If you’ve been driving for many years, you may remember the days when we needed to have our motor oil refreshed every 3,000 miles. Fortunately, modern synthetic oil lasts much longer and these days, every 5,000 to 7,500 miles is a more typical interval. However, this will vary from car to car and from driver to driver, so let’s look in more detail at how often you should be visiting your local Honda dealer for an oil change.
How Long Has It Been Since Your Honda’s Last Oil Change?
Check Your Owner’s Manual
The owner’s manual for your vehicle will probably include a recommended schedule for refreshing your oil. It may also have two suggested maintenance schedules: one for regular driving and one for driving in more severe conditions. When it comes to something as important as motor oil, it’s generally wise to follow the advice of the engineers who designed your vehicle.
Adhere to Your Powertrain Warranty
If your vehicle’s powertrain is currently protected by a warranty, you can keep that warranty valid by following the intervals stipulated in the small print. Change your oil as frequently as is required to keep your warranty valid.
Consider Your Driving Conditions
Drivers who put their cars’ engines under greater strain with challenging driving conditions will need to have their oil refreshed more often than other drivers. Severe driving conditions include carrying or towing heavy loads, driving long distances at low speeds, and using roads that are particularly muddy, dusty, sandy, or salty.
Frequent short drives of under five miles also take their toll on engines and motor oil because short drives don’t give the oil enough time to properly warm up and lubricate. During winter, when motor oil takes even longer to warm up, a habit of making short drivers of under ten miles should be considered a more severe driving condition.
Pay Attention to Your Car’s Oil Life Monitor
Your vehicle may have an oil life monitoring system, which can automatically judge the severity of your driving conditions, estimate how rapidly your oil is wearing down, and suggest intervals for