{"id":704,"date":"2012-08-06T18:26:49","date_gmt":"2012-08-07T00:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.www.accurateautoadvice.com\/?p=704"},"modified":"2017-02-07T10:08:01","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T17:08:01","slug":"how-often-do-i-really-need-an-oil-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.accurateautoadvice.com\/maintenance-repair\/how-often-do-i-really-need-an-oil-change\/","title":{"rendered":"How Often Do I REALLY Need An Oil Change?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like most questions, the answer depends on who you ask<\/strong>. If you ask the manager at your local Jiffy Lube or your grandfather, they are going to tell you that your oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or three months. And while this used<\/em> to be true, there have been significant advances in both car engines and oils since the time when this 3 month \/ 3,000 mile interval was recommended back in the 1960’s.<\/p>\n

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  1. Engines run a lot cleaner now than they did 40 years ago<\/strong>. In the “old days,” engine oil would become fouled with un-burned fuel, coolant, and combustion residue. In the last two decades, engine tolerances are much higher and combustion is much more efficient.<\/li>\n
  2. Modern engine oil is much better now<\/strong> than it was even 20 years ago – it’s more stable, so you can use the same oil longer. Additives have increased it’s resistance to heat damage while also ensuring the oil stays viscous at low temps.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"Porsche
    A Porsche Boxster can go 12,000 miles between oil changes. Image Use Permitted by Porsche North Scottsdale.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Therefore, if\u00a0you’ve\u00a0purchased a new car in the last twenty years or so, chances are that it can go a lot longer than 3,000 miles between visits to the mechanic. How long, however, will depend on your car and how you drive it…<\/p>\n

    Look It Up<\/h2>\n

    The best place to look for information about any routine maintenance your car requires is in your vehicle owner\u2019s manual. If for whatever reason you cannot locate your car\u2019s owner\u2019s manual, there is a helpful tool online at CheckYourNumber.org<\/a> that can give you a rough estimate of how frequently you should change your oil. HOWEVER…the number that you get from either your owner’s manual or the CheckYourNumber.org website and your actual interval are not necessarily the same. If you use your vehicle in a way that is considered severe duty, you may need to change your oil on a shorter interval.<\/p>\n

    For example, the website just told me that my 2008 Saab 9-3 should have an oil change every 7,500 miles. However, this mileage is for “ideal” driving conditions. Severe conditions include<\/strong>:<\/p>\n