How often do you get your oil changed? I’m gonna bet you follow the sticker that your mechanic puts up on your window saying the mileage and when you should get it done. That’s all well and good, but sometimes folks think that they can go for longer or that they need to get their oil changed more often than what their mechanic says. There are a lot of myths surrounding getting your oil changed that can be cleared up very easily. Read on!
Typically, you should only be going six months (or 3,000 miles) between oil changes. There’s a lot of room for variance, especially depending on the age of your vehicle, how often you drive, how far you drive, how hard you drive, and what your manufacturer and dealer recommend. If your car is very old, you’re definitely going to want to get your oil changed more frequently. Same goes for if you have a lot of miles on your vehicle - that oil should be changed more frequently than it would have to be for a vehicle with few miles on it.
Your manufacturer probably has a recommendation for how frequently you should be getting your oil changed. This can be found in your vehicle owner’s manual, or if not, your dealer probably has a recommendation on your oil change frequency. And, with the technology of modern synthetic oils, the frequency of oil changes tends to be lower. But depending on what type of oil your tech uses on your vehicle, that frequency can vary a lot. You should always ask to make sure you know how often you need to go in for a change, and what kind of oil your tech used.
You should also be checking your oil frequently to make sure that you have the right amount in your engine. This just means pulling out the dipstick and looking at where the oil line is. If there’s too little, you can add some yourself to tide you over until your next scheduled oil change. If you find the oil level dipping too low frequently, you should take your vehicle in to get looked at because you might have a leak or your vehicle might be burning that oil - not good!
I hope these tips have helped a little - and remember, the good folks at Younger Nissan of Frederick will be happy to help you with anything you need… they can handle not only oil changes but also maintenance, repairs, and helping you get into a new vehicle if that’s what you need!
