How long has it been since your last oil change? Well, it doesn’t matter if it was six months ago or yesterday – the time you thought you had to go between oil changes might not be right! People usually think there’s a 6-month or 3,000-mile mark that means you need your oil changed, but depending on a few factors that’s not necessarily the truth. You might need to get your oil changed more or less frequently based on:

• The age of your car

• The type of oil you use

• How many miles are on your car

• What conditions you usually drive in

• How hard you drive your car

…and so you might need to get your oil changed every thousand miles, or you might not need to change it until you hit 8,000 miles. The person to ask? Your dealer! The folks at your dealership are the most knowledgeable about putting these factors into account when they recommend the time or mileage to your next oil change, so trust them before you trust apocryphal statements (the aforementioned 6-months/3,000-miles).

The best tip we can share is to also check your oil at least once a month, especially in the wintertime. This is the best indication of the health of your engine, and can potentially stop a problem before it gets bad because you’ve been proactive and observant. The best part of this is that it only takes a minute!