How Often to Change Your Oil

Have you ever heard the old story that you should change your motor oil every 3,000 miles? That’s just one of a number of urban legends that are out there regarding the motor oil in your car. The truth is, newer cars don’t need this kind of care remotely as often as older cars once did. This could leave you wondering, “how often should I change my oil?” Learn when to change oil and how often this needs to be done on modern cars, trucks and SUVs as compared to the models of days gone by.

When to Change Oil

There’s an old myth that you should change your motor oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months. Even most oil change places will give you a sticker that lists a similar mileage or date. Here’s the truth: the 3,000-mile change is a myth.

Each car has its own recommendations of how often oil changes should be had, but on average, cars since 2010 only need the oil changed every 6,000 to 7,800 miles. You should check your owner’s manual for specifics, but it’s almost guaranteed the interval is at least double the 3,000 mile myth.

The Long Road Trip

Changing your oil before you take a long road trip is another piece of common wisdom. In this case, however, there’s some truth behind the idea. Whenever you’re about to put a lot of miles on your car in one stretch, it’s a good idea to give it a good once-over. If your oil change interval comes up during the trip, you should have the oil changed. Otherwise, it’s probably okay to let it go.

Synthetic Oil vs. Conventional Oil

There’s a lot of information on whether or not you should use synthetic or conventional oil. The first of these says that if you ever use a synthetic, you can never go back to conventional. In fact, a lot of modern oils are blended. Another myth is that synthetics are better for your car. Again, while some synthetics can be better lubricants, the difference depends on your vehicle’s engine and owner’s manual recommendations.

Change Your Oil at Montgomeryville Nissan

If you’d like more information about how to handle maintenance on your Nissan vehicle in Lansdale or Doylestown, stop into Montgomeryville Nissan and talk to one of our service reps today!