The truth about oil changes
Clark Howard, WSB-TV consumer adviser
It's a message that has been steered at drivers for years: change your engine oil every 3,000 miles.
Mechanics say you could be damaging your engine if you don't. Consumer Reports says it's a waste of money.
So, what's the truth? Consumer adviser Clark Howard tries to separate the facts, from the fiction.
Every day, Robert Ellis drives his '86 Accord from Douglasville to Decatur. At 350,000 miles, it's still going strong. How has he done it?
"I'm the 5,000 man," Ellis said. He changes his engine oil every 5,000 miles.
"Under normal driving conditions, I don't think it's necessary to go at 3,000. Five thousand should be just enough."
Robert's owner's manual says he could go even further!
"Engine oil and filter should be changed together every 6 months or 7500 miles, which ever occurs first," Robert says.
Most owner's manuals will tell you it's OK to go 5,000 miles between oil changes under normal conditions. But you should drop to 3,000 miles if you drive under severe conditions. And this is the heart of the issue. What are severe conditions?
Quick Lube shops claim most of the driving we do is severe.
"Atlanta driving conditions are severe driving conditions -- a lot of stop and go, a lot of long commutes," said Ralph Martin, an oil change technician.
"Extreme heat takes a toll," said Steve Evans of the AAA Auto Club. "Towing take a toll."
"You got people trying to race between red light to red light -- that's severe driving," said Neil Conn, another oil change technician.
Mechanic Mike Barrett disagrees, saying, not all Atlanta driving is severe. "Most people just drive back and forth to work, soccer fields, baseball games -- really no sense in changing every 3,000 miles," he said.
The quick lubes have financial incentive. The average metro Atlantan drives 34 miles a day. With 3,000-mile oil changes, you'll spend 100 bucks a year. Change it at 6,000, and your costs -- their potential profits -- are cut in half.
A Consumer Reports study put the brakes on 3,000-mile oil changes a few years ago. They found no noticeable difference in engine protection whether they changed the oil every 3,000 or 6,000 miles.
So, does it really matter whether you drive severe or not? Robert Ellis doesn't think so.
"The way I look at it is, if I made it to 350,000 miles doing it every 5,000, I must be doing something right," he said. "You can come see me at a half million [miles] and we can have this drive all over again."
This is truly a personal decision. If you're comfortable changing every 3,000, do it. Experts tell me the $20 oil change is the best preventative maintenance you can do. The interval is up to you.
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