How Often Do You Really Need an Oil Change?

Ask ten people how often you should change your oil and there’s a good chance you’ll get ten answers.

Somebody will say 3,000 miles. Somebody will say 5,000. Somebody will say 10,000.

The problem is that none of those numbers knows what you’re driving.

Start With the Manufacturer

The correct starting point is the maintenance information for the actual vehicle.

Different engines have different oil specifications, capacities and maintenance schedules.

Modern vehicles may also use an oil-life monitoring system that considers operating conditions rather than simply counting miles.

That’s more useful than applying the same rule to every car that pulls into the shop.

How You Drive Matters

A vehicle that regularly reaches operating temperature and spends long stretches cruising on the highway has a different life from one making repeated short trips.

Towing, severe operating conditions and other use patterns can also affect maintenance requirements.

That’s why we want to know the vehicle—not just the mileage.

The Correct Oil Matters

Viscosity is only part of the specification.

Modern manufacturers can require particular oil standards for specific engines.

Using whatever happens to be on the shelf because “oil is oil” isn’t how we’d maintain a modern vehicle.

Follow the manufacturer’s requirements.

Check the Level Between Changes

This is particularly important on vehicles that consume or leak some oil.

An oil change interval tells you when to replace the oil. It doesn’t guarantee the engine will remain full until that day.

If your vehicle uses oil between services, checking the dipstick—or the appropriate electronic oil-level system on vehicles equipped that way—matters.

Running an engine low on oil can cause damage long before the next scheduled oil change.

Oil Changes Give Us a Chance to Look Around

Routine service is also an opportunity to notice things.

A developing leak. Tire wear. A hose beginning to deteriorate. Brake wear. Something hanging underneath the vehicle that wasn’t hanging there last time.

That doesn’t mean every oil change should turn into a shopping list.

It means regular service gives us opportunities to catch developing problems before they surprise you.

So What’s the Number?

For your car, we’d rather look it up than make one up.

Follow the manufacturer’s required oil specification and maintenance schedule, and adjust appropriately for the way the vehicle is actually being used.

That’s less catchy than “every 3,000 miles.” It’s also better advice.

Not sure what your vehicle actually needs? Call Automotive Services at (770) 928-6126 and we’ll look it up for you.

Related reading: Services • Blog 6: High-Mileage Cars • Blog 8: Georgia Heat