When do you need to change your oil?
You’re driving along minding your own business when you have a sudden realization that it has been a few months since you had your oil changed. A mild panic starts to rumble through your veins. Is your car in trouble? Do you have thick, tar-like oil pumping through your engine now? When can you get in for an appointment? Will another week like this make a difference? When and how often you should change your oil has been a hot topic in the automotive industry for decades. When do you need to change your oil? Is there a specific time frame or mileage number? Keep reading for more information.
How can you keep your car in good shape for resale?
Why your vehicle needs oil
You have probably eaten butter on something, right? Perhaps with corn on the cob or in your mashed potatoes. Have you ever tried eating that without butter? It’s a little rougher isn’t it? Butter acts as a lubricant to make everything go down much more smoothly. Oil is a lubricant for your vehicle’s engine. It keeps all the moving parts in the engine running smoothly. All that movement creates heat, and oil also helps draw heat away from the combustion chamber. Oil also helps protect the engine against excessive or quick wear and tear, making it live a much longer life. Your car needs oil to survive, but how often does it need a fresh batch?
When should you change your oil?
Old wisdom says that you should change your oil every 3,000 miles. That may have been true in earlier automotive days, but that is really not the case with newer cars. The technology is more advanced and better capable of working with one batch of oil for far longer. Many agree that changing your oil every 5,000 miles is fine, and some experts even say going as high as 10,000 miles is okay. The best resource for you, however, will be your owner’s manual. This will provide you with information on your exact model, so we suggest following the instructions given there.
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