<VV> FW: How often do you change your oil?

[Harry Yarnell]

Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 11:11 PM
Subject: How often do you change your oil?

 

It's about time.....well there goes Jiffy Lubes profits down the drain.....

 
 
 
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-autos-oil-change-20111215,0,4554184.st
ory
 
 
 
 
State hopes to break car owners' habit of changing oil too often.
 
 
California launches a campaign against the widespread notion that oil
changes are needed every 3,000 miles. Officials say the practice wastes
millions of gallons of oil a year.
 
 
 
 
By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times 
 
December 15, 2011
 
Many automobile owners are spending more than they need on motor oil,
believing that it should be changed every 3,000 miles even though almost no
manufacturer requires such an aggressive oil-change schedule.
 
The long-held notion that the oil should be changed every 3,000 miles is so
prevalent that California officials have launched a campaign to stop drivers
from wasting millions of gallons of oil annually because they have their
vehicles serviced too often.
 
"Our survey data found that nearly half of California drivers are still
changing their oil at 3,000 miles or even sooner," said Mark Oldfield, a
spokesman for the California Department of Resources, Recycling and
Recovery, which has launched the Check Your Number campaign to encourage
drivers to go with the manufacturer's recommendations.
 
Improvement in oils, friction proofing and car engines have lengthened the
oil-change interval, typically 7,500 miles to 10,000 miles for most
vehicles.
 
Changing motor oil according to manufacturer specifications would reduce
motor-oil demand in California by about 10 million gallons a year, the
agency said. The state has created a website, checkyournumber.org,
<http://checkyournumber.org/> where drivers can look up the suggested
motor-oil change interval number for their vehicles.
 
The agency and other groups said slashing motor-oil consumption would be
good for the environment and won't hurt the longevity or reliability of
autos.
 
"Drivers have a number of ways to reduce the environmental impact of their
vehicles, which can also save them money," said Don Anair, senior engineer
at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
 
Besides following the manufacturers recommendations for oil changes, drivers
can reduce oil consumption by keeping their tires properly inflated and by
avoiding idling their engines, Anair said.
 
"The 3,000-mile oil change just says that the marketing campaign by
quick-lube companies has been effective," said Steve Mazor, manager of the
Auto Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center. It made sense
years ago, when "we had cast-iron block engines with cast-iron pistons that
would expand when they got hot and older lubricants," Mazor said.
 
Nationally 51% of vehicle owners said they believe oil should be changed
every 3,000 miles or three months, according to an August survey by market
research firm NPD Group. And just 33% wait more than 4,000 miles between oil
changes, NPD said.
 
Drivers should be confident in the oil service advice offered by automakers,
Mazor said.
 
Vehicle warranties, especially for power trains, have grown longer in recent
years, he noted, and automakers would not give advice that could hurt
engines and increase their warranty expenses.
 
Ford Motor Co.
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/manufacturing-enginee
ring/automotive-equipment/ford-motor-co.-ORCRP006077.topic> recommends oil
changes for most of its new vehicles at 10,000 miles, although some still
require the service at 7,500 miles.
 
"Our new generation of engines have tighter internal tolerances, which
reduces the amount of carbon and other products from combustion that gets
into the oil," said Richard Truett, a Ford spokesman.
 
The latest engines also run at more optimum temperatures, which diminishes
the degradation of oil.
 
Honda Motor Co.
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/manufacturing-enginee
ring/automotive-equipment/honda-motor-co.-ORCRP007390.topic> and its luxury
marque, Acura, no longer have a set interval for motor-oil changes.
 
Both Honda and Acura vehicles are equipped with a maintenance minder system
that recommends oil changes and other services based on a number of
vehicle-usage factors, including mileage and climate. Other manufacturers
have similar systems that alert drivers to the need for an oil change.
 
"The idea is to prevent either over- or under-maintaining a car by following
a set schedule," said Chris Martin, a Honda spokesman. "Now, there is no
guesswork."
 
Typically, the indicator for an oil change lights up every 5,000 to 10,000
miles in Honda and Acura vehicles.
 
Owners of late-model BMWs can go as many as 15,000 miles between oil
changes, depending on driving conditions. BMWs also have sensors alerting
drivers to the need to change motor oil based on conditions like driving in
stop-and-go traffic, making short trips and prolonged idling.
 
Despite these improvements, many drivers insist on changing the oil often
even if it isn't recommended.
 
This has prompted some new car dealers to ask customers who come in for an
oil change when it's not recommended to sign a document stating that they
understand that the maintenance guidelines for their auto don't require a
change at that time. The dealers are worried that someone might later accuse
them of selling unnecessary maintenance services.
 
jerry.hirsch at latimes.com <mailto:jerry.hirsch at latimes.com>