If you own a vehicle, you may not be certain how often you should change its oil. There are different factors that go into this decision. It’s not something you should neglect, though, since your vehicle’s oil serves a crucial purpose.
If you don’t know how often you should get an oil change, Draper residents, then you’re in luck. We’ll break down the elements you must consider in the following article.
What Does Engine Oil Do for Your Vehicle?
Before we talk about how often you should change your vehicle’s oil, we’ll briefly discuss what
the oil does in your car. Your engine oil is necessary because it lubricates the moving parts of your engine. It also reduces the potentially damaging friction that is inevitable with the operation of a car’s engine.
Now, let’s go over how often you should change your engine’s oil.
The Old Way of Thinking
The old standby number when you asked how often you should change your car’s engine oil was approximately every 3,000 miles. This was assuming that you drove your vehicle regularly, such as if you took it to and from work every day. However, this number is not considered to be accurate for modern cars and the engine oil that’s available in 2023.
The New Way of Thinking
The new way of thinking regarding engine oil in modern vehicles is that you should change it more like every 5,000-7,500 miles. The reasoning behind this is a little complicated, but to simplify matters, suffice it to say that most late-model cars require a different kind of oil than older ones.
Newer cars usually need engine oil that conserves resources. It’s multi-grade, low viscosity, and full synthetic. It may also be a synthetic blend.
Why Does This Matter?
The reason why you need to change your engine oil less often with these varieties is that if you use partially or fully synthetic oil, it’s more refined than the older kinds of oil that cars used to require. Fully or partially-synthetic engine oil can increase your engine’s performance. It will reduce engine sludge and can lower friction as well.
Some car companies will even tell you that if you’re using fully synthetic motor oil, you will be fine not changing that oil till you’ve driven your car anywhere from 7,500 to 15,000 miles. If you don’t drive your car often, it could be several years before you need to switch out your oil at this rate.
How Can You Know for Sure?
It’s convenient for you as the owner of a modern car if you don’t have to change your engine oil as often. It saves you money. However, if you’re not a car expert, you should talk to the dealer who sold you the vehicle to determine how often you should switch the oil for your particular model.
You can also check the car’s manual. If your vehicle didn’t come with one, you can check the manufacturer’s website.
