The old rule of changing your oil every 3,000 miles isn't the rule any longer.
Oil-change advice is pretty easy to follow: Get out the owner's manual, which tells motorists how often they need to change the oil.
Many cars built in the last 10 years don't need an oil change until the vehicle has been driven 7,000 to 10,000 miles -- sometimes, even more. So if you're going by that sticker on your window from the oil change business, you may be sending your oil and money down the drain.
"I would say that any car built after the year 1999 is likely to have an oil change that's 5,000 miles or it could be all the way up to 20,000 miles in some cars that use synthetic oils," said Phillip Reed of Edmunds.com.
Mechanics like motorists to go in more often to change their oil so that the mechanics can up-sell other items and services. There's nothing wrong with a mechanic taking the time to inspect a car at the time of an oil change, but drivers don't have to do it every 3,000 miles.
