Reminder: Change oil every ... 12,000 miles?

Washington DC March 23, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that the adage that you should change your car's oil every 3,000 miles is outdated, and even 5,000 miles may be too often.

According to MSNBC, Ford Motor Co. became the latest manufacturer to extend its oil life guidelines, raising the recommended oil change interval from 5,000 miles to 7,500 on its newly redesigned 2007 models and all subsequent redesigned or new models.

Ford, like many other manufacturers, said Tuesday that higher oil quality standards and new engine designs were responsible for the change. Some manufacturers, such as Honda and GM, have stopped making recommendations on all or most of their models, instead relying on sensors that measure oil temperature extremes and engine revolutions over time to calculate oil life and tell drivers when to get the lubricant changed.

Nissan Motor Co. recommends changing oil in its Nissan and Infiniti vehicles every 7,500 miles or six months — unless the vehicle is used in extreme conditions.

In contrast, Toyota reduced its change interval from 7,500 miles to 5,000 in 2004 in part because it found that more drivers ran their vehicles under severe stop-and-start and short trip conditions that cause oil to deteriorate more quickly.