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Should you change your oil every 3,000 miles?

February 28, 2022 by PEMCO Insurance
Most drivers no longer need to change their car’s oil every 3,000 miles. While “3,000 miles or every three months” was once the gold standard for oil-change frequency, car manufacturers now commonly recommend oil changes every 5,000 to 7,000 miles – and sometimes only every 15,000. How, what and where you drive also help determine when it’s time to change oil.

Your owner’s manual is the first and best place to start. It shows the safe range between oil changes and explains technology that many newer cars have – an oil life monitoring system. It tells you when your car needs an oil change based not only on overall mileage but also your driving habits (factors like speed, trip length and frequency of cold starts) and environmental temperatures. On some cars, it’s even replaced the dipstick for checking oil. 

One caution: Don’t confuse the oil life monitor with your car’s low oil pressure warning light, which is often an icon that looks like an oil lamp. If you see it, stop and check your oil level right away (more on that below). Driving a car that’s starved for oil can quickly ruin the engine.

How you drive affects your car’s oil-change needs

If you’re a typical daily commuter – that is, you drive a newer car, your usual trip takes about 20 minutes and you travel mostly at higher speeds – you’re likely a good candidate for cutting back on oil-change frequency. Driving that amount allows your engine to heat up completely and clear out potentially damaging water condensation that may have accumulated while your car was parked. Also, longer steady drives are easier on your car than short hops where you turn the car off and on frequently.

However, if you drive an older car, travel very few miles, haul heavy loads, tow a trailer or live in an area prone to extreme heat or cold, you’ll need to change more frequently. Even cars that rarely leave the garage can still benefit from an oil and filter change twice a year.

Why oil-change recommendations have changed 

The “3,000 miles/three months” rule for oil changes predates many advances in engine technology. Also, many newer cars use synthetic oil, which breaks down more slowly than conventional oil and allows drivers to stretch their oil-changing intervals without adding wear and tear to their engines.

If the 3,000-mile habit is just too hard to break, know that changing your oil that often won’t hurt your car. The extra changes will, though, consume an oversized portion of your car-maintenance budget. If you end up getting 100,000 miles out of your car, for example, you’d save 13 oil changes over its life if you changed every 5,000 miles rather than every 3,000. You’d also do a favor for the environment, since that’s a lot less oil that will need to be refined, packaged, transported and later recycled or discarded.

Check your oil level between changes

Most cars still have a dipstick that allows you to verify your car has enough oil to run safely. Some mechanics say to check oil levels every 1,000 miles (about once a month or every other fill-up) and more often if your car tends to burn or leak a little oil. We like this five-minute video from cars.com on oil changes and checking your oil.

And if you’re ready to ditch oil changes for good? Consider going electric for your next car. For the past few years, PEMCO has been transitioning its fleet to ecofriendly electric cars.

To learn more about maintaining your car, check out 10 DIY car maintenance tasks you can tackle | PEMCO.

 

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