Does Your Car Need Extreme-Use Maintenance?

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. They always write it to recommend your next oil change in 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first.The old standard was 3,000 miles, but cars are now built better than ever before. Do you really have to have an every 3,000 miles?

Most car manufacturers now recommend changing your oil every 7,500 miles or six months. However, for “severe” driving they recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles.What is “severe” driving? Hot, cold, dusty, and ocean-side environments, towing a trailer, making many short trips and city driving are all considered “severe” conditions. Many of us fall into that category!

We all know that over-maintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil change are cheap. You should be able to get your oil changed for about . 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. With proper maintenance, newer cars will easily last 200,000 miles or even more. The longer you can go without buying a new car, the more money you’ll save. Imagine paying off your car and then continuing to make that “payment” into a savings account. You could get your next car free and clear!

Some of us don’t get oil changes as often as we should because it’s inconvenient. 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 offered at so many places, including your dealership, a service station or 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 many shops are trying to make their waiting areas more pleasant and convenient. Many offer free wifi, snacks and tv to make the wait go by faster.

For most cars, I recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles. It’s cost effective, easy and a very good idea. So pick a shop and get into the habit. When your car is long since paid off and still running well, you’ll be glad you did.

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