Dispelling the 3,000 mile oil change myth 05/09/2011
Oil changes are a hot topic in the automotive industry. If you've ever seen a commercial on TV for a new motor oil, you'll likely have heard the "3,000 mile" mantra. And if you've ever been into Jiffy Lube or one of the other national chains that offer oil changes, the mechanics there will stick to the 3,000 mile mantra as well.
To put it bluntly, this is pure poppycock. It does have some basis in fact - back in the day, 3,000 miles was about how long you'd have to go before taking the car in for an oil change or doing it yourself. But the fact of the matter is that technological advances have made it so that most cars last well beyond that. Edmunds writes that the average for 2010 models is 7,800 miles - more than double what the "conventional wisdom" says.
So why does this myth propagate? If you haven't already guessed, it's so that the oil and garage chains make more money. If everyone started waiting twice as long for their oil change, their profits would effectively be cut in half.
Of course, you could learn this for yourself if you ever bothered cracking open your owner's manual, but let's face it, you stashed that thing in the glove compartment as soon you got it. An owner's manual will list the recommended interval between oil changes, as well as a whole host of other maintenance tasks that your car needs. Automakers tend to play things conservatively so that they're not held liable if something happens. In reality, cheapskates could probably squeeze even more miles out of their car.
Keep in mind as well that some cars are drastically different from the average total. For example, if you're lucky enough to own a Porsche, you can wait up to 20,000 miles between oil changes. Of course, if you have a Porsche, shelling out a few extra bucks to keep the oil fresh probably isn't your top concern, but it's still nice to know.