Oil Change Myth Debunked
February 13, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Transportation , trackback
I always thought to properly maintain my car, I should change my motor oil every 3,000 miles or so. However, a friend recently sent me a link that debunks this conventional wisdom. Depending on driving habits and road conditions, many car makers now recommend routine oil changes at longer intervals: 5,000 miles, 7,000 miles or more.
According to research conducted by California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), almost 75% of California drivers change their motor oil more often than manufacturer recommendation. Approximately 150 million gallons are used every year in California and only 59% of that oil has been recycled. Used motor oil is not soluble and contains metals and toxic chemicals. Improperly disposed motor oil can pollute our waters and threaten aquatic life.
After reading these facts, I flipped through my car owner’s manual and found unless I drive frequently in extreme conditions or tow heavy objects , I actually only need to change my oil every 7,500 miles! All that wasted oil, time and money. Sigh.
So if you want to save time, money and the environment, check out 3000 Mile Myth and your owner’s manual before your next “routine” oil change.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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Comments»
I recently read the same article in the Chronicle. Can you believe all the waste over the years adhering to the 3,000 myth?
This is another way in which my inherent laziness pays off! I’ve been so lazy over the past few years, I’ve always put off getting my oil change until about 6,000 miles. Now I really know, laziness is environmental.
I am so with you there arduous! After my maintenance light goes on in my car, I usually wait for 2-3 months (out of sheer laziness) before taking it in to get worked on, including oil change. Often mechanics tell me it’s no big deal at all. Now if I went every 25,000 miles, that could be problematic. I had this car in college and changed oil about every 30,000 miles. It kept going for years. Okay, maybe I should stop here before someone takes notice of my “irresponsibility”. Laziness rules!
I find this really strange as in Europe cars from VW and Audi come setup for long life service with Oil changes at up to 30000miles though 18000 is more typical
Unfortunately, I’m not a car expert but I do know it’s manufacturer dependent. Our German car only needs it about every 15,000 miles and has a computer sensor that indicates when service is needed. My Japanese car handbook, on the other hand, recommends a change every 7,500 miles.
I used to follow the 3,000 mile rule but had heard news reports that it wasn’t necessary so when I bought my new car (hybrid) I made sure to check. I had to get an oil change after the first 5,000 miles and after that every 10,000 miles. I’m glad I checked otherwise I would have been wasting a lot of money and oil.
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