Don’t Change Your Oil Too Frequently

Written by nickel - 17 Comments

Here’s a money saving tip for you… Don’t change your oil any more than necessary. The idea of changing you oil every three months or 3,000 miles has been pounded into our heads by the oil change industry for years. But is it really necessary? Maybe, maybe not. But many people buy into the idea that frequent oil changes are “cheap insurance,” so why not do it?

While changing your car’s oil too often won’t hurt it, doing so is a waste of money. And besides, if you go to one of those Quicky-Lube places to get your oil changed, do you really want a minimum wage grease monkey messing with your car any more than is absolutely necessary?

According to Tom and Ray Magliozzi (a.k.a., Click & Clack of Car Talk fame), a general rule of thumb would be to change your oil and filter every 5,000 miles. They do, however, recognize that this will be too soon for many people, and a bit late for a few.

As far as I’m concerned, the best approach is to check your owner’s manual. While some cars still need to have their oil changed every 3,000 miles, others can safely go as far as 10,000 miles between changes. Keep in mind that most manufacturers recommend a shorter interval between oil changes if you drive under ‘extreme conditions’ such as extremely high temperature, exceptionally dirty/dusty operating conditions, regularly towing a load, or frequent short trips in cold weather. If you’re concerned, err on the side of the extreme driving conditions. But there’s no need to blindly follow the 3,000 mile rule of thumb.

Published on March 2nd, 2006 - 17 Comments
Filed under: Automotive
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Comments (scroll down to add your own):

Good tip. I usually go about 10,000 miles before getting mine changed. (2004 Honda Civic.) As it gets older, it may start burning oil faster… so I might go to about 7,500 at that point, but hopefully not more frequently than that.
Comment by Flexo — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 6:39 am
This is a good article. Unfortunetly Jiffy Lube and others base their entire business model on this practice.

I have a Honda Civic and they recommend changing it every 5000 miles, even under ‘extreme conditions’
Comment by Steve — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 7:06 am
GREAT tip! My owner’s manual says once every 5k but garages/dealerships constantly put 3k stickers on my window when I get the oil changed. Who are they trying to fool?
Comment by FMF — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 8:00 am
I change my oil every 4 or 5 months, which is usually around 3000-4000 miles or so. I don’t go to the grease monkey pits, though; I normally get it done when I am having some other sort of regular maintenance or checkup doing at my garage to keep from having to drop it off more often. Tire rotations, tune-ups, and state inspections are usually the real reason it’s getting dropped off.
Comment by Blaine Moore — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 8:04 am
My MINI Cooper automatically takes your driving habits into account (long distance country driving vs. stop-and-go city driving) and calculates your oil change interval as you travel. I used to have a 90-minute commute through mostly farm land, so my first oil change wasn’t for 18,000 miles. Now that I’m just 10 minutes away from work and do most of my driving within 5 miles of home, I expect my next oil change after just another 12,000 miles.

Some cars also run on synthetic oil (like MINI Coopers). They only need their oil changed every 10,000-15,000 miles or so. But synthetic oil is more expensive.
Comment by Nick — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 8:19 am
My car’s manual says 3,750mi. My dad is an old school mechanic and says 3K, but ‘there’s no hurry’, which I take to mean, pass 3K and take it in when you get the chance and that’s about 3,750.

I find that my car can go longer than that, but it requires having the oil topped off every once in a while, something I hate doing with I’m freezing my hands off at a gas station. I think most folks don’t realize that you can check the oil on your car with the dipstick. It does get browner/blacker/dirtier over time. (When I say most folks, do I mean women? I’m not sure. I’ve met some pretty clueless men too.)

Along with Nick’s synthetic oil comment, I’ve heard once you use synthetic, you can’t go back to regular oil. Is that true?

