Is your car ready for an oil change in 3,000 miles or in 5,000 or 10,000 miles? It depends. Everyone takes for granted that it is due when the Lube place tells you it is – in 3,000 miles. But that might not be true for your car.
Oil Change
How many miles you should get between oil changes varies greatly depending on many factors. The first oil change you get should be right away, maybe at 500 – 1,000 miles as your engine is breaking in. There could be debris in the engine that could damage the engine, so it is best to err on the side of caution and change the oil very early. After that, there are some surprising mileage suggestions.
For the 2018 Honda Civic Coupe and the Kia Sorento, it is recommend to change the engine oil every 7,500 miles. For the Audi and Mercedes, the recommendation is 10,000 miles after the first change. So, when should you change the oil on your car? The answer is close by.
To find out when to change your oil, open the car manual. Yes, the little book that came with the car is more than tradition. It actually has a purpose. And they usually don’t offer it in digital. Inside the car’s manual it will tell you how often to get an oil change and it is usually not the number that the lube place tells you it is.
There are exceptions, however. If you drive in start and stop traffic all day, every day, like in Los Angeles freeway traffic, then you’ll probably need to change it more often. Driving on dirt roads all the time is something that will require 3,000 mile oil changes. So, check your manual, think about your driving conditions and you decide how often you need an oil change.
