The 3,000 Mile Oil Change Has Gone the Way of the Chupacabras

The car my brother and I shared in middle school didn’t go in reverse. True story, we had a car in middle school. But that was in a time and place where it wasn’t exceptional. In hindsight, neither was it safe. But there you go.

It was Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, some 35 years ago, and if you could see over the steering wheel you could drive.

The car was a ’64 Galaxie 500 (which is equivalent today to driving your mom’s ’98 Camry) that we’d pack our friends into and go in search of benign mischief. The lack of reverse was not a problem; there were enough of us in the car to get out and push if needed.

Another strange thing we did back then was change the motor oil ourselves. We’d crawl under the car and do the maintenance, collect the oil in a plastic bag filled with absorbent material, all inside a cardboard box and put it in the trash.

These days I’d be arrested for all of that. But the car ran well, sans the reverse. I changed the oil every two thousand miles, to keep it clean. I don’t know what the manufacturer suggested mileage for oil changes was because I didn’t have the manual. I wouldn’t have read it if I had it though. In fact, that habit hasn’t changed; I still don’t read manuals. But maybe I should.

These days we’re told we should change our motor oil every three thousand miles. And we believe it, sorta like gospel, because they (who tell us these things) should know.

But according to Calrecycle.ca.gov, “Needing to change your car’s oil at 3,000 miles is a myth.”

I know, they’ve relegated conventional oil-change wisdom to the ranks of the chupacabras.  But they may have a point.

The idea is that we waste too much oil doing the mythical 3k miles change, and that’s bad for the environment and just plain bad over all because it means we use more oil that we need to. It also means we spend too much money on oil changes and in this economy it’s a thing to consider.

They suggest that we read the manual (gasp!) and follow the recommendations because many times we’re doing it more than needed. After all, this isn’t 1974.

HERE‘s the myth-dispelling article for you.  Read it, save the environment and some money.