Things you'll need to know if getting an oil change in Detroit, MI.

While the car-maintenance sector is clear about its grounds for believing in the 3,000-mile oil change, consumers hang on to it only because they're largely are not aware of advances in automotive technology. Among 2013 models, the majority of automakers call for oil changes at either 7,500 or 10,000 miles based on a normal service schedule, more than double the amount of traditional 3,000-mile interval. The longest oil change time period is 15,000 miles for all Jaguar vehicles. The shortest oil change interval is 5,000 miles in some Hyundai and Kia models with turbo engines and Toyota vehicles that call for non-synthetic oil. Toyota has been shifting its fleet to 10,000-mile oil change intervals using synthetic oil. Synthetic oils, which includes the popular Mobil 1, are increasing oil change intervals, leaving the 3,000-mile mark in the dust. The company's most sophisticated synthetic product (Mobil 1 Extended Performance) is guaranteed for 15,000 miles.

Present day's extended oil change intervals are due to:

Superior "robustness" of today's oils, with their capability to protect engines from wear and heat and still deliver superior gas mileage with low polutants.

More automakers using synthetic oil.

Tighter tolerances (the gap between metal moving parts) of modern engines.

The development of oil life monitoring systems, which notify the driver when an oil change is necassary and are based on the way the car is driven and the environment it encounters. Sixteen of 34 carmakers now use oil life monitoring systems as part of their 2013 model-year vehicles, plus all three domestic automakers. That is representative of a majority of the vehicles purchased in the U.S. One GM car went 13,000 miles right before the monitoring system indicated the necessity for an oil change. A sample of that oil was sent for analysis and the findings revealed that the oil would have safely delivered at least another 2,000 miles of service.

Oil experts and car makers are firmly on the side of the less-frequent oil changes that these formulation alterations make possible. With fewer oil chages, less waste oil it being circulated into the environment making it healthier for both wildlife and man. Waste oil is a dilemma made worse by too-frequent oil changes, for which campaigns against the 3,000-mile standard oil change have been undertaken by organizaion such as the California Integrated Waste Management Board. It has noted that 153.5 million gallons of used oil is generated in California yearly, but only 59 percent of it is recycled. With these figures, one can only imagine the enormous environmental consequences this waste product volume represents when considering other major markets like Detroit, MI, New York City, Atlanta, GA, or Houston TX to name a few. Now where does this leave the motorist who had been raised on the perceived understanding of the 3,000-mile oil change? The short answer, meanwhile, is to consult your service manual maintenance section to learn your car's actual oil change schedule. This becomes more important if you have a newer model car (2012 - 2014), as they are built better to work hand-and-hand with today's more superior oils. If your vehicle has an oil life monitoring system (2013), don't try to second-guess it. Recognize how it works and adhere to its guidelines.

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