Posted on 09/12/2010 4:48:45 PM PDT by Bad~Rodeo
I STILL remember learning from my father how to carefully remove a dipstick to check the oil level in our cars. It was drilled into me — along with turning off the lights when you left a room and clearing the plates off the table after dinner — that oil needs to be changed every 3,000 miles or so.
I’m not sure what I thought would happen if I didn’t, but I vaguely imagined an unlubricated engine grinding to a halt.
Childhood habits are hard to undo, and that’s often good. To this day, I hate seeing an empty room with the lights on. But sometimes, we need to throw aside our parents’ good advice. In March, for example, I wrote about how we should relearn the dishwasher and laundry soap habits we inherited from our mothers.
Add frequent oil-changing to that list.
“There was a time when the 3,000 miles was a good guideline,” said Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor for the car site Edmunds.com. “But it’s no longer true for any car bought in the last seven or eight years.”
Oil chemistry and engine technology have improved to the point that most cars can go several thousand more miles before changing the oil, Mr. Reed said. A better average, he said, would be 7,500 between oil changes, and sometimes up to 10,000 miles or more.
The California Integrated Waste Management Board ran public service announcements for several years about “the 3,000-mile myth,” urging drivers to wait longer between oil changes. Although the information is a few years old, the board has a list of cars on its Web site and how often they need oil changes. The concern is not only the cost to
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Just check your car’s guide that comes in the glove box.
But there's no way you should be using anything other than full synthetic oil by now. WalMart always has it for around $22 for a five quart container and the difference is huge. It does not break down chemically meaning you can run it for 6000 miles or until it gets so dirty you can't stand looking at it. Full synthetic never freezes or gums up on super cold days.
The cars of 1955 weren't going to live beyond 100K miles anyhow so it didn't matter much but todays cars can live for several hundred thousand miles IF you don't destroy them by running cheap oil in them.
I remember reading an article once that a walk was as good as stretching to warm up before exercise. I did it. Pulled a muscle within a week. After I pulled the muscle I read an article where they interviewed Olympic athletes and asked them what the most important part of their training regimine was. Guess what?
It was stretching.
Just saying.
I’m supposed to change my oil?
That's cheap for synthetic, what brand?
My Caddy has the GM Oil Life Monitor system in the computer code and counts down the percent life remaining for the engine and trans oils.
Typically the engine interval goes past 8000 miles - these spec Mobil 1 or equivalent.
Naaa, public transportation will
Diesels can actually go way beyond 3000 miles on petroleum based oil because they don't run as hot, but gas engines can't.
I serviced new every 3K miles. Switched to synthetic at 20K and have seviced every 6k since.
I use AMSOil in my car and bike and OUCH!
bttt
With AMSOIL you are paying for all the intermediaries in their multi level marketing chain.
Wal Mart buys direct from Mobil, just like the OEMs that use it as factory fill.
No, oil changing was a myth created by Big Oil. Just add a cup of water once per year and you will be fine.
That makes total sense. That’s why I wanted to know brand names from wendy1946. Thanks for the good info ya’ll
Do you really care enough about a new Corolla or Malibu these days to ever change the oil, just top it off when the light comes on. Not like there is anything built today worth preserving.
“I?m supposed to change my oil?”
LOL!!! I have a POS. I’d I waited for 6,000 miles, I’d be a walking man. Better safe than sorry on this issue. $35 at Super Lube is better than the alternative. Granted, I have a ‘92 Buick with 280,000 miles.
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