Transportation & Energy...

Or maybe you should. It kind of depends on the make and model of your car. But according to the ca.gov website, the long touted changing your oil every 3,000 miles is officially a fiction.

“Needing to change your car’s oil at 3,000 miles is a myth. Many cars today can go longer without affecting engine wear. Automakers are regularly recommending oil changes at 5,000, 7,000 or even 10,000 miles based on driving conditions."--3000milemyth.org

And

“Most major automakers agree: The adage that you should change your car’s oil every 3,000 miles is outdated, and even 5,000 miles may be too often,” -- Tom Krisher, Associated Press, in the Deseret News, March 26, 2007

and

“Although oil companies and quick-lube shops like to promote this idea [that engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles], it's usually not necessary. Go by the recommended oil-change schedule in your vehicle's owner's manual. Most vehicles driven under normal conditions can go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. Some models now come with a monitoring system that alerts the driver when the oil needs changing. Depending on driving conditions, these can extend change intervals to 10,000 or 15,000 miles.” That from Consumer Reports, December 2006.

On the 3000milemyth,org website there is a listing of cars and the recommended miles before oil changes. The interesting thing is some of the greener cars, the ones that are more fuel efficient, like the Honda Civic for example, only need to get the oil changed once a year! The Camry - every 5,000 miles. But if you have a PT Cruiser you still need to get your oil changed once every 3,000 miles. Of course, if you have a PT Cruiser…I’ve filed that car under ‘just don’t get it’.

Anyway, this is great news for pollution reduction.