Do we really need to change the oil in our cars every 3000miles?

Question

or are the oil compnaies just ripping us off.I have not changed the oil in my truck for 10,000 miles and it is still good

Answer 1

honest no, it just good practiest, to do,,, it keep dow the slug oil leave in the motor

Answer 2

In a word no.

Oil change intervals depend on the specific engine, the quality of the oil, the type of driving you do and the your annual milage.

A few years ago when all engine oil was all derived from mineral oil it had a resonabley short life and many cars specified and interval of 3000 miles. However these days engine technology as well as oil technology is a lot better and many oils will last for 10,000 miles +. In fact some car manufacturers actually have service intervals of 20,000 miles (as long as you use the correct specification oil).

However even if you have an older vehicle and you use mineral oil it should last for at least 5000 miles.

the exceptions are:

If you do a very low annual milage. I would change engine oil at least once a year for mineral oil and one every two years for fully synthetic. Most manufacturers will state a certain milage or 12/24months which ever comes first.

If you do a lot of short journeys where the engine never gets fully warmed up. This kind of driving is hard on both engine and oil and so it is worth changing it a little bit more often .

Turbocharged cars. You should only use a high quality oil in a car with a turbocharger and the change interval should be shorter too unless you want to buy a new turbo every few years.

Always consult the vehicle manufacturers for oil type and change intervals. They make the vehicle so they know. Mind you it is also worth remembering that manufacturers are only interested in vehicles inside of warranties, so they will not be specifying maintenence schedules to enable your car to do 200,000 miles etc. If you aim to keep the car for a long time then it is sometimes benefical to change the oil a bit more often, although every 3000 miles is a little bit OTT.

BTW you won't notice any problems until the engine is badly worn out. By the time you start to hear signs of engine wear and notice increased oil comsumpsion it is already too late.

In response to KB. The specifed interval for changing the oil,on almost every new car is 10,000+ miles. If you use a fully synthetic oil then changing it more often that this is simply a waste of oil. However never put cheap oil in your car/truck. It is false economy.

Answer 3

How can you tell it's good? I'm pretty sure you can't feel metal particles that are 3 microns across. Thats what damages your engine over time. I don't think 20 quid a year is particularly a rip off when pay tens of thousands for your cars and trucks.

Generally Speaking, the average oil change is somewhere between 5000 and 10000 miles or every 12 months. Renault have started using ultra fine filters and large capacity sumps to extend it to 30000.

Changing your oil every 3k is not essential, but if you have the time, money or inclination it's not a bad habit. To be honest, I can change the oil in my MGF in about 15 minutes and it costs me £20 for 5 litres of magnatec every 6 months. And I know mine runs much sweeter than several other MGF's with similar mileage.

Basically, you get metal particles in the oil and residue from condensation and it's these that eventually damage your piston rings and any other moving parts. So a change every 3k is perhaps erring on the enthusiastic side, but 10k is too much, get it done!

Answer 4

This depends on the way you use and drive your vehicle.

It is one thing to say your oil is still good after 10,000 miles but is the engine still good. You can not always tell what the engine condition is like by just looking at the oil. You must also see if engine shavings are in it.

Although most engines are made from different materials now days as from the past, the oil can also break down and not even look like this when checking it by eyesight. The oil may have lost its viscosity thus also losing its effectiveness.

As for the oil companies ripping us off. They do that enough at the pumps. No need to do it here.

Answer 5

Is the oil still good? Are you sure? Like everything else, cars/trucks wear. It's metal on metal in there kept separate by a thinnnnnnnnn layer of oil. when your oil is old and subjected to repeated heating/cooling/carbon buildup (That's why oil gets black) it loses the properties that make it protective (That is, viscosity) Also, because a car is metal, metal annnnnnd metal, little pieces of metal tends to shave off of those parts and it has nowhere to go but - you guessed it - into your oil, where it is neatly distributed throughout your engine effectively making your oil the equivalent of metalurgical sandpaper.

Also, if you've ever fired a gun, you know that carbon is a by-product of firing and you will also know what a pain in the butt it is to remove said carbon from the weapon. Same in a car.

