Make Your Car Last 200,000 Miles
When you get your oil changed, they put that little sticker on your windshield to remind you when it’s time to get your next. The sticker always gives you a mileage of 3,000 miles or 3 months into the future, whichever comes first.The old standard was 3,000 miles, but cars are now built better than ever before. Do you really have to have an every 3,000 miles?
Modern car manufacturers usually recommend an oil change every 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. However, they recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles if you drive in “severe” conditions.What does “severe” driving mean? If you live near the ocean or in a dusty environment, if you live in a hot or cold place, if you tow a trailer, if you do a lot of city driving or make many short trips, then your car experiences “severe” driving conditions. That’s a large percentage of the drivers out there!
We all know that over-maintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil change are cheap. An oil change should only cost about . If you drive under any of these “severe” conditions, it’s definitely worth the extra a year. If you err on the side of under-maintaining your car, it’s less likely to last as long as it could. If you take good care of your car, it can easily last 200,000 miles or more. The longer you can put off replacing your car, the more money you save. Imagine paying off your car and then continuing to make that “payment” into a savings account. You’d be able to pay for your next car with cash!
No one enjoys taking their car in for any maintenance or repairs. But an oil change should take less than an hour if you go when the shop isn’t busy. Since an oil change is such a simple matter, every repair shop does them. Oil changes are readily available at many convenient locations, including the corner service station and even Wal Mart. If you can combine this chore with shopping for instance, you’ll save time. There are even specialty shops that will guarantee to have you out in less than an hour! And many shops offer pleasant and convenient waiting areas. Many have televisions, snacks and free wi-fi.
Most of us should follow the old standard of 3,000 miles. It’s inexpensive, easy and smart. So pick a shop and get into the habit. When your car has 200,000 miles and is still going, you’ll be glad you did.
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