Remembering to change your oil

[rkvons]

I saw a discussion about resetting the "Change Your Oil" light and I thought I would add my two cents.

I change my oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles. When I do, I right the mileage down on a pad of paper in the garage that is only for keeping track of my oil changes. Now, I'm driving along and I wonder when I need to change my oil next. I take the mileage that's currently shown on the odometer and I divide by 3,000. The remainder is subtracted from 3,000, and that is how long I half to go before my next oil change.

When you get over 100,000 miles, it's a little trickyer, because you're always off by 1,000 miles. You have to take the mileage shown, add 1,000 to it and divide by 3,000, etc.

The beauty of this is that you average 3,000 miles between oil changes, which is fine, but it's easy to figure when the next oild change is.

Tell me what's wrong with that method.

[spike88]

.

This post is a good reminder. Unfortunately, there's too much math for my limited internal caculator. LOL!!! Luckily, my local auto shop changes my engine oil / filter. Each time they change it, they put a little self stick label in top left corner of vehicle's windshield. One of those "next oil change at xxxx" reminders. And, I use the vehicle's "Change Oil" LED display as a "backup". For those who change their own engine oil, I think k-Mart/Wallmart or other places like these sell the little self reminder stickers as well. Works for me - without too much math...

.

[mhall02]

I've always filled out the 'Maintenance' section or the very back page of the owners manual to track the oil changes. Every 3,000 (or as close as possible), usually within 100 miles of it. Currently at 187,000 miles with this schedule, doesn't seem low at all at the 3,000 mile mark so engine seems like it is in good shape. I've always wondered how those do that have the extended oil changes 6,000 or 7,000 miles between changes. I wouldn't think it would matter a lot the first 100,000, but as you get past 150,000 to 200,000, how soild is the engine then? How much oil does it start to consume? Most folks don't have one long enought to tell, but I do wonder.