# Dealer recommended oil changes--yes or no? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 29, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473 "2002-12-29T05:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/21 "2002-12-30T07:40:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Please define “extreme temperatures” > > Around this part of the country, temperatures from -30 Farenheit to +105 are considered “normal”. From a car’s viewpoint, does that count as extreme? Yes, if you do most of your driving with the temperature above 90 or make many short trips in extreme cold. > [@](#): > > From your above link Number Six > > I think we can take his recomendation with a grain (or a whole container) of salt Hence my providing five different links, in additon to paraphrasing Consumer Reports. Sure, the author of that FAQ has a political chip on his shoulder, but that doesn’t neccesarily negate the information regarding oil changes on that site. My brother in law is a right wing wack job, but that doesn’t make him a bad plumber. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/22 "2002-12-30T13:45:08Z")
What`s wrong with being a right wing whack job? And what would be the opposite of that? …Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/23 "2002-12-30T16:55:25Z")
As mentioned above, your owner’s manual should have a “normal” maintenance schedule and a severe-service schedule. And as mentioned above, most cars qualify for the severe-service schedule. If you do a fair amount of city driving, that’s the one to use. Typically severe-service oil changes are called for at about half the mileage of normal-service oil changes. As a rule of thumb for most cars, I’d say 4,000-5,000 miles. But check your manual for the recommended _ **first** _ oil change, and for the maintenance schedule that suits your driving. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/24 "2002-12-30T17:21:00Z")
What’s the current thought on non-milage related oil changes? We have an old van which is hardly ever driven, but just sits behind the house. It’s mostly used for short errands in the city, although we try to get it on the highway every so often (on the advice of our mechanic) to give the engine more of a workout. It was given a major tune-up and overhaul in May, but I don’t think we’ve changed the oil since then. It usually gets “winterized” sometime in lat fall, but with one thing and another that never got done this year. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/25 "2002-12-30T18:08:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LurkMeister \* > **What’s the current thought on non-milage related oil changes? We have an old van which is hardly ever driven, but just sits behind the house. It’s mostly used for short errands in the city, although we try to get it on the highway every so often (on the advice of our mechanic) to give the engine more of a workout.** There’s no hard and fast rule. Time interval suggestions are an attempt to compensate for the extra stress of short trips that could take a long time to add up to a normal mileage interval. But there’s a difference between ten miles a day and ten miles a week, or ten miles a month. And the highway mileage can reduce the negative effects of short trips to some degree. The oil doesn’t deteriorate just sitting there, so time in and of itself isn’t the concern. I’d suggest having your mechanic figure out an appropriate interval for your situation. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/26 "2002-12-30T18:11:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by whuckfistle \* > \*\*What`s wrong with being a right wing whack job? > > And what would be the opposite of that? > \*\* Ahem. Never did he say that all right-wingers are wack-jobs, just that there are right-wing wack-jobs. There are also left-wing wack jobs, like the author of one of the five faqs he posted. That out of the way, who do you really think knows better about what kind of service your car needs, the company that built it and wants to minimize warrenty repairs, or the company that makes money when you service the vehicle? Follow the owner’s manual. -lv ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/27 "2002-12-30T18:32:50Z")
Many new cars today have on-board computers that calculate the useful life of the oil based on a few or many factors depending on the computer’s sophistication. I do mostly highway driving and for the vehicles I’ve owned equipped with an oil change computer, they have tripped on average from 5500 - 6000 miles. Of course, the dealer service advisor fought me tooth and nail on it, insisting a 3,000 mile interval was correct in all cases until I offered to sit down with him and read the owner’s manual together. He insisted the owner’s manual is incorrect. IIRC, it might be fair to say the 3,000 mile oil change interval is a relic of the “leaded fueled” cars that ended in about 1975? in the US. I could imagine a 3,000 mile oil change interval might be more appropriate with leaded fuel. 'Course, if I were driving under severe conditions, I’d change the oil more frequently. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/28 "2002-12-30T21:55:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hermann Cheruscan \* > \*\*Change your oil every 3,000 miles. It’s the best thing you can do to preserve the life of your engine. \*\* By that logic, why not change it every 1,000 miles? This 3,000 mile rule is nothing but an attempt by companies to get more money out of you. Why would a manufacturer recommend, say changing it every 8,000 miles if it thought it should be changed earlier? So your car would prematurely break down, thus ruining their reputation in your eyes? Wake up!! ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/29 "2002-12-31T00:08:49Z")
> [@](#): > > IIRC, it might be fair to say the 3,000 mile oil change interval is a relic of the “leaded fueled” cars that ended in about 1975? in the US. I could imagine a 3,000 mile oil change interval might be more appropriate with leaded fuel. And with single weight, non-detergent oils, normally aspirated carburators, engines that have less efficient heat dispersal systems, etc. whuckfistle: You completely miss the point of my statement, which is that having a particular extremist political ideology doesn’t mean that a person’s practical knowledge in another area is automatically suspect, especially when you cite reputable sources such as Cartalk. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/30 "2002-12-31T00:22:43Z")
I need to know what kind of car the OP has…What if its a Mack Truck? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/31 "2002-12-31T01:34:10Z")
I would say for low milage cars go with 3 months. Water will condense inot the oil and not have a chance to ‘steam’ out. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/32 "2002-12-31T14:56:42Z")
