How Often Do You Need to Change Your Oil?

Have you ever heard that you need to get your oil changed every 3,000 miles?  Probably, because this is an old myth that has been around for quite awhile.  Truth is, though, you may or may not need to get your oil changed this frequently.  Depending on the condition of your car, you may be able to get away with changing it only once every 5,000 miles.  Or you might need to have it changed every 1,500 miles.  Here at Stonum Auto, we can provide you with an oil change in Longmont, and after we inspect the condition of your car, we’ll tell you how often to bring it back in.

Steps for Getting Your Oil Changed

It’s important that you keep a close eye on your oil.  To do this, you’ll want to check it frequently.  If you don’t know how to check it yourself, feel free to it bring by and we can check it for you.  When checking your oil, you’ll first want to make sure that it has the recommended amount of oil in it.  Additionally, you need to look at the oil on the dip stick and identify it’s color.  If it’s so thick and brown that you can’t see through it, you will want to take it in for a new oil change.  If it’s a light brown and you can see through it, this is a good sign.

Checking your oil is suggested at least once a week and before every long road trip.  If you see that your car is using a lot of oil on a regular basis, it’s important to bring it in to us so we can pinpoint why it’s using so much oil.  There’s a good chance that it’s an oil leak, but we can repair it for you and have you back on the road in no time.

A regular oil change will take about 20 to 45 minutes.  If you don’t have time to wait for your car, you can drop it off and we will call you when it’s ready.  You could also change your oil yourself, but it’s important to know what you’re doing or you could end up with too much or too little oil, which is not good on your car.