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. They always write it to recommend your next oil change in 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first.The old standard used to be 3,000 miles, but newer cars are built to need less maintenance. Do you really have to have an < href=”http://www.i-10toyota.com/j/i/27151/ServiceDepartment.html”>oil change every 3,000 miles?

Most car manufacturers now recommend changing your oil every 7,500 miles or six months. However, for “severe” driving they recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles.What is “severe” driving? Hot, cold, dusty, and ocean-side environments, towing a trailer, making many short trips and city driving are all considered “severe” conditions. That’s a large percentage of the drivers out there!

I agree with those who say that overmaintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil changes are pretty cheap. An oil change only costs about . If your car experiences any of these “severe” conditions, it’s well worth the extra a year. If you err on the side of under-maintaining your car, it’s less likely to last as long as it could. With proper maintenance, newer cars will easily last 200,000 miles or even more. The longer you can make your current car last, the more money you’ll keep. Imagine paying off your car and then continuing to make that “payment” into a savings account. You could buy your next car for cash!

Many of us find it inconvenient to get an oil change. 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. If you can get an oil change done while you’re shopping, you’ll save time. 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 have televisions, snacks and free wi-fi.

Most of us should follow the old standard of 3,000 miles. It’s cheap, simple and very smart. So pick a shop and get into the habit. When your car has 200,000 + miles and is still going strong, you’ll be happy that you did.

Jazelauto.com designs car dealer websites to drive more online traffice to dealerships.

Related Items

Center Caps For Rims