My driving distance varies from time to time, so sometimes I will need an oil change well before the date that is written on the sticker in the upper left-hand corner of my windshield. Most dealers place these stickers after an oil change. So my question is, which one should I follow, the mileage or the date recommended for my next oil change?
The common recommendation by automakers and service centers is to perform the oil change at whichever interval comes first, whether it’s the mileage or recommended date. Even if it’s only been two months, while the sticker say three months, if you’ve racked up enough miles to surpass the mileage recommendation, it’s time for an oil change. Oil change intervals aren’t an exact science, as many factors affect the oil’s lubrication life — engine condition, dirt, contamination, engine temperature and driving style — so always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation.
The average oil change recommendation we see on new cars is around five months or 5,000 miles — some more, some less; refer to your owner’s manual and try not to exceed the outlined date or mileage to keep your engine healthy.
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If your vehicle is equipped with some kind of maintenance reminder system, follow that one, since it is the only thing that is actually monitoring how you drive.
I have a Ford Fivehundred and the owners manual says 5,000 (I think) but I only drive 1.5 miles to work and maybe 10 miles on the weekend. I would walk if it were practical, but it is not. Anyway, I read somewhere that my type of driving is not really good for a car, especially one with a larger engine. Is that true? Also, how long (timewise) is too long to go between oil changes, b/c I doubt I will drive 5,000 miles in a year.
Assuming that you use regular oil (not syntetic)...
When your car is new, follow up manufacturer's interval. Using modern day oil, it is normally 5K miles. Some manufacturers put 7.5K - don't do that. Don't ever go more then 5K. When your car is old, over 70K engine doesn't work as clean, so shorten oil changes interval to 3.5K. Check oil level every 1K. When you have over 100K miles car will definately burn some oil and this will compromise the remnants. So, at this point you should change every 3K and check level every 500 miles and add some as necessary.
Driving short distances is harder on the car. The fluids don't fully warm up and that can lead to condensation that would normally burn off if the engine were getting up to full operating temp. Use the time interval recommendation to change your oil, which should be in the owner's manual. But if it isn't, every five months is a safe bet.
It has been my experience that the best way to tell when the oil needs changing is to look at the color and clearity of the oil on the engine dipstick.Older engines need fresh oil more often,somtimes in as little as 500 miles.The quality of the engine oil so greatly affects the performance.The only other consideration is a brand new motor,with breakin oil,it has been my experience,that breakin oil should be changed only after it gets some color,showing breakin is complete.
I work for a county fleet maint dept and always have a dissagreement with an" old timer" who claims you can over service an unit, he says you dont need to change the oil and filter until there is 4000 miles on it
even it passes the 3 month time intervol,why do they say by this time or this milage I say do which ever comes first(how can we tell if an unit sits and idles for any lenth of time without a hour meter witch is the base for my stand even if it still has 2500 miles to go).
We own a '99 BMW 528i with the service lights. My first thoughts were "what an ingenious monitoring system". The manufacturer recommends only BMW approved full synthetic oil with recommended changes at approx 7500 miles or whenever the indicator lights drop to 0 bars, however, I always changed the oil and filter when the second bar went out, around 6000 miles, thinking I was performing the service early. At about 100k miles we replaced the valve cover gasket to discover an obvious accumulation of "crud" on the internal engine components which, after further investigation, necessitated flushing the engine and removing the oil pan. As it turns out, this is a common problem with BMW's or any vehicle that has incorporated "extended service periods" into its sales tactics and must be addressed to deter premature engine failure all because some corporate jackass has placed more importance on increasing new car sales than proper maintenance for product reliability. We now use regular oil with changes @ 3000 miles and the motor stays much cleaner and seems to perform better even with 120k or so on the odometer. Now when I think of the service indicators my thoughts are "what idiot came up with this?"
The oil change people over filled my oil 1/3 to 1/2 over the xxxxx area. A 2003 drove 100 miles will this hurt my car.
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Do it every 3 to 5000 miles you'll be fine.