CALIFORNIA, USA — California's traffic is a clear sign of how much we love our automobiles. Of course, no one wants to waste money, but a lot of car owners are.
While it’s important for you to keep your car in top shape, it is possible you're wasting cash on unneeded oil changes. Let's look at why you may be wasting money on your car.
There's a long-held belief you have to change your oil every 3,000 miles, or every three months. Once upon a time it was true, but today's cars and motor oils are much improved.
"Reality is, it's all based on how you drive. What type of vehicle you have and what type of oil is in there," said mechanic Zak Simmons.
Motor oils contain detergents needing time to clean your engine.
"Since those detergents are in there, if you're constantly changing them out, they can't do their job," Simmons said.
Read your owner’s manual. If you have a newer vehicle, it may tell you to change your oil every 5,000, 10,000 or even 15,000 miles. Use the recommended type of oil.
Simmons says the type of vehicle you have and the way you drive it will make a difference, too.
"If you have a work truck, it's going to be much different because of the type of load you put on that engine," Simmons said.
Give your oil time to work before you change it out or you risk spending way too much to keep your car running.
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