Don't change your oil every 3,000!

"The 3,000 mile oil change is a myth.  This is what the State of California says. Or more exactly what the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) says. The fact is that most drivers (including myself) change their oil every 3,000 miles (or 5,000 km) even though many automakers now recommend service intervals of 5,000, 7,000 or even 10,000 miles for most modern cars.

Research by the CIWMB shows that nearly 3 out 4 Californians change their cars' oil before it is really needed. This generates millions of gallons of waste oil, a product which is potentially very polluting.

CIWMB has released a website that explains this "myth" and has a short list of recommended service intervals for common cars. For example, a 2007 Nissan Altima can have its oil changed every 3,750 miles (25 percent further than 3,000 miles), and a 2007 Chevy Malibu every 7,500 (150 percent more). The rule is that we all should check this figure in the owner's manual.

Please note that this figure also depends on your driving habits and the quality of the oil you're using. Changing oil too late is also a very bad practice, because not only you can damage your car engine, but it increases fuel consumption and reduces performance." (From AutoblogGreen, Jan. 24, 2008)

You momentarily made me feel better about being 4,000 miles overdue for an oil change- until I checked what is recommended for our model car, and saw that I'm not supposed to go past 3,725. 

(For the record- I did try to get it changed a couple weeks ago, but the place I went to was having computer problems which lead to a power outage!  We will be going on Monday.)

Maybe this is yet one more thing to factor into the eco-friendliness of a car.  How often does the oil *need* to be changed?

It depends on what type of oil you have (regular or synthetic), but it 'needs' to be changed per your manufacturer's specs. Thats's frequently 3750 miles, although may be more or less, depending on your car.

It can actually be bad  for the environment to not get it changed, because it increases wear on the engine and makes it break down faster. That  can mean more emissions and more replacement parts (and nasty liquids like transmission fluid) that you have to go through. Not to mention more money for you.

 The problem is if you don't follow the manufacturers recommendation then your warranty will be void. Once my warranty is up I will not be changing it every 3000 miles. 

The Jetta is recommended every 5000, however I'm not sure if this counts for jettas that burn oil and turn the oil that isn't burned up nice and black within a matter of days after getting new oil...

I think I'll keep changing mine every 3k or so...

We both drive Toyotas that have an internal computer that will remind you to change the oil every 5000 miles, which is what Toyota recommends.  I started using synthetic oil with my last car, a high mileage engine that seemed to make more engine noise and run a little rougher with traditional oil.  I have debated which is better, synthetic or traditional oils.  I read somewhere that as far as producing the product, they are both made with pretty unfriendly materials, however synthetic oils break down less quickly and need to be changed less frequently as a result.  Have not been able to find any more concrete answer on which is actually better for the environment.  Anyone out there have any sources on this?

As an aside: saw an article on motor oil that is made from beef tallow and is completely biodegradable.  An interesting idea, although they claim that it is completely renewable, which isn't technically correct since the beef industry is not particularly sustainable...   Though I do like the idea of two not-so-green industries finding some mutual solutions.  I don't think it's widely available yet, but one problem would still remain:  I don't have a clue how to change my own oil!

How to change your oil, I know how to change mine, though for me, it's not worth my time, effort, and getting greasy/dirty considering how cheaply our mechanic will do it for us.