So what we have so far is a lowered viscosity, metal shavings, and carbon buildup, all in your oil. enter the oil filter. now, oil filters are awesome. they're much better nowadays than they used to be. But they're not perfect. Also, if you've ever had a vacuum cleaner, you know that the more you use it, the more the filter clogs with crap. now, in a vacuum cleaner, it's easy enough to yank the filter, knock out a good portion of the garbage, and put it back, pretty as you please. No such luck with an oil filter. it HAS to be replaced. What happens then is that your oil pump has to essentially work harder to force the same amount of oil through your oil filter, causing unnecessary wear and tear on the expensive and difficult-to-replace component.

So can you wait longer than 3000 miles to change your oil? Sure. But then again, you can also eat a pound of sugar for breakfast everyday. You probably won't notice any problems at first, but eventually, your pancreas is going to shut down. Don't do it. Change that oil every three thousand. Unless you've got loads of money to throw around. It's just not worth it. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Answer 6

The more frequent you change the oil the longer the engine will last and the older the engine the more often the oil should be changed. Use the best oil that you can get. If you do this the engine will last for ever. It is difficult to test your own oil to see if it is still good - I doubt whether anyone has the test apparatus other then the large oil companies

Answer 7

To do it yourself, an oil change costs about $15 and takes about 10 minutes. Your car cost thousands presumably and you saved up for however long to afford it. 10 minutes and $15 is not a lot to ask in order to protect an investment.

One thing to look out for though...many warranties stipulate the oil change interval, and if yours says 3,000 miles, but something happens to it with 10k+ mile oil in there, then your crap outta luck, and no one will honor your warranty due to neglect. It may still seem good to you, but until you can see inside, there's no way to tell until it's too late. 400+ pounds of rotating metal parts contacting other metal parts isn't the most natural thing in the world and requires lubrication. Don't be lazy and just change your oil. You can't do anything wrong to it by changing the oil often, but can ruin it by not oiling at all.

Answer 8

You need to change the oil at the intervals specified by the manufacturer. Neglecting to change the oil results in the following problems

1) Engine sludging up. (Toyota's are notorious for this)
2) Corrosive acids buildup
3) More friction at startup
4) Increased engine wear.

I have a car that is 30 years old and still runs the same engine. Such a long engine life is largely due to regular changes of the engine oil.

Oil changes are not a rip off. They are the best insurance against premature engine failure....

Answer 9

for the comparable reason a lot of human beings think of that keeping a cellular telephone up on your head on a similar time as on and letting microwaves penetrate your strategies poses no danger. many persons are ignorant and don't even difficulty to examine the instruction manual with regard to the products they very own. in the event that they have been to examine they could discover out that changing the oil each and every 3000 miles is plenty too quickly for many automobiles. Even my Toyota Corolla in basic terms recommends changing the oil each and every 6500 miles, no longer 3000 miles. The replace your oil each and every 3000 miles mantra is something concept up by utilising the oil replace marketplace (e.g. jiffy Lube, etc.), and curiously it fairly works. I agree, the human beings who get 2 hundred,000 miles from their motor vehicle by utilising in basic terms changing their oil each and every 3000 miles are fortunate. autos are not predicted to final plenty longer than that without paying for a clean transmission and protecting up with different required upkeep.

Answer 10

Depends on what kind of automobile you are driving and the usage.
If it is car you are driving in a not so crowded city, then it is usually at every 10,000Kms(Plz convert it to mileage).
If it is a jeep or a light truck, it is around 5,000-8,000Kms.
You can always pull the oil rod out and check the thickness and colour of the oil to decide.
Ideally, the oil must be thick for better lubrication and if it has turned Black, you must see red! I mean, if it is black, it has to changed immediately.

Answer 11

Remind me not to ever buy a used vehicle from you. Oil is the lifeblood of your car/truck. Its enemy is heat. Over time the oil loses its ability to properly lubricate your engine and begins to break down. While it may still look good to you, it is allowing more metal to metal contact within your engine, causing wear. Once this begins to happen, your engine will begin to build higher temperatures that in turn begin to break down your oil even faster. An engine properly maintained will last far longer than one that isn't.

Any mechanic who tells you 10,000 miles is normal to change oil, run away from as fast as possible. He is not someone you need to have working for you.

An oil change is a very low cost to what it can do for your car. If you really do not want to change your oil that often, I suggest buying either a synthetic oil or an oil/synthetic blend. These types will last longer in your car between changes.