Oil & Filter
MSNBC's columnist Herb Weisbaum says:
Here's what to do: Check your owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's recommendation. If it says change the oil every three months or 3,000 miles and you haven't traveled 3,000 miles in that time, change it anyway….
Tom and Ray, the hosts of Car Talk on National Public Radio, recommend an oil change every 5,000 miles, although they admit knowing when to change the oil is not an exact science. "It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few," they say, "but for the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe, old age."
Here are a few reminders:
* You should always change the filter when you change the oil. You don't want to contaminate the new oil with the gunk that's in the old filter. * Check the oil level every few hundred miles. "If you add oil, don't overfill," cautions Phil Reed, Consumer Advice Editor for Edmunds, "because that can cause serious engine problems."
And it's not a problem if you want to switch from one brand of oil to another, says John Ibbotson, an automotive expert at Consumer Reports. "Just make sure to stick with the manufacturer's recommendations for engine oil weight," Ibbotson says. You should also use a product with the API Certification Seal for gasoline engines, which means the oil meets the American Petroleum Institute's latest requirements and that it is energy conserving.
When you change your oil, make sure your oil filter and fuel filter are changed as well. The efficiency of your engine depends on maintenance as does the environment our children will grow up in. THINK GREEN!
