Is An Oil Change Really Necessary?

Oil changes are just one of the many minor car ownership challenges, but they’re crucial to keeping your car in good shape. In addition, if you don’t change your oil on time and with the proper products, your car’s warranty may be void.

However, experts say that every third month, or every 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometres), the standard oil change interval is old news, and that the majority of vehicles can travel a bit farther before needing oil replacement. It’s not going to help your car if you change your oil more often than necessary. Nor does it hurt, but money, time and resources are being wasted. Be careful, too, that throwing away still usable oil causes an increasing pollution.

There are four main “recommended” intervals for oil change based on factors specific to you and your car:

  • Every 1,000 miles (1,609 km) or every six months
  • 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) every day.
  • 5,000 to 7,500 miles (8,046 to 12,070 kilometers) each.
  • Every 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers or every six months (16,093 to 24,140 kilometers)

Let ‘s take a look at the circumstances of each one.

Every 1,000 Miles

First, if some experts say that 3,000 miles is too often, why would the same experts recommend intervals every 1,000 miles? All this depends on your driving habits. If your driving routine consists mostly of trips of 10 miles or less, you should consider changing your oil more often than every 3,000 miles for two reasons.

  • If you’re not making long trips at high, steady speeds (like on a highway) then your engine doesn’t get hot enough to boil off the condensation that accumulates in the system. This could cause oil to break down faster.
  • Most of the wear and tear on your engine occurs when you start your car, and if you’re not driving too far, most of your driving is of the kind that’s very hard on your engine. More frequent changes in oil will help to minimize the damage.

In short, if you drive your car infrequently, as in much less than the mileage of your recommended service interval, you should still change your oil twice a year since the oil has degraded over time.

Change More Frequently

Some car experts suggest that the interval of 3 000 miles is actually in favor of shops that change petroleum, because the more often you enter, the more money they get. Nevertheless, you probably better adhere to an older model car which recommends that interval.

Based on the fact that this is recommended in most car owners’ manuals, scientist American makes the case for longer intervals, in particular every 5,000 or 7,500 miles. The interval between 5,000 and 7,500 miles becomes more common, but some manufacturers suggest that you also take into account your riding style and habits.

Every 10,000 Miles

You could spend up to 100,000 miles or more between oil changes if you are recommending synthetic oil by your car manufacturer, or if you decide to switch it. While synthetic oil is far more costly than regular oil, it has more advantages. It works better than regular oil and is better for the environment.

However, the opinion differs whether it is worth upgrading. Although some experts propose in most cases, consumer reports say, if your car does not need it, you should not usually switch to synthesize. Synthetic oil can help ease your engine’s extra stress if you frequently twist heavy loads. If you own a model that is known to suffer from sludge problems, synthetic oil can help relieve these difficulties and extend your engine ‘s life.


By Jon ‘ShakataGaNai’ Davis, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3177569

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