When you get your oil changed, they put that little sticker on your windshield to remind you when it’s time to get your next. The sticker always gives you a mileage of 3,000 miles or 3 months into the future, whichever comes first.The old standard used to be 3,000 miles, but newer cars are built to need less maintenance. Do you really have to have an < href=”http://www.i-10toyota.com/j/i/27151/ServiceDepartment.html”>oil change every 3,000 miles?

Most automakers now recommend getting an oil change every 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. However, they recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles or 3 months if you drive in “severe” conditions.What do they mean by “severe” driving? If you do a lot of city driving, make a lot of short trips, live in a hot or cold climate or near the ocean or in dusty conditions, or tow a trailer, then your car experiences “severe” driving. A lot of cars fall into that category!

We all know that over-maintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil change are cheap. It should only cost about to get an oil change. It’s certainly worth an extra per year if you drive under any of these “severe” conditions. The alternative is that your car could require expensive repairs down the road, or worse, that it won’t last as long. If you take good care of your car, it can easily last 200,000 miles or more. The longer you can make your current car last, the more money you’ll keep. Wouldn’t it be great if you could pay your car off and then save the money that you’re no longer using for car payments. You’d be able to pay for your next car with cash!

Because of the inconvenience of being without your car, many of us fail to get regular maintenance done. But an oil change should take less than an hour if you go when the shop isn’t busy. Since an oil change is such a simple matter, every repair shop does them. Oil changes are readily available at many convenient locations, including the corner service station and even Wal Mart. Getting an oil change done while you’re shopping or working makes it much less time consuming. There are even specialty shops that will guarantee to have you out in less than an hour! And shops are increasingly offering convenient and pleasant environments for waiting. Many offer coffee, free wi-fi and television.

Most of us should follow the old standard of 3,000 miles. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it’s a good idea. So find the shop that’s convenient for you and get into the habit of changing your oil regularly. When your car has 200,000 miles and is still going, you’ll be glad you did.

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