OK, seriously… how long can I go between oil changes?
There is more to it than simply the number of miles between your oil changes, though that is a good general guide to go by. Many factors go into determining how long you can safely go between oil changes. How you drive your car(city or highway miles, as well as whether or not you are a jack*ss with a lead foot who likes quick starts and so forth), how many miles are already on your engine, extreme hot or cold weather, driving off road or on dirt roads, and so forth. Even the oil you use. The primary purpose of oil is lubrication (to keep the moving metal parts form rubbing together) and cooling (remove heat from the moving parts). There are three major things about your oil which contribute to the life of the oil as a lubricating agent: It’s ability to resist breakdown in high temperature, the additives in the oil, and it’s ability to keep particulate matter in suspension. There are more things to consider, but for the purpose of this discussion we won’t go into them. If you REALLY wan
