourth, always change the filter with the oil change. Some people are particular about what oil filter goes on their engine, although today, virtually all oil filters do a great job. If you do insist on bringing your own filter (and in some cases oil) a shop may balk at first, but sit down and talk to them and they will usually work with you, albeit at about the same total cost to you as if they supplied the parts. Remember, you are not doing this to save money, but to be consistent on the parts used.

Fifth, keep a quart of oil around, but when faced with needing to add oil, it is more important to add the oil than to worry about the brand.

Sixth, oil that looks dirty is not necessarily bad, but oil that gets dirty right after a change is usually a sign that all the oil was not drained or the engine has a lot of dirt built up. Do an oil change earlier the next time, make sure it is done with a hot engine and they let it drain completely.

So do you have to change your oil every 3000 miles? The answer is mileage and time have to be considered. Of course you could do the change yourself and save some money - that will be for another day.

* For those fortunate to live where it is summer all year, twice a year is still a good target for your oil changes- you just have the luxury of scheduling the seasons!