If you are like just any other people who consider their car’s windshield sticker to be an indicator to get an oil change, then just a friendly advice: Forget that habit. Instead, follow carefully the automaker’s recommended and important intervals. Nowadays in many modern cars, your best bet is just to simply rely on the vehicle’s oil monitoring system to let you know when is the best time for a change.

Manual Guide, Literally

Information about oil change is all written down in the maintenance chapter of your owner’s manual. If for some reasons you have misplaced the important tome of the car, many automakers have put their trusted manual online. In many cases, you will find that the owner’s manual lists two services schedule. These things are based on “normal” and “severe” driving conditions. Simply put, read the directions carefully to know which schedule reflects how you drive, and that is an important thing. Surveys show that the vast majority of people fall into the “normal” category.

A Big Trust on Your Oil Life Monitor

Back in the past years, but the most recent ones, a number of automakers have installed oil life monitors of varying complexity in their respective vehicles. The basic versions are more maintenance minders than actual systems. Those things are based on mileage, and then switch on the maintenance light when the vehicle hits it predetermined mileage range.

As years pass, the more advanced oil life monitors, on the other hand, constantly take information from the numerous sensors that has been put all over the vehicle’s body and then use a complex algorithm to predict the life of your oil. Also basing on your driving conditions and habits, the frequency of your oil changes can vary. This system does fit, but if you prefer guesswork, it would not work out knowing when your next service due is. It just follows the normal flow, just drive normally and wait until your maintenance lights come on and you’ll be surprised to see how far your vehicle can go between oil changes. The hard part is that when there is nothing that reminds you about your oil if you are driving for a mile or two.

Use Your “Estimation System”

So if you just have a weekend car or run it on very low miles, it is a must that you will change your maintenance strategy a bit. The reason is that in over time, oils will be contaminated by gases that blow by the pistons, and the worst thing is that the longer the oil sits with that contamination, the more it degrades.

Whether an automaker uses oil life, it just boils down to the prescription of a maximum time frame for an oil change. Putting for example the 2010 Toyota Prius, it has a recommended oil interval of one year or 10,000 miles – whichever comes first. Since some oil life monitors are much sophisticated, the vehicles that employ them will have a different time.

This all just goes down to seeking your automobiles’ manual guide. Just follow the steps and the recommendations. Also, putting in mind your automaker’s legacy, by visiting and asking their advice on what’s the better take when you are put on the above’ situation.

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