According to a recent study by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, 73% of California drivers change their oil more frequently than required. This same scenario no doubt repeats itself across the country. Besides wasting money, this translates into unnecessary consumption of $100-a-barrel oil, much of it imported.

It’s been a misconception for years that engine oil should be changed every 3000 miles, even though most auto manufacturers now recommend oil changes at 5,000, 7,000, or even 10,000 mile intervals under normal driving conditions.

For several years, automakers like General Motors, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have installed computerized systems that alert drivers via an instrument panel light when it’s time to change oil. Greatly improved oils, including synthetic oils, coupled with better engines mean longer spans between oil changes without harming an engine. The 3000 mile interval is a carryover from days when engines used single-grade, non-detergent oils. So no need to change every 3,000 miles for modern cars.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 7:11 pm and is filed under Automotive Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.