How often should I have my oil changed?
Today more than ever before, vehicle engines operate at high heat and close tolerances. The reason for this is the Federal Emissions mandates the government has imposed on the carmakers. Vehicles are permitted to emit only a fraction of the tailpipe emissions they did a decade ago. Carmakers have risen to this occasion by increasing combustion chamber temps with higher compression engines, running leaner fuel systems, adjusting ignition timing for optimum emissions, narrowing cooling system water jackets, and tightening engine oil tolerances. All this makes for hotter running engines that emit less tailpipe emissions. Putting these demands on engines requires a lubricant that can stand up to this harsh environment. Hence, petroleum companies' work hand in hand with carmakers to develop engine lubricants to meet the requirements and demands of a particular power plant, still delivering the advertised horsepower and torque output that consumers expect. Research and development between carmakers and petroleum companies has resulted in improved engine lubricants that properly lubricate your vehicle's engine as well as keep the inside clean of sludge buildup, making your engine go longer between Oil Changes.

Not only are modern oils better, so are modern engines. You don't have carburetors metering poorly on winter mornings, and operating temperatures are typically a little hotter, helping to cook off the junk that accumulates in the oil.

Oil is much better than it used to be, and engines are better protected with today's new lubricants. But the same old logic still applies to the oil filter: always use a good quality filter when having the engine oil changed. The filter is the storehouse for dirt in the engine, and when it doesn't do its job, the engine suffers internally. When dirt and grit are allowed to circulate over, within and on the engine-bearing surfaces, cylinder walls, crankshafts, piston rings, camshafts and virtually all metal-mating surfaces, they are damaged. This results in wider oil tolerances, lowered oil pressure and ultimately premature engine failure.