The New Rules of Changing Your Oil

Sept. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Change your oil every 3,000. Just like eating your vegetables and not leaving the house with a wet head, this has been the golden rule of car maintenance for generations. Now, new recommendations are setting new standards and encouraging drivers to break old habits. Jiffy Lube follows carmakers lead in breaking the 3,000 mile barrier.

Regular oil changes are a key way to prolong the life of an engine, but automakers have lengthened recommended intervals in recent years, making operating conditions and driving habits part of the equation. With improved engine and oil quality, 3,000 has become the minimum in many cases. In fact, most manufacturers are recommending, five, seven, even 10,000 miles between changes for the average driver in a new car. Lengthening the miles between changes also puts more money in the driver’s pocket and less strain on the environment.

In fact, manufacturers like Honda and General Motors equip many of their vehicles with computers that calculate the remaining life of the vehicle’s oil, based on driving habits and environment, taking any guess work out of the equation.