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 gives you a mileage of 3,000 miles or 3 months into the future, whichever comes first.3,000 miles was the old standard, but car manufacturers have improved their products in recent years. 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, for “severe” driving they recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles.What does “severe” driving mean? If you live near the ocean or in a dusty environment, if you live in a hot or cold place, if you tow a trailer, if you do a lot of city driving or make many short trips, then your car experiences “severe” driving conditions. That’s a large percentage of the drivers out there!
We all know that over-maintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil change are cheap. You should be able to get your oil changed for about . If your car experiences any of these “severe” conditions, it’s well worth the extra a year. The alternative is that your car might not last as long or will need costly repairs. If you maintain your car well, it should last 200,000 miles or more. The longer you can make your current car last, the more money you’ll keep. Wouldn’t it be great if you could pay your car off and then save the money that you’re no longer using for car payments. You could get your next car free and clear!
Because of the inconvenience of being without your car, many of us fail to get regular maintenance done. 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. You can get an oil change at your local car dealership, service station, or even WalMart. If you can combine this chore with shopping for instance, you’ll save time. There are even specialty shops that will guarantee to have you out in less than an hour! And many shops are trying to make their waiting areas more pleasant and convenient. Many have televisions, snacks and free wi-fi.
For most cars, I recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles. It’s inexpensive, easy and smart. So find a mechanic or shop and get into the habit of regular oil changes. When your car has 200,000 + miles and is still going strong, you’ll be happy that you did.
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