I just bought a new 2009 Mercury Milan and was looking at the maintenance schedule they gave me. It recommends changing the oil & rotating the tires at 7500 miles, and every 7500 thereafter. Or, if you operate the vehicle under special conditions, i.e., driving on dusty roads, every 5000 miles. I have always operated on the premise that I fell under special conditions because I lived on a dirt road, and had to drive 1 mile both ways each day on dirt roads. It has been reduced to 1/2 mile of dirt road to my house in the last 3 years, so should I consider it to be special conditions or not? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
I don’t see the amount of dirt road driving puts you into the severe service category. None the less I go with 5,000 mile oil changes and would recommend it. It is easy to keep track of 5, 10, 15K miles etc. I rotate the tires every other oil change, every 10K miles.
If you rack up a lot of highway miles quickly, say 2,000 a month, then the 7,500 interval makes economic sense.
Almost all of us should use the “severe” schedule, which includes short trips, cold weather, dirt roads, frequent idling, trailering, etc.
The only drivers who should use the so-called regular schedule are traveling salesmen and those commuting on freeways for very long distances.
If the the dirt road you live on is the ONLY place you ever drive, then, yes, you need to follow the severe schedule. This would be equivalent to living in the Australian Outback, or the American Southwest Desert.
Do you live in either of these places? I doubt it.
If you drive 1/2 mile on a dirt road, then proceed 20, 30, or 50 miles each day on paved highways, you don’t have to follow the severe schedule.
Unless you have some special circumstance you haven’t told us, I think you can safely follow the normal maintenance schedule.
Thanks for the replies everyone. This helps a lot. I only have the 1/2 mile out and back in each day on a dirt road, plus about 60 miles on the highway or in town each day.