# The end of the 3,000 mile oil chnage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** matrix, toyota\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195 "2010-09-16T14:27:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeff\_in\_Sturbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@Jeff\_in\_Sturbridge](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeff_in_Sturbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/1 "2010-09-16T14:27:56Z")
So guys. . . The New York Times ran an article today proclaiming the end of the 3,000-mile oil change. Do you agree?? Article appears at [http://www…tcuts.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/your-money/11shortcuts.html) ---
**Author:** ![StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/strongdreamswaithere/32/2014_2.png) [@StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://community.cartalk.com/u/StrongDreamsWaitHere)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/2 "2010-09-16T14:49:57Z")
Been there, done that. [http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/2150810.page](http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/2150810.page) ---
**Author:** ![abc7777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@abc7777](https://community.cartalk.com/u/abc7777)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/3 "2010-09-16T14:59:09Z")
Mine is now 7K. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/4 "2010-09-16T15:15:12Z")
Yes. …and what about “or 6 months, whichever occurs first”? Can modern oils in modern engines go 12 months between changes, without significantly changing engine performance or longevity? I have been changing oil each fall and each spring, at anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 miles, but am considering going to once-a-year changes, or every 6,000 or so miles. ---
**Author:** ![StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/strongdreamswaithere/32/2014_2.png) [@StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://community.cartalk.com/u/StrongDreamsWaitHere)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/5 "2010-09-16T15:22:51Z")
I would always change at least every 6 months, no matter the mileage. It’s not that the oil wears out, but that the oil becomes contaminated with water and combustion byproducts. These will burn off if you run the engine long enough. But if you are driving less than 3000 miles in 6 months, you are probably making a lot of short trips that don’t get the engine hot enough to “clean the oil” so to speak. If anyone cares, I’m targeting 5K for oil changes, with tire rotation every 10K. It’s a nice round number that’s easy to remember without having an ugly sticker in my windshield all the time. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/6 "2010-09-16T18:16:23Z")
Every 5000 miles is the new 3000 mile oil change. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/7 "2010-09-16T18:43:26Z")
Yea, modern designs and oils mean 5K is the new 3K. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/8 "2010-09-16T18:44:51Z")
**“if you are driving less than 3000 miles in 6 months, you are probably making a lot of short trips”** Or they could be someone like me, who only drives 2-3x a week. Half of it on the highway. I still change oil every 6 months, usually 1500-3000 miles in that time. ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/9 "2010-09-16T23:53:35Z")
So, at a 5k interval, ignoring the “or 3~6 months” the owner’s manual suggests, I’d change the oil roughly every 15 months ---
**Author:** ![StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/strongdreamswaithere/32/2014_2.png) [@StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://community.cartalk.com/u/StrongDreamsWaitHere)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/10 "2010-09-16T23:58:03Z")
Sigh. If in doubt, go with your owner’s manual. The point of the news story is that most people change more frequently than their manual specifies and it’s usually not needed. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/11 "2010-09-17T01:28:48Z")
I use the GMOLS, thank you. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![rwee2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@rwee2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rwee2000)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/12 "2010-09-20T22:39:19Z")
Yes, But then again my car has an oil life monitor and I just change it when it tells me too. Before that my old changes were at about 5,000 mile or in my case twice a year. My opinions are subject to change with new facts. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/13 "2010-09-21T03:01:05Z")
The owner’s manual in my 1965 Rambler Classic recommended an oil and filter change every 4000 miles. Maybe the 3000 mile oil change died 45 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-end-of-the-3-000-mile-oil-chnage/55195/14 "2010-09-21T13:25:12Z")
I think modern engines can easily go 5k miles…but I surely wouldn’t go much more then that… 6mo oil changes may be fine if you only plan on keeping the car 100k miles (or less). But I’d like to see how well those engines are after 300k miles (which is how long I keep my vehicles). Since most people only keep their vehicles 100k miles or less…then the 6mo oil change is probably OK…just feel sorry for the person who buys that used car.