# Oil change by mileage or time **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [February 9, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251 "2013-02-09T22:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PLC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@PLC](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PLC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/1 "2013-02-09T22:58:56Z")
I drive less than 6,000 miles per year. Should I still get an oil change every 6 months or wait until I reach the car manufacturer’s recommended mileage? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/2 "2013-02-09T23:04:37Z")
Every 6 months at the most. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/3 "2013-02-09T23:10:35Z")
If you drive it 5 or more days a week, then no more than 6 months. If it is driven on weekends only, then once a year should do. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/4 "2013-02-09T23:59:27Z")
Opinions will vary. If the car is under warranty, then change it according to the book (ie every 6 months). If that 6000 miles has very little highway miles in it, then I’d do it every 6 months. But if you routinely take it out for a highway trip (like 20 minutes or longer), then I’d be comfortable extending it longer than 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/5 "2013-02-10T00:29:47Z")
@JoeMario The dealers keep bugging seniors to bring their cars in based on TIME. My neighbor is retired, and drives very little. He has a 2004 Focus with 15,000 miles on it. It’s out of warranty now, but the dealer would have given it 27 oil changes!!! He settled for 5. We bought a new 2012 Mazda3 in August of last year and it will be going in for its first oil change next week. We travel a lot and the car sits in the garage most of the time. I do agree that you should try to come close to the factory recommendation during the warranty period. ---
**Author:** ![Joe-Guy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joe-guy/32/124_2.png) [@Joe-Guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joe-Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/6 "2013-02-10T00:49:19Z")
I drive one of my cars less than 3000 miles per year and I change the oil every 6 months as recommended by the maintenance manual. I doubt it would make much difference if I waited 9 months or a year, but it’s not expensive or difficult to do, so that’s why I do it. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/7 "2013-02-10T03:44:43Z")
Tell us what your owner’s manual says. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/8 "2013-02-10T19:33:19Z")
I drive my 2006 Matrix ~4000 miles a year, 2-3 times a week mostly 20-30 minute trips plus the occasional highway cruise. I’ve been changing the oil every 6 months, but now that the extended warranty (which I bargained down to a reasonable price) is running out I’m switching to once a year. ---
**Author:** ![bscar2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar2/32/2468_2.png) [@bscar2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar2)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/9 "2013-02-10T19:36:39Z")
Like lion9car said, look in your owner’s manual and look at the severe driving list for maintenance ---
**Author:** ![PLC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@PLC](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PLC)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/10 "2013-02-13T00:28:36Z")
Thanks for the input! ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-change-by-mileage-or-time/77251/11 "2013-02-13T09:55:38Z")
Personaly I’d do it every six months. For one thing it is a chance to have the rest of the car looked at for any problems. A year is a long time to go with no one taking a look at the rest of the car.