I’m a big believer that the people who designed and built the car have a pretty darn good idea what an appropriate schedule is for servicing that car. Follow the owners manual. At least, don’t let someone try to convince you that it is wrong, they take great care to make sure it is right. I personally change mine more often than the manual says, because it’s easier for me to remember 5,000 miles than 7,500, but I know I can wait if necessary. I’d also like to add some emphasis to **Gary T’s** post, a lot of cars are used in ‘severe’ driving conditions, so you should take extra care to decide if you fall under that heading. Once you’ve determined that, follow the owners manual. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/33 "2003-01-01T00:09:21Z")
Although I doubt that **handy’s** right about the OP driving a Mack Truck, it would help to know the specifics of what kind of car we’re talking about. My diesel has different recommended oil change intervals than my previous car that burned regular gas. Again, I guess the owner’s manual is probably more reliable than what Jiffy Lube et al would have you believe. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/34 "2003-01-01T17:16:52Z")
The 3000 mile rule is outdated. The oil-change shops still recommend it because they make more money that way. The owner’s manual for my Saturn recommends an oil change every 6000 miles. That’s what I go with. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/35 "2003-01-01T17:40:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary T \* > \*\*As mentioned above, your owner’s manual should have a “normal” maintenance schedule and a severe-service schedule. And as mentioned above, most cars qualify for the severe-service schedule. \*\* Really? From my Toyota Maintenance Manual: > [@](#): > > Use 5,000-mile intervals if you primarily operate your vehicle under any of the following conditions: > > - driving on unpaved or dusty roads > - towing a trailer or using a camper or car-top carrier > - repeated trips of less than five miles in temperatures below freezing. > > Use 7,500-mile intervals if you primarily operate your vehicle under conditions other than those listed above. From that, I would say that it is quite clear that, for Toyotas at least, most cars do NOT qualify for the severe-service schedule. Of course, my Toyota dealer stills recommends 3,000 miles, but I ignore them. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/36 "2003-01-01T19:40:10Z")
_Use 5,000-mile intervals if you primarily…[make]…repeated trips of less than five miles in temperatures below freezing._ Restricting the short-trip condition to such low temperatures is unduly optimistic. Most owner’s manuals list short trips, extended idling, and stop-and-go traffic–in other words, normal city driving–as conditions for severe service. Here’s a more typical list (from [http://www.osbornauto.com/questions/oftenoil.htm](http://www.osbornauto.com/questions/oftenoil.htm)): Making frequent short trips (less than five miles) Making frequent short trips (less than 10 miles) when temperatures are below freezing Driving in hot weather stop-and-go traffic Extensive idling and/or low speed driving for long periods of time (taxi, police, door-to-door delivery, etc.) Driving at sustained high speeds during hot weather Towing a trailer Driving in areas with heavy dust (gravel roads, construction zones, etc.) There’s nothing special about Toyotas that makes their engines more resistant to oil breakdown than those of other manufacturers. Which leads us to this–while the schedule in the owner’s manual is the first word in maintenance, it’s not the last word. The car companies seem to be competing in the area of advertised minimal maintenance, and thus their maintenance schedules sometimes are lacking. There are some vehicles where the factory schedule does not fuel filter replacement at all, and I assure you those filters clog up just like everyone else’s. The worst example I’ve seen is an owner’s manual that made no mention whatsoever about changing the timing belt, when the recommended interval for that belt was 60,000 miles and the car had an interference engine–meaning if the belt broke, valves would almost certainly bend, adding considerable repair cost. I certainly agree that the traditional 3mo./3,000mi. interval is obsolete. But be aware that factory service schedules often omit benificial and sometimes even critical maintenance items, and some of their service intervals are unrealistic. If you do mostly city driving, I’d recommend a maximum 5,000 mi. oil change interval. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/37 "2003-01-02T07:15:52Z")
3000 miles IS a sham. Great marketing by oil companies, but not necessary. The beauty of this is that it can’t hurt to change your oil more than less, so the oil companies aren’t doing anything to hurt your vehicle… but it adds to their bottom line (not to mention companies that make money doing the oil changes). The 3K interval schedule is one of the best marketing campaigns of all time. Almost everyone uses this number, even those people that know very little about cars. It reminds me of the orange juice campaign a while ago that said “it’s not just for breakfast anymore”. If everyone that drank OJ for breakfast had one more glass during the day, sales would double. No harm to the consumer, but great profits for the orange producers. I owned a 67 Mercury Cougar, and the owners manual recommended 6K, if I remember correctly. My BMW recommends 15K (synthetic oil), and I’ve followed that with no adverse effects. I’ve also shared this story before, but a friend of my father’s NEVER changes his oil. Every 3K-5K, he replaces the filter and adds a quart or so of oil. I don’t have the balls to try that method myself, but he never had a major problem as far as my father can remember. ---
**Author:** ![I\_am\_Sparticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@I\_am\_Sparticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Sparticus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473/38 "2003-01-02T08:06:30Z")
I like to change my oil every 3000 miles or thereabouts because it starts getting dirty on the dipstick with much more than that. Different cars will have different experiences with that standard. But to me it is just sloppy and poor maintenance to keep the oil (and filter) in a vehicle to where you cannot easily read the dipstick through the oil. And check it often. Oil is like an engine’s blood (so change your’s like Keith Richard’s changes his) so check it frequently to see what is going on. Check the coolant too. Nothing funny should be going on with either, they should be predictable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealer-recommended-oil-changes-yes-or-no/145473.md?page=1)