How Often Do I Need to Change My Oil

Oil changes are just one of the many minor hassles of car ownership, but they're crucial to keeping your car in good shape. Furthermore, if you don't complete your Oil Change on time and with the proper products, it could void your car's warranty.

However, experts now say that the standard oil change interval of every three months — or every 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) — is old news, and that most cars can travel quite a bit farther before needing oil replaced. If you're changing your oil more frequently than necessary, it won't help your car. It doesn't harm it either, but you're wasting money, time and resources. Keep in mind, too, that throwing away oil that's still usable puts a strain on the environment.



If you drive, you’ve probably been told that you need an oil change every 3,000 miles. This is a widely accepted standard when it comes to oil changes, but do you really need to change your engine oil after traveling exactly 3,000 miles?

The answer is conclusive: No, you don’t, according to every auto manufacturer we’ve talked to. The main advocates of the 3,000-mile oil-change schedule are those who would profit by it: repair facilities, quick-lube chains and service departments at some new-car dealers. Recommended oil-change intervals actually vary greatly from one vehicle manufacturer to enough, so it is always best to familiarize yourself with your owner’s manual to keep up with recommended maintenance.

What Happens if I Never Change My Oil

The blood in your body. Water in the desert. And oil in an engine. They're all vital. Without them, someone or something is going to die!

Oil is an essential lubricant in your engine. It lets metal press against metal without damage. For example, it lubricates the pistons as they move up and down in the cylinders. Without oil, the metal-on-metal friction creates so much heat that eventually the surfaces weld themselves together and the engine seizes. Which is not good if you're trying to get somewhere. On the other hand, if you want someone else not to get somewhere, then draining the oil out of his or her engine is an effective roadblock! Let's say that your engine has plenty of oil, but you never change it. Two things will definitely happen:

Dirt will accumulate in the oil. The filter will remove the dirt for a while, but eventually the filter will clog and the dirty oil will automatically bypass the filter through a relief valve. Dirty oil is thick and abrasive, so it causes more wear. Additives in the oil like detergents, dispersants, rust-fighters and friction reducers will wear out, so the oil won't lubricate as well as it should.

Eventually, as the oil gets dirtier and dirtier, it will stop lubricating and the engine will quickly wear and fail. Don't worry, this isn't going to happen if you forget to change your oil one month and it goes over the recommended change interval by 500 miles. You would have to run the same oil through the engine for a long time -- many thousands of miles -- before it caused catastrophic failure.

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