Can You Get Away with Oil Changes Every 7,500 Miles?
When you get your oil changed, they put that little sticker on your windshield to remind you when it’s time to get your next. The sticker always tells you to get your next oil change at the earlier of 3 months or 3,000 miles. 3,000 miles used to be the standard, but they’re making cars better than ever now. Do you really have to have an oil change every 3,000 miles?
Modern car manufacturers usually recommend an oil change every 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. However, they recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles or 3 months if you drive in “severe” conditions.What do they mean by “severe” driving? Hot, cold, dusty, and ocean-side environments, towing a trailer, making many short trips and city driving are all considered “severe” conditions. A lot of cars fall into that category!
They say that over-maintaining your car is a waste of money and I agree, but oil changes are very inexpensive. An oil change only costs about . It’s certainly worth an extra per year if you drive under any of these “severe” conditions. The alternative is that your car might not last as long or will need costly repairs. With proper maintenance, newer cars will easily last 200,000 miles or even more. The longer you can go without buying a new car, the more money you’ll save. Imagine paying off your car and then continuing to make that “payment” into a savings account. You could get your next car free and clear!
Some people fail to get oil changes because it’s inconvenient to be without your car. But an oil change should take less than an hour if you go when the shop isn’t busy. Since an oil change is such a simple matter, every repair shop does them. Oil changes are readily available at many convenient locations, including the corner service station and even Wal Mart. Getting an oil change done while you’re shopping or working makes it much less time consuming. There are even specialty shops that will guarantee to have you out in less than an hour! And shops are increasingly offering convenient and pleasant environments for waiting. Many offer coffee, free wi-fi and television.
It’s a good idea for most of us to get our oil changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months. It’s cost effective, easy and a very good idea. So find the shop that’s convenient for you and get into the habit of changing your oil regularly. When you’re still driving a reliable car at 200,000 miles, you’ll be happy that you did.
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