Changing car oil every 3,000 miles is not necessary

Three thousand miles has long been the time to change your car’s oil. But if your car is less than ten years old, you’ve been tricked by the motor oil companies. The motor oil companies are still selling oil like it’s the 1970s and have been taking in profits ever since.

Industry standards for cars and motor oil have changed over the past ten years to give oil a longer life. Most cars made in the last ten years have what are called oil life monitoring systems, which automatically adjust and analyze your engine’s performance and oil performance. Oils have also changed; synthetic oils have stronger preservatives and lubricants to allow the motor oil to last up to 10,000 miles.

The car companies know this, and if you dial the Hastings Direct phone number, or another insurance company, or even read an owner’s manual from a car that is less than ten years old, it most likely will tell you that there is no need to change the oil every 3,000 miles. But motor oil companies are tripling their profits by scaring the public into buying extra oil. While it is true that your car will lose gas mileage and eventually sustain damage if you don’t change your oil, that line is no longer drawn at 3,000 miles.

For example, all 2012 BMWs will run for at least 15,000 miles before an oil change. Audi, Toyota, Lincoln, Volkswagen, and Mini Cooper all call for an oil change between 10 and 15,000 miles for severe drivers.

Now that’s only for severe drivers, but how do you know if you are a severe driver? A  severe driver is a person who: commutes 50 miles or more every day, drives in temperatures lower than ten degrees or higher than 90 degrees, or someone who takes a series of trips that are under five miles in one day.

For all who drive to CVHS, none of this applies to you. With Castro Valley having weather that rarely exceeds the temperatures listed, along with general driving only to and from school, you car will run happy and healthy for 10,000 miles with only one oil change.

By changing your oil every 10,000 miles on your new car, you will also be saving the environment. An estimated 10,000,000 gallons of oil a year would be saved if manufacturers’ instructions were followed.

Unless you are driving a car that’s more than ten years old, you most likely have been changing your oil way to often. Read your owner’s manual for your car and stop changing your oil every 3,000 miles. By making these changes, you will be saving your money and your environment.