How Often Should You Change Your Engine Oil?
Oil Change Interval
As an owner of a vehicle, it is your responsibility to know what it needs in order to keep running smoothly and performing at its best. One of the most important and critical automotive services your vehicle needs on a regular basis is an oil change. A regularly scheduled oil change helps protect your vehicle’s engine from getting damaged and seizing up on the road. How often should you change your vehicle’s engine oil? Well, the answer can be confusing as there are many factors to consider, including the vehicle you drive, how old the vehicle is, the conditions you drive in and your driving habits. Keep reading to learn more about how often you should change your engine oil and when you should change it.
[You May Also Like: Top 4 Things You Should Know About Oil Changes]
When to Change Your Vehicle’s Engine Oil?
Knowing when and how often you should change your engine oil is important to know, but it can be different for every vehicle. To know for sure how often you should change your engine oil, you must search your vehicle’s owner’s manual for the answer. The normal oil change interval for a vehicle used to be around every 5,000 kilometres, but that’s not the case any longer with newer model vehicles. If you drive an older model used vehicle, you can change your engine oil on a more frequent basis considering that the engine has many miles on it and most likely has a lot of build-up on its moving parts.
If you own a newer model used car or a brand new vehicle, its oil change interval is most likely more spaced out. Many new cars, SUVs and pickup trucks now have recommended oil change intervals between 8,000 and 16,000 kilometres with some even going as far as 24,000 kilometres.
The only way to know for sure how often you should change your vehicle’s engine oil is to break out its owner’s manual and find the manufacturer’s recommendations, which can include oil change intervals and what type of engine oil you should use.
If you would like to learn more about oil changes or if your vehicle is in need of one, please visit or contact us at Terra Nova GMC Buick to schedule an appointment to have your vehicle’s oil changed.