How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

 

We’ve found that many of the customers that enter our dealership enquire about the oil change intervals for their vehicles. Their main concern is how often they should be changing their oil. As of now, there is no standard, catchall answer to this question. With the ever-evolving automotive industry introducing the latest engines using higher quality oil, the service guidelines keep getting revised.

 

Choosing the Best Time for an Oil Change

 

For most older models, the norm was to plan on changing your oil every 3,000 miles or six months, whichever came first. According to previous Ford guidelines, the suggestion was to change the oil every 7,500 miles. However,the manufacturer's recommendations are according to lab testing and real-world driving in optimum conditions.

 

One can consider these suggestions as a solid reference point. Though factors like the environment and average driving conditions also play crucial roles in deciding the correct oil change intervals.

 

Abide by Manufacturer Recommendations

 

Every manufacturer has a specific way to develop systems with different specs, based on various performance features. Some manufacturers expect you to change the oil based on fixed time intervals. While the rest recommend service based on mileage. The main piece of advice to pull from this is that it is always a good idea to adhere to the manufacturer warranty for oil change guidelines to avoid any confusion or potential damage.

 

Driving Conditions

 

Generally, manufacturers suggest when to change the oil based on optimal driving conditions. Besides, the frequency of oil change varies with manufacturers. Some suggest changing oil every 7,500 miles. Again, such figures are for optimal scenarios.

Practically, in the case of new cars, oil efficiency has continued to increase, largely due to improvements in the oil. Thus, the recommendation is to change the oil every 5,000 miles or every six months.

 

For freeway drivers, the instructions are to adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines on oil changes strictly.

 

Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor

 

Ford models post 2011 have an added feature called the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor system(IOLM) to display messages related to oil changes. You can see alerts like “OIL CHANGE REQUIRED” or “ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE.” When you see these messages, refer to the Ford manual and take appropriate action as soon as possible. Also, this feature needs a reset after every oil change for calibration purposes.

 

Consequences of Insufficient Oil Changes in Ford Vehicles

 

When you do not abide by the manufacturer oil change recommendations, you harm the health of your car. Neglecting your engine only leads to harmful dirt buildup. This dirt prevents the engine from being sufficiently lubricated. The result is an overheated and corroded engine.

 

Oil needs to be clean for your engine to receive adequate lubrication. Adequate lubrication is key in reducing friction between the moving parts of your engine. Frequent oil changes ensure clear fuel in the engine, thus maintaining its smooth functioning.

 

To summarize, you must know when your vehicle needs an oil change. When in doubt, find a Ford dealer near you. They have the right parts, tools, and technicians to ensure a flawless service. Ford dealerships offer complete vehicle checkups, including synthetic blend oil change and Multi-Point inspection.