Knowing when to change your automobile’s oil is relatively simple, but there are some things that should be taken into consideration. Texan Auto Repair & Collision explains that the age of your vehicle, how much you drive every day, and how you drive can affect how often you should have your oil changed. Sometimes, it doesn’t just boil down to every 3,000 miles. Let’s talk about this further below.
Oil Types
First, let’s talk about the oil types. There are four primary different types of oil that you can have put in your automobile. They are
- Synthetic, which is man-made and the purest form of oil with additives to help it last longer
- Synthetic blend, which is a combination of synthetic and conventional motor oil
- High-mileage, which is formulated for vehicles that have 75,000 miles or more
- Conventional, which is the organic form of motor oil derived from crude
The oil type isn’t the only thing that you should take into consideration. It’s important to look at your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations to see the type of oil recommended for your automobile and also the proper weight. Depending on the weather outside, some weights work better inside in engine than other weights do, so this, too, should be taken into account.
Common Oil Lifespans
Some people don’t want to be bothered with oil changes every 3,000 miles, and synthetic motor oil works better for them because the average lifespan of synthetic oil is 7,500 miles. For the most part, oil should be changed every 3,000 miles, especially conventional and high-mileage oil. Synthetic blends can go on average 5,000 miles before an oil change, and, as mentioned above, synthetic is usually changed every 7,500 miles to every 10,000 miles.
Things That Affect the Lifespan
We also mentioned above that there are things that can affect your car’s motor oil lifespan. For example, if you drive long distances in zero traffic, your oil has plenty of time to warm up and circulate through the engine. This actually makes the motor oil last longer. People who take short trips in their automobiles every day need to have their oil changed more frequently.
Other things that can affect your motor oil’s lifespan include the age of your car, how much traffic you drive in every day, and whether you are hard on your car. For example, if you drive a classic automobile, you’ll need to change the oil every 2,000 miles at a maximum to protect the engine. If you spend a lot of time in traffic or drive like a racecar driver, it’s important to have your oil changed more frequently.
Texan Auto Repair & Collision in Sugar Land TX, would be happy to sit down with you and discuss a custom oil change schedule to make sure that your automobile always has fresh motor oil protecting the engine.
