“Change your oil 3 months or 3,000 miles”, you have probably heard this before. If you are a normal driver that puts 10-12,000 miles a year on your car, these numbers seem to line up. However, if you are someone who drives less than that, say 2,500 miles in a year, they don’t line up at all so you might be tempted to change your oil when you get to the mileage on the sticker. There are reasons oil manufacturers recommend a time AND mileage which we will discuss here.
- Contamination– Contaminants can enter your engine oil from many different sources such as dirt through the air intake system, fuel from a leaky injector or direct injection systems, and combustion gasses and soot that slip by the piston rings during normal operation.
- Acid resistance– Combustion gasses enter your oil and create acid. Acid can cause etching on critical parts, and damage your engine. Oil is designed with a certain amount of acid resistance. The engineers that design the oil know the limits and set the mileage and time limits accordingly.
- Volatility– This is a technical term for evaporation. Some components of oil evaporate over time. This can change the viscosity or thickness of the oil which can hinder the oils ability to flow were it need to and lubricate your engine.
Most conventional oils recommend 3 months or 3,000 miles. Synthetic oils can go farther, usually 6 months or 5,000 miles.
At Rogers Mobile Lube & Tire, we use Amsoil Synthetic’s Signature Series engine oil. They recommend 1 year or 15,000 miles between oil changes in severe service. Amsoil even warranty’s their oil to last this long. Check out their warranty here.
