The 3,000-Mile Myth

Why Does Oil Need To Be Changed, And How Often?

Oil is the reason that the engine in your car is able to turn. It is, in many places, the only thing between two pieces of rapidly moving metal. As the oil is heated, then cooled by sitting, then heated again multiple times over, it becomes contaminated with water that seeps in due to condensation. Water does not lubricate internal engine parts nearly as well as oil, which means that once the oil has been contaminated, it is no longer working as well as it did before.

In motor oil terms, the oil has lost some of its viscosity, which is basically the oil's ability to lubricate. All of that being said, this means you could change your oil every day, or even every trip, and theoretically get some benefit, regardless of how minute. The point is that, yes, the oil does need to be changed from time to time.

Cars however, are useful because they make things more efficient and convenient for us. If time were not an issue, we would ride bikes or walk everywhere since it would certainly be less expensive. However, being mortal, time is important to us, and we have better things to do than change our oil every day, or every trip.

There is also the fact that engine oil is not cheap, and the more it is changed, the more money is spent, and the higher the total operating cost of the vehicle. So we come up with a happy medium. Therefore, when someone asks, "How often should I change my oil?" what they really mean (or should mean) is, "how often does the oil need to be changed to prevent damage to my engine from contamination?"

Let's examine one of the oldest car maintenance "rules" out there, the one that says that engine oil should always be changed every 3,000 miles. You would be hard pressed to find where this thinking originally came from, but it most certainly predates all modern car and oil technology. So why in the world are so many people still using it as a guideline? The answer is simple: people make money by using other people's assumptions against them. People hear they should change their oil every 3,000 miles. They take their car to a lube shop, get the oil changed, and lo and behold the sticker says it should be changed again in 3,000 miles, validating their assumption.

Of course, the lube shop both wants to cover themselves against all liability, so they are going to tell you the bare minimum that is socially acceptable. They also make more money the more often you come back. See how that works? This thinking only pads the wallets of those who own the lube shops and produce the oils they use. It's also none too good for the environment.

The best place to start figuring how often you need to change your oil is your car's owner's manual. Because total cost of ownership is figured in to many consumer reports, the manufacturer tries to strike the best balance between keeping that cost low, and not having to change your engine out under warranty. Most modern car manufacturers suggest intervals of at least 5,000 or 7,500 miles, and this is a good starting point. This interval should be followed to the letter if you use the cheapest, lowest quality oil that your car can possibly use.

But why would you do that? During its stay, the oil is responsible not only for lubricating, but also for cleaning and conditioning the rubber parts of the inside of your engine. Although your car will certainly last through its warranty using the cheapest stuff possible, wouldn't you prefer it go a little longer? How about if you could save some money AND time by not having to change the oil as often?

This is why people are choosing higher quality synthetic oils such as Amsoil because, even though they will be changed out just like the cheap stuff, they can go far longer between oil changes before the oil is contaminated enough to need changing. Amsoil also does a better job at cleaning and keeping rubber seals conditioned so, unless the cost per mile was significantly higher to use the better quality oil, why would anyone use anything else?

The simplest way to gauge the quality of any motor oil is by the advertised drain interval. This is the minimum amount of time that the oil manufacturer has calculated that their oil will protect an engine in the worst of circumstances. Of all the higher quality motor oils, one stands out for the longest drain intervals. Amsoil suggests drain intervals of 25,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first, which is phenomenal in comparison to any other motor oil.

When deciding how often to change your oil, always keep in mind that the manufacturer of your car used the cheapest, least effective motor oil when calculating their suggested drain intervals. Using a product like Amsoil does not void any car manufacturer's warranty and is perfectly safe to install after your initial break in @3,000 miles.  Amsoil will not lose it's viscosity over the 25,000-mile interval and the inside of your engine will stay very clean resulting in peak performance for many, many miles.

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