Reader email
Hello Austin,
I cannot believe you tell folks to change their oil every 3,000 miles. The 3,000 mile myth was started by big oil the late 1970s. It was started for no other reason than to make money.
If you have the kind of money Exxon and Texaco have, you can buy enough advertising to convince people of anything.
Most automobile owners manuals say to change the oil every 7,500 miles under normal driving. Synthetic oil can go 15-20,000 miles before any oil breakdown takes place.
My dad used synthetic oil in his new 18 wheelers and changed the oil at 100,000 miles. He never had major engine failure.
Car and Driver tested New York taxi cabs under a test that changed oil at 6,000 mile intervals and found the oil to be near perfect after 6,000 miles of taxi service.
In a free market economy like ours, money rules. Don’t fall for these promotion gimmicks.
Ted D.
Why hello there Ted,
You are absolutely right. The 3,000 mile campaign was the brain child of Jiffy Lube. I like the idea of having the customer visit my shop every 3,000 miles.
Sure, an obvious reason is a small sale for the oil change, but the real important factor is to have drivers routinely visiting a mechanic every 3,000 miles or three months to do a check up on their cars.
Most drivers don’t even open the hood. And 3,000 miles for most drivers really means 4,000 miles when they actually come in to do it…they just thought about it at 3,000 miles.
I see the consequences every single day–a tire that is showing steel, a water hose swollen and about to bust, a leaking radiator, expired state inspection stickers, etc., etc., etc.
My point is:
The average American driver drives 12,000 miles a year, so that is four oil changes a year. At $25 an oil change, that’s about $100 a year to have your cars looked over and make sure things are A-OK.
That is just a little bit more than a tow bill…the alternate price you’d pay if that radiator hose bursts on you in the summer, leaving you on the side of the road with a car load of kids and groceries.
So, with that said…it is a small price to pay for a well-maintained vehicle, a clean engine, and a little added insurance.
You can learn a LOT about engine oils from the ebook the Motor Oil Bible you might find it very interesting.
Blessings, and thanks for your email.
Austin Davis