How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

You may have heard differing advice on how often to have your car's oil changed. Learn how to figure out what's right for you and your car in this episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey
brain Stuff, Lauren Vogel bomb here. Oil changes are just
one of the many minor hassles of car ownership, but
they're crucial to keeping your car in good shape. Furthermore,
if your car carries a warranty, not changing your oil
on time and with the proper products could avoid that warranty. However,

(00:23):
experts now say that the standard oil change interval of
every three months, or every three thousand miles that's about
five thousand kilometers is old news, and that most cars
can travel quite a bit farther before needing their oil replaced.
If you're changing your oil more frequently than necessary, it
won't help your car. It doesn't harm it either, But
you're wasting money, time, and resources. After all, throwing away

(00:44):
oil that's still usable puts a strain on the environment.
There are four main recommended intervals for oil changes, based
on factors specific to you and your car. Number one,
Under some circumstances, experts recommend changing your oil every one
thousand miles that's six KOs, or every six months. Now,
I know, I know. If some experts say that three

(01:06):
thousand miles is too often, why would those same experts
recommend intervals of every one thousand miles. It all depends
on your driving habits. If you're driving routine consists mostly
of trips that are ten miles or less, you should
consider changing your oil more often than every three thousand
miles for two reasons. If you aren't making long trips
at high steady speeds like you would on a highway,

(01:28):
then your engine isn't getting hot enough to boil off
condensation that can accumulate in the system that can cause
oil to break down faster. Most of the wear and
tear on your engine occurs when you're starting your car,
and if you aren't driving very far, most of your
driving is of the type that's very hard on your engine.
More frequent oil changes will help minimize that damage. In short,

(01:49):
if you drive your car infrequently, as in much less
than the mileage of your recommended service interval, you should
still change your oil twice a year, since the oil
degrades over time. In r all number two, that old
standard three thousand miles or five thousand kilometers or every
three months. Some car experts suggest that the three thousand
mile interval is really for the benefit of the shops

(02:10):
that change the oil, since the more frequently you come in,
the more money they make. Still, if you have an
older model car that recommends this interval, you're probably better
off adhering to it. Meanwhile, most modern car owners manuals
actually recommend longer intervals, every five thousand miles that's about
eight thousand to twelve thousand kilometers. However, some manufacturers recommend

(02:32):
you also take your driving style and habits into account.
For instance, if your car is fairly new and you
usually drive twenty minutes or more and achieve fairly steady
speeds as opposed to stop and go traffic the entire drive,
you are a prime candidate for less frequent oil changes. However,
if your car is older, it's best to stick with
the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule. In some cases, experts recommend

(02:56):
going as long as ten thousand to fifteen thousand miles
that's sixteen thousand to twenty four thousand kilometers, or every
six months. That's in cases where your cars manufacturer recommend
synthetic oil, or if you decide to make the switch.
Though synthetic oil is much more expensive than regular oil,
it has more benefits. It's better for the environment and
can perform better than regular oil. That's because synthetic oil

(03:18):
doesn't break down like regular oil. Synthetic oil can also
withstand more extreme temperatures. It won't break down in a
hot engine or during hot weather. In winter, synthetic oil
can resist the effects of cold, which means it will
start flowing as soon as you start your car. Opinions differ, though,
about whether upgrading is worth it. While some experts suggest
doing it in most circumstances, Consumer Reports says that generally

(03:41):
you shouldn't switch to synthetic if your car doesn't need it.
If you frequently tow heavy loads, synthetic oil can help
ease the extra strain on your engine. If you own
a model known to be prone to sludge issues, that is,
when your engine gets clogged with the residue of degraded oil.
Synthetic can help alleviate those problems and prolong the life
of your engine. It's best to keep track of the
miles you drive between oil changes, though some cars make

(04:04):
this easier with a dashboard indicator that tells you it's
time to head to the shop as part of what's
called an oil life monitoring system. These systems track your mileage,
and also use data from your driving that's analyzed by
your car's computer to determine when your car and use
an oil change. When the light illuminates, it's best to
get the oil changed as soon as possible, but it's
not necessarily urgent if your car has an oil life

(04:26):
monitoring system. Note that this light is different than your
oil pressure light, which illuminates on your dash If your
car's oil isn't flowing properly due to low level, failing
oil pump, a leak in the system, or some other issue,
check your owner's manual to learn the difference between the
two dash lights. Because if the oil pressure light comes on,
you need to stop driving as soon as possible to
avoid engine damage. Get in the habit of checking your

(04:49):
oil at least once a month to ensure your car
is not leaking or burning oil. If the level is
low at oil, a good oil should be a transparent
brown black color. If the oil is murky or pake
it might be time for a change, and if it's milky,
your engine maybe leaking coolant. However, if your car has
one of the aforementioned oil monitoring systems, you might not
have a dipstick to check the oil with the moral

(05:12):
of the story here is that if you don't know
how often to change your oil or how to check
it between oil changes, consult your owner's manual. These habits
will help ensure the longevity of your engine. Today's episode
was written by Shery's three Wit and produced by Tyler Clang.
Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart Radio's How Stuff Works.

(05:33):
For more on this and lots of other high performing topics,
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