"The long-held notion that the oil should be changed every 3,000 miles is so prevalent that California officials have launched a campaign to stop drivers from wasting millions of gallons of oil annually because they have their vehicles serviced too often."
They certainly should be "severe service" if most of their driving is short trips (10 miles or less one way).
Harry K
Isn't it just great to have a government so concerned about citizens that it advises people when to change their car oil + what is the best light bulb to use + what foods we should and should not eat +++++++++++.
Gives a person a nice warm feeling.
Bob-tx
Both of my vehicles are mid-2000's with over 120K miles.
While I still change the oil more frequently than the manual says, I'm not as fixated on the "every 3000 miles" interval like I used to be.
I start thinking about it around 3K and get to it when I get to it. 1K to1.5K over doesn't bother me like it used.
Is your house a vehicle? Does it move around on its own?? Or do you have to steer it???
Fine and dandy if you buy new vehicles every 3 or 4 years.
For those of us who keep cars, this is isn't such good advise.
For people who almost exclusively make short trips (less than a mile or two), the calendar, not the odometer is the way to go. Every 90 days, regardless of mileage. Presently I fall in this category, rarely going over 1,200... typically more like only 550 miles.
Those who's average use is long trips can think more like 5k miles. A long trip is one long enough to get the oil temp (not the water temp as displayed on the instrument panel) up over 212°F, and keeping it above for 15 minutes or so. This will vary with ambient outside air temp's, but a good safe bet would half hour one way legs... the more the merrier.
Modern oils are still wonderful lubricants even at 10k miles plus. It's the contaminates that are the issue.
Erik
On 12/16/2011 3:37 PM, Erik wrote: ...
...
That's absurdly short. If nothing else, take it out for a drive once in a while--the slight extra gas cost would be far cheaper in the long run than oil/filters/labor.
--
"hr(bob) snipped-for-privacy@att.net" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@t38g2000yqe.googlegroups.com:
No. Maybe. Sometimes.
That's a valid point. Cars need to be driven enough to boil away the moisture in the engine and exhaust system. Instead of going to the market around the corner, go to one across town occasionally.
Is this Alt.Car.Repair? The subject at least deserved an OT marking. Too subtle, I guess.
-- Bobby G.
Glad CA is out of it's financial trouble, too.
Likewise. I buy well maintained 6 year old cars for $6000 and drive them another 12 years. I put on a few more miles and change oil every
4 months - which is usually about 4000Km. On my current car that is on Synthetic. The wife's car makes about 3000 Km on regular oil - it's 16 years old with 160,000Km. 3 changes a year. Used to do 4, but it got more miles then.
My wife is in that category. I change the oil in her car once a year at best. Her last car was my hand-me-down and the engine was still great after 14 years. Rest of the car was going to crap though so I gave her mine with 130,000 miles.
Hi, Since I retired, I did not buy domestic brand car. My family always had good luck with Subaru, and Honda/Acura. Our oil change interval is 10K Km. Have not experienced lubrication related premature engine trouble. Only one thing, I always replace oil PU tube on Subaru 4 banger boxer engines. PU tube is poorly made and I replace it with after market heavy duty one. It is known weakness.
That's rich. One of the guys who starts more off topic threads here or revives ones that have been dead for a week, bitching about someone else starting one.
Do what I say, not what I do.
3000 it is here. always has been, always will be. No multi-vis s*it either.
Driving model T yet? Or trying hard to make oil cos. rich?
I don't see what the big deal is. My Toyota dealer recycles used drain oil. I'll continue to have the oil changed at the intervals recommended by Toyota. F*ck Kalifornia!
This is yet another example of a wasteful and useless Kalifornia program...sort of like the US government's ethanol fuel scam.
I'm sure your 1947 Desoto thanks you. Me, I drive a bit newer.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
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