Lube, Oil and Filter Change
How often and what kind of oil should be used? It will depend on the type of oil you choose to use, what kind of car, and how often you drive. This is where your owner’s manual will come in handy. The old adage suggests every 3 months or 5,000 kilometers. The amount of mileage you drive is more important than the amount of time. You may go on a road trip and burn through a few thousand miles in a few weeks, or it may take five months before you reach the recommended mileage. Pay attention to the odometer and how you’ve been driving your vehicle. Driving in extreme weather or towing a lot of weight behind your vehicle will affect your oil too.
If you don’t think you have the time or money to get your oil changed and you choose to wait, eventually the oil will get worse and worse, becoming more contaminated, and clog your engine. Some modern engine components such as variable valve timing sprockets are hydraulically controlled thru oil passages the size of a pencil lead and it doesn’t take much to clog the passages leading to failure. Engines are expensive and replacing a worn-out engine is not an auto repair you want to receive.
Bottom line: It’s worth the time and minimal cost of maintenance. Personally, I err on the side of caution and change oil based on the number of kilometers driven even if that is “before” the oil monitor tells me to or the change oil countdown is at 0 oil life.”