Did you know that every 3,000 miles for an oil change does not apply to every car? You may need to have your oil changed sooner or later because of several factors. Ideal Automotive lists five questions you should ask yourself about oil changes and your car. This will help you determine the best mileage duration for your oil changes and extend the life of your vehicle’s engine.
What Does Your Manufacturer Say?
Start off by finding out what your vehicle manufacturer says. Pull out your owner’s manual and take a look at the recommended oil change duration in the service section. This will not only tell you how often you should have your oil changed, but it will also give you information as to the recommended oil type and weight. It’s important that you stick with these recommendations.
What Type of Oil Do You Use?
The type of oil is also something to consider in terms of how often you should have your oil changed. If you use conventional or high-mileage conventional motor oil, the base recommendation for oil changes is every 3,000 miles. If you use synthetic or a synthetic blend for your motor oil, the base recommendation ranges from every 5,000 miles to 10,000 miles.
What Is Your Daily Commute Like?
Another thing to take into account is your daily commute. If you only drive in short spurts to and from your office or to run errands, you need to have your oil changed more often because this type of driving is very hard on your engine. If you get stuck in long traffic jams, this, too, is very hard on your engine. If you drive on open roads for long distances, your motor oil will last longer between changes.
What Are Your Driving Habits?
It’s also important to be honest with yourself about your habits behind the wheel. If you drive at high speeds and push your vehicle a lot, it’s better to have your oil changed often to ensure that it is always protecting the engine. If you are easy on your automobile, you can stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations because you are not as hard on your engine.
How Many Miles Are on the Odometer?
Finally, take a look at your odometer to see how many miles you have on your automobile. If you are driving a high-mileage automobile, which is 75,000 miles or more, you need to have your oil changed more often in order to protect the engine better and extend its life.
Stop by Ideal Automotive in Blaine, MN, today to discuss oil changes. We will always make certain that you have fresh motor oil in your engine.
