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Quality of Life

Reducing Oil Changes Could Save Waste and Money

Reducing Oil Changes Could Save Waste and Money
The rule of thumb that car owners should change the oil every 3-thousand miles is outdated. And with the price of crude oil at over $100-dollars a barrel, that means you could be wasting both oil and your money.

A survey by CalRecycle finds almost ten million Californians still change their motor oil every 3,000 miles or less. But CalRecycle's Mark Oldfield claimed for most cars that's a waste of oil.

"Today's cars and today's oils allow us to go further than that in many cases, and many manufacturers now recommend 5,000, 7500 or even more miles between changes," said Oldfield.

Some newer Ford, Audi and Mercedes models suggest oil changes every ten-thousand miles.

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Oldfield said by changing oil according to the carmaker's specifications, Californians could reduce use by more than 20 million gallons a year. You can find manufacturer's recommendations in your owner's manual, or look up the oil change suggestions for your car at CalRecycle's website.