Quote:
Originally posted by ktsnake
Check the owner's manual. If I remember correctly Civics' manuals say that they need to be serviced every 5000 miles. Of course the back of the oil can says 3000 -- that company sells oil.
It varies from car to car though. My 4-Runner is 4000 miles.
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My grandfather's car was supposed to have it's oil changed every 1,500 miles. It was a 1951 chevy.
As the time progressed, the times between oil changes increased. I recall one car I owned that suggested changing oil every 8,000.
Then, for a while, everyone was pushing synthetic oil which only needed to be changed every 100,000 miles or something.
THEN, JiffyLube, Lubestop, Grease Monkey, etc. came along, and suddenly it's important to get your oil changed every 3,000.
What does that tell you. Are the oil companies making their products worse than they used to be? I don't think so.
I drive a twelve year old car with over 150,000 miles. I often drive as much as 6,000 miles between oil changes, simply because I don't get around to changing it. I'm generally always a couple hundred miles over 3,000. I'm not saying you should do that, but it has never been a problem for me. When I check it, the oil always looks clean (light brown and clear). Dirty oil is black.
If you car is truly in good shape, it won't hurt to go an extra 500 miles. Highway driving is much easier on oil than stop and go city driving.
Don't worry. Enjoy your road trip.