Sep
12
Oil Change: “the 3000 miles myth”
Ever since I became a car owner during my high school years, it was instilled in me that I had to change the engine oil every 3000 miles or 3 month, whichever came first. So I did; I rigorously changed the oil every 3000 miles. However, is that really necessary??
Oil chemistry and engine technology have improved to the point that most cars can go several thousand more miles before changing the oil. 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.
My personal take on this matter; take a look at your manufacturer’s guideline in the owner’s manual. If your car is seven or eight years old or newer, it should have a guideline for changing your oil for variety of driving condition such as stop & go driving or highway driving etc. I checked the owner’s manual for 06′ Mazda5 and it stated, for frequent short distance and stop & go driving, it recommends that you should get the oil changed every 5,000 miles. If you deal with more of longer-distance highway driving, it would be every 7,500 and such…so check your owner’s manual! Do yourself & the environment a favor and check the dip stick and see for yourself if the oil really needs to be changed.