Do I really need to change my oil every 3,000 miles?

Hey Zahntech --

This 3,000 mile oil change thing, is it really necessary? Is it some kind of secret plot by oil companies to keep themselves in big bucks? And what's up with this synthetic oil I keep hearing about? Should I use that stuff instead?

-- (Don't want to be a) Monkey Lube

Answer:
Hey Monkey Lube --

Unfortunately, it is real. Engines have come a long way in recent years, and oil has changed too, but it still degrades over time and needs to be replaced.

Every 3,000 miles is a good guideline for people who do a lot of "severe" driving. By severe driving, I mean stop and go, heavy traffic, short trips - in other words, the kind of driving most people do every day.

Newer vehicles often have a greater service interval and specific oil requirements. These requirements have proven to be adequate, but should not be exceeded - and you should always use the appropriate oil. If you want to change oil types, consult an expert at a service center (dealership or independent) first.

In most vehicles you can go with a full synthetic oil and extend your 3,000-mile oil change intervals much more, to about 7,000 miles. Unfortunately, although you will save time with this approach, you won't save money: you'll get your oil changed approximately half as much, but the full synthetic oil costs about 3 to 4 times as much.

There are also blends of natural and synthetic oil out there. However, these blends are unregulated: they might be 98% natural and 2% synthetic, and the label won't say. Plus, since the natural oil still breaks down, you can't really count on increasing your oil change interval by using a blend. However, the blend does help prevent sludge buildup in your engine, so if you're interested in protecting your engine a little more, a blend might be the way to go.

Once you use a synthetic oil, to truly reap the benefit of the synthetic you've got to stick with it. Synthetic doesn't sludge like natural oil, but if you switch off every oil change between synthetic and natural, eventually you'll still get sludging.

So pretty much, yeah, get your oil changed regularly, and if time is more precious to you than money, go with the synthetic oil.