What I’d really like to do to save money is change out my own oil and filter. It’s apparently easy to do. All you need is proper disposal after you’re done, and a lot of the major branded auto shops will take it for a small fee.
Comment by mapgirl — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 9:08 am
I think it depends on the quality of the oil you use as well. We don’t change the oil every 3,000 miles but maybe 5,000. Still, if you’re worried about the money you’re spending on oil changes, you’ve got bigger problems.
Comment by Emma — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 10:07 am
I use synthetic and change at around 10k.
Comment by jim — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 10:49 am
Regardless of how many miles between oil changes be sure to check the level regularly.

Get an air pressure gauge and check your tires once a month also. Underinflated tires costs you in terms of miles per gallon as well as tire wear.
Comment by eric — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 12:37 pm
That’s a really good point FCN. It is something that I never really thought much about. I always just try to go in when they say to on that little sticker from the garage. I have a 98 Civic and I honestly have never read the manual at all. Guess I should check it out, but it sounds like about 5000 miles from the above comments. Thanks.
Comment by RS — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 2:20 pm
RS: Even if your manual tells you to use a longer interval, eric made a really good point… For an older car you should still periodically check the level, as older cars often use (or leak) oil, and you might end up low.

Comment by nickel — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 2:28 pm
My last Ford Escort I actually went over 43,000 miles without getting the oil changed. I think I went from my senior year of high school to a year after I graduated from college without thinking to change the oil. This was when the car already had 100,000 miles on it. Despite only get 2 or 3 oil changes from 100,000 to 190,000 miles it ran like a charm and I’d still probably be driving it today if I didn’t decide to take a deer head on.

Not necessarily recommending the above maintenance schedule, but yeah it is possible to go a little longer between oil changes
Comment by MyFinancialGoals — Mar 2nd 2006 @ 7:59 pm
Well now I know my car is safe, since it more often gets the ‘button’ reset than the oil changed! (it has one of those, chang oil now indicators, fancy)
Comment by Perky — Mar 4th 2006 @ 7:23 am
Ok, I’ve heard all this crap from the Lube Pits… every three thousand miles. This is the stuff women suck in and are taken for a sleigh-ride. My manual says every twelve thousand miles and that seems too frequent, but just to keep it simple I’ve been doing it every ten thousand miles. Yes, I do it myself. Want it done right! But now with the new synthetic, just mark a day on the calendar…. say July 4, 2007…… an oil change…. next change July 4, 2008. What could be easier. Oh yes, a BMW dealer said their new cars start with synthetic and oil and scheduled for a change every 25,000 clicks. So what’s good enough for BMW is good enough for my Infiniti.

Jim G.
Comment by jim gryner — Apr 23rd 2007 @ 6:32 pm
You also have to remember to adhere to your warranty in regards to when to change your oil.

If you dont, or can’t prove you have and have a severe engine malfunction, they’ll blame lack of oil changes.
Comment by danon — Jan 20th 2008 @ 6:19 pm
My father is a service manager for a big auto repair chain and he changes his oil ever 1200 miles or so. He says that the 3000-7000 mile oil change interval is suggested by the company that wants to sell you a new car in 5 years. I think that’s too frequent but I try not to go past 3000.
Comment by Wayne — Jun 9th 2008 @ 8:36 am
The skinny is know your car:

The service manual for my 1997 Honda Civic cites that usage of just under 1 Quart of oil every 1k miles is common consumption for the vehicle. If I did every 5k, then I’d be out of oil at every change. My car has 190k miles and purrs like a kitten, but I do have to top it off every 1500 miles before I do my 3000 mile change. Why? Because it has 190k miles and I drive it hard, all the time.

Different strokes for different folks. IF I CAN RECOMMEND ONE THING… it’s to CHECK your oil level every 1k miles and then do the change at whatever interval you feel is prudent, but you must at least check because strange things can happen and a car is no good broken.

Also, it’s in a manufacturers best interest for you to need a new vehicle… these things weren’t meant to last forever, but erring on the side of caution if you can is always a great idea.
Comment by Rick — Aug 1st 2008 @ 1:59 pm