After How Many Kilometers Do I
Change My Oil?

If you notice that your car is not performing well these past few days, maybe its oil has become black and dirty. Normally, when additives in dirty oil boil out, contaminants form in the crankcase and eat metal parts. Water then collects over time and forms sludge. The oil holds more and more abrasive particles of metal suspended in it, and these particles wear away the engine parts that the oil is supposed to shield. Now, the question that you should be asking yourself is “after how many kilometers do I change my oil ?“

Car oil looks black within a couple of days right after an oil change. So, to prevent running on oil that is dirty that it becomes a liability, it is important to keep a record of when it was last changed and to change it frequently – as often as every 1,000 miles in extreme operating conditions. Changing the oil frequently can help your car get twice the mileage out of a good engine.

oil

These extreme operating conditions include a lot of stop-and-go driving in rush-hour traffic or city, making a lot of short trips every day and leaving the car parked long enough to have the engine cool down between them, and not getting up to high speeds on a highway. As a result, the engine hardly gets hot enough to evaporate the water that forms in the crankcase and builds up sludge in the engine.

Another extreme condition is driving in extremely hot weather or in areas with a lot of blowing dirt or dust or haul or tow heavy loads all the time. In any of these conditions, it is highly recommended to change the oil as often as every 1,000 to 3,000 miles on older vehicles. On new vehicles, however, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for extreme use.

Other manufacturers recommend changing the oil every 7,500 miles or more, but that is based on optimum operating conditions. Though new vehicles can run longer on the same oil than older ones can, and enhancements in motor oil have prolonged its efficiency over longer periods of time, to be on the safe side, you have to change your oil every 5,000 miles or every six months, whichever comes first.

If you go on a lot of long journeys at high speeds, you may prolong the oil change service interval, but on the latest vehicles models, don’t go longer than 5,000 miles between changes. Under any circumstances, never go farther than the manufacturer's recommended maximum interval between oil changes.