Is high mileage oil a gimmick?
If an engine isn’t burning or leaking oil, or if it uses, say, less than a quart over 6,000 miles or so, switching to high-mileage oil may not be worth the extra cost for you. High-mileage motor oil doesn’t hurt and it could prevent leaks from starting.
How often should you change your oil if you only drive 3000 miles a year?
However, engine oil also degrades with time, so it’s just as important to change your oil when the time-based interval has been reached. The general recommendation is to change your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles or every three to six months, with twice a year being the minimum.
Does high mileage oil actually make a difference?
It can help reduce oil consumption, smoke, and emissions from older engines. High mileage oil also works to minimize leaks and oil seepage. While you could use high mileage oil in a younger car without harming it, the issues that high mileage oil addresses usually don’t appear in vehicles with fewer than 75,000 miles.
Is 20W50 good for high mileage?
The viscosity level of engine oil 20W50 is geared toward racing engines, as opposed to high-mileage engines, that run extremely hot and need heavy load operation. The thickness is not meant for daily, older vehicle use.
Is the 3, 000 mile oil change a myth?
After interviews with oil experts, mechanics and automakers, one thing is clear: The 3,000-mile oil change is a myth that should be laid to rest. Failing to heed the service interval in your owner’s manual wastes oil and money, while compounding the environmental impact of illicit waste-oil dumping.
Do you really need to change your oil every 3, 000 miles?
But to change oil every 3,000 miles is probably wasting money. Environmentalists say it also adds to the glut of used oil that must be recycled or disposed, and the state of California is trying to discourage the practice.
What’s the longest interval for an oil change?
The longest oil change interval is 15,000 miles for all Jaguar vehicles. The shortest oil change interval is 5,000 miles in some Hyundai and Kia models with turbo engines and Toyota vehicles that call for non-synthetic oil.
How often should I change the oil on my Edmunds car?
A career Navy mechanic who bought an Edmunds.com long-term car just shrugged when he was told that the vehicle had safely gone 13,000 miles between oil changes. “I’ll just keep changing the oil every 5,000 miles,” he said. “It’s worked well for me in the past.”