How often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?

I only drive a few blocks each day to catch the bus. And I hardly drive my car after work. Should I still change the oil every 3 months? What about the oil filter?How often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?If you only drive a few blocks every day (let's say 2 miles round trip), that means you probably accumulate perhaps 50 miles per month - a very, very low amount of miles.



I suggest that once a week, you drive your car on a short trip, for at least 30 miles or minutes, to get the engine into its normal operating temperature range and to evaporate any water that accumulates in your oil pan during the week.



Water gets into your oil from condensation every day as the air - including water vapor - in the oil pan cools down. This water combines with combustion byproducts (NOx) and any sulfur in the oilor unburned gas will form weak acids, which are not good for engine bearings and other critical metal surfaces. Most good oils have buffers which, for the most part, neutralize the acids. But eventually they will be consumed and any acids in the crankcase oil can start to cause corrosion problems.



My suggestion is to drive 30 minutes every weekend, and change your oil %26amp; filter per your mfr's recommendations -- on the time-based schedule. (You don't put enough miles on your car to use the mileage-based schedule.)



And change your oil filter on every oil change - it's cheap insurance and you will be ensuring that as much as 1 quart of dirty, used oil is removed when the old filter is replaced.How often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?My come back for this frequent question is this %26quot;If oil can sit in the ground for millions of years why can it not sit in your engine for more than 3 mos/3000 miles.

The answer is %26quot;of course it can%26quot; Todays motor oils are heavily engineered lubricants that resist breakdown better than anytime in automotive history. These ideas and standard are put out there by the auto manufacture and oil companies who have been i bed together since the first Ford was built.



The type of driving you mention would allow me, if Iwere your mechanic, to guide you into a different king\d of thinking. I would have you watching the color of the motor oil, looking for a loss of translucency which is evidence of oil break down and suspended particles. When the dip stick showed dirty oil change it and the filter. Dont be surprised with your type of driving if it last 6-7 months.How often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?3 months or 30,000 miles

and yes change the filter

if you use synthetic oil its not required as oftenHow often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?Tom sj has the right answer and even gets into the tenical part of it not driving your car very far dosent let the oil get warm enuff to remove the moisture from it and it builds up and causes some very expensive problems every three months the way you drive is how often you need to change itthe motor just gets warm enuff to cause condination inside of it but never hot enuff to remove itHow often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?Every 90 days or 3000 miles! When ever you reach your 3000 mark you should change your filter! and oil! And or depending on what kind of oil you use!

Hope that helpsHow often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?Constant 4 -5 block trips twice per day is the worlds worst on any internal combustion motor engine oil.



The motor never reaches maximum temperature to drive off and evaporate water condensation in the crankcase. Poor piston ring seal when the motor's cold probates cylinder wash down with raw fuel. This causes gum varnish and oil sludging build up. Oil that just %26quot;sits%26quot; in the ground bares no resemblance what so ever as compared to modern multi-grade high detergent, anti-foam, anti-oxident, high shear strength anti-gall and anti-wear motor oil. Regulsr multi-viscosity 5W-30 pours @ - 35 below zero Farenheight. It flashes to fire at + 400 degrees F.



Ground crude is only a very minimum starting point in the production of everything oil related. Grease, oil, tar, wax, naptha, kerosene, #1 %26amp; #2. home heating and diesel fuel, mineral spirits, acetone, xylene, propane, butylene, gasoline, and others are cracked from the valuable black slop from under the earth's surface.



In the fall change the oil and filter. In the dead of the winter shorten the drain and filter changes to once every 4 months regardless of mileage. If you didn't drive your car at all it would be fine to let it go six months. If your car calls for 5,000 mile oil changes by all means do it in the summer.



There's a way around frequent oil changes during winter months and that's by switching to a full synthetic 5W-30 motor oil year round. Most new cars today call for 5W-20 year round.



lubricating and filter changes are cheap insurance when you do it yourself. While on the filter subject NAPA filters are made by the Wix Company. AC Delco and Purolator are the only ones that are remotely close. Your car is the second most valuable item you own. Why treat it like a piece of crap.How often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?i change the oil on my honda accord every 5,000 miles but since u drive a few blocks do it ever 3,500 miles. and you always change the filter with each oil changeHow often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?only driving the car a short distance is very bad for it because if you do not get the engine hot enough it will form water in your oil and gass from improper expantion of the internal parts this will lead to a variaty or problems so when driving just a short distance start you car 10 to 15 min early to save on your motors life

and 2500 miles is where i change my oil BUT I HAPPEN TO HAVE JUST OVER 540 h.p. so my car is alittle more sensity to stupid little things like thatHow often should I change the oil and how often should I change the oil filter?it really depends what kind of oil you use.

every 5000 miles if you use full synthetic(not synthetic blend) and it should be about 3000 miles if you use regular dino oil :)

and change the oil filter every time (don't forget to lubricate the o ring around the filter before you put it on!)