Money Saving Tip: Only Change Your Car's Motor Oil When Needed

Here's a money saving tip that many people don't consider:

Change your car's motor oil only when needed (based on the manufacturer's recommendation).

I have already discussed this tip in 20 Ways to Save Money on Your Car, Part 1, but I think it deserves a post by itself. Why? Because the "every 3,000 miles" oil change that the auto service industry touts is one of the biggest rip-offs around. Here's what MSNBC has to say about how often your car's motor oil should be changed:

I remember getting my first car (a hand-me-down) and how my father kept telling me how important it was to change the oil every 3,000 miles. A lot has changed since then. Today’s oil is much better and it can last a lot longer.

Here’s what to do: Check your owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s recommendation.  If it says change the oil every three months or 3,000 miles and you haven’t traveled 3,000 miles in that time, change it anyway. But, I think you’ll find that the recommendations are much longer than that. For instance, Acura suggests that I change the oil in my car every 7,500 miles or one year. 

Tom and Ray, the hosts of Car Talk on National Public Radio, recommend an oil change every 5,000 miles, although they admit knowing when to change the oil is not an exact science. “It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few,” they say, “but for the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe, old age.”

I agree 100%! My car's manual says that oil changes should be made every 7,500 miles, and that's how often I schedule it to be changed. The dealer/garage still puts a 3,000-mile reminder sticker on my window every time the car is serviced to try and add an extra service, but I'm not going for it because it can add up to some decent money over the life of your car.

For instance, if your car lasts for 100,000 miles and an oil change costs you $20 each (I'm just using round numbers here to make the calculation easier), an "every 3,000 miles" schedule would cost you $660. Changing it every 7,500 miles would cost only $260. And in addition to saving $400, you save the time and hassle of setting up the appointment, taking the car in, and picking it up later -- a task that's sure to kill an hour or two.

I think the "every 3,000 miles" philosophy garages advocate is just like the "two month's salary for an engagement ring" guideline that jeweler's have trained us is the standard. Both are from industries that are simply trying to put more of your money in their pockets -- with no clear benefit. (Women may argue with me on there being no benefit on the ring issue, but you know what I mean.) ;-)

MSNBC ends their piece by offering a few additional car care tips:

• You should always change the filter when you change the oil. You don’t want to contaminate the new oil with the gunk that’s in the old filter.


• Check the oil level every few hundred miles. “If you add oil, don’t overfill,” cautions Phil Reed, Consumer Advice Editor for Edmunds, “because that can cause serious engine problems.”


• And it’s not a problem if you want to switch from one brand of oil to another, says John Ibbotson, an automotive expert at Consumer Reports. “Just make sure to stick with the manufacturer’s recommendations for engine oil weight,” Ibbotson says.

For more car-related savings tips, see these posts from Free Money Finance:

• 20 Ways to Save Money on Your Car, Part 1


• Money Saving Tips: Cut Your Costs at the Gas Pump


• Money Saving Tip: Keep Your Car Maintained

Comments

[DebtBlog]

The oil change interval depends alot on driving conditions. Most manufacturers have a "rough service" interval, and will list several conditions that meet the criteria. Many of today's city driving conditions meet the "rough service" definition, such as alot of stop and go driving. In addition, many newer cars have a service monitor that will look at your driving style, actual driving conditions and weather to determine when the oil actually needs to be changed.