Oil change intervals have almost always been somewhat controversial. On one hand you have independent shops recommending a 3,000 mile interval, and on the other, the manufacturers recommending many more miles, some as high as 15,000 miles! A great deal of articles have been written on the topic of oil change intervals and from many perspectives, and each appears to slant the facts to fit their position and it is difficult to know what is best. One thing that is absolutely crucial is to consider the recommended QUALITY of oil as the driving force to those extreme intervals. A full synthetic oil can last much longer than conventional oil, which is a topic in itself.
So what is the best interval for your car? The easiest answer is to talk to your mechanic and describe the type of driving you do on a monthly basis. The reason for that is because there really is no one-size-fits-all approach for every car out there. There are simply too many variables. For instance: Do you drive in town and rarely hit the freeway, or, if you do drive on the freeway, are you on it for half an hour or more? What kind of gas mileage are you getting? What kind of oil do you use? How new is your car, and does it have variable valve timing? A great article that explains some of the variables can be found here
The old standard of 3,000 miles is not realistic for someone who commutes to work for 30-40 minutes of highway driving, but it may need to be substantially lower for someone who drives 3 miles to work or school everyday. Here at Santa Cruz Imported Truck Service we tell most people to change their oil every 3-5 thousand miles, or 3-5 months. We do have several customers however, that we tell to go at least 7, 000 miles before changing, after talking to them and adjusting for all the variables.
One last thing that should be mentioned, is the old 3,000 mile interval was not just an interval for changing the oil, but also a great way for a shop to catch problems before they caused an unexpected ride on a tow truck! I can’t tell you how many times we have seen brakes that were ready to go metal-to-metal, hoses that were ready to blow, water pumps leaking, tires bald or flat, and steering that was ready to fall apart! All shops use the oil change to look for work on a car, as it really is not a profitable part of auto repair, but a good shop will take the time to make sure you and your family (and everyone who has to share the road with you!) are safe.
