Changing engine oil is one of the most important parts of maintaining a car with a combustion engine. For decades the service schedule was clear – 3 months or 3,000 miles but today, things have changed and the waters are muddy. How often do you change your oil and why do you stick to that schedule?
In the recent past oil change schedules started to lengthen. Three months went out the door for many in favor of going by mileage only. Then oil companies began to introduce products that claimed they could go 5,000 miles, 10,000 miles, or longer without the need to be changed. Don’t get us wrong. Oil companies know what their products are capable of.
At the same time, there are a great many variables out there that can change how well an engine performs over time regardless of the oil change interval. How is the engine used? Does the owner go back with the same brand and weight that’s appropriate for that use? Do they replace the filter regularly or do they skip it from time to time?
More: Toyota Master Technician Argues Against 10,000 Mile Oil Change Intervals
No doubt, many have heard of stories where owners failed to do one of those aforementioned things and ended up with an engine-shaped paperweight. Three days ago I personally received a call from a friend who had just confirmed that he had a seized Ford engine due to his personal neglect toward replacing his oil filter. Of course, sometimes, individuals change oil properly and their engine ends up broken anyway.
Not every example is anecdotal though. In a widely publicized story a Toyota master technician took issue with the brand’s recommendation to only change oil every 10,000 miles. Despite faithful adherence to that schedule, the engine was damaged to the point of removal and replacement by 180,000 miles into its life. That’s a lot of miles, no doubt, but it’s far from the multiple stories we’ve heard of million-mile cars with their original engine in good condition.
With all of that in mind, we’d love to hear about your personal service schedule and how you decided on it. Do you stick to the manual faithfully regardless of how long or short the oil change interval is? Do you prefer to change your oil at a totally different interval as a result of some other information or usage case? Let us know in the comments below.
