The evolution of the automobile has been amazing. From the early rickety models to modern computer controlled versions, things have changed a lot. That being said, friction and heat are still a threat to any car engine and have to be managed.

When it comes to keeping your car on the road, you need to maintain it. This means you need to understand the ins and outs of when to change motor oil to make sure friction and heat do not shorten the life of your engine.

Oil is an amazing substance. It can take an absolute thrashing in the harsh environment of an engine and yet still keep friction and heat at bay. After a bit, however, even oil will fail and thus must be changed out.

What answer immediately popped into your mind? I bet it was that the oil should be changed every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever came first. Right? Somewhere, an oil marketing executive has a big grin on their face.

As with many things we know, the 3 and 3 rule is wrong. It is just marketing with no basis in fact. Every car performs differently and does different tasks. This means there is a different guideline for each of them.

How can there really be one standard for changing oil? Just use your common sense. A car used to drive to the store and back needs few oil changes. A car that sits in stop and go traffic every day for 2 hours definitely needs more of them.

Still, we need some type of guideline right? Well, you have one. For men, this will be painful. Yes, we will have to read directions. In the owners manual for the car, we can find the information for the specific needs of our vehicle.

The manufacturer is actually going to designate a number of things regarding the oil. Yes, the number of miles between recommended changes will be there, but so will the weight of oil to be used and the recommended oil brand.

Whatever you do, stick religiously to the weight recommended for the oil by the manufacturer. The specific brand can be ignored. Castrol, Pennzoil and so on all work well enough.

This also brings us to the issue surrounding the types of oil you can buy. Synthetic oils are all the rage and for a good reason - the work! Depending on the vehicle, they can last 15,000 miles or more between changes.

A personal favorite of mine is Mobile 1. I’ve used this for years after a racing mechanic recommended it to me. I have to say I have experienced no engine problems since then and I drive a Jaguar! Pretty miraculous, eh?

Do not be a chump. Avoid obeying the marketing slogans of various oil change businesses. Pull out that owners manual and get the truth on oil changes for your car. You will undoubtedly save some money on less frequent changes.

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