We all know, even those who are not motor enthusiasts, that clean or fresh oil is best for your vehicle. Dirty oil has additives that burn out, contaminants form and may eat into metal parts, and water that has been collected overtime would form sludge. Dirty oil holds abrasive metal particles which wear out the engine that the oil is supposed to protect. Oil should be changed at regular and reasonable intervals – but what is that?
Ideally, oil should be changed as often as 1,000 to 3,000 miles for older vehicles driving in extreme operating conditions, and this isn’t about driving on rough terrain or being on the road for hours on end. “Extreme operating conditions” actually include stop-and-go city driving, short trips and long periods of inactivity (the engine has time to cool down but doesn’t have enough time to heat up), driving in hot weather or in places with a lot of dust, constantly towing heavy loads. For newer cars and those that drive in optimum conditions, oil can be changed every 5,000 miles or every six months – but not longer than that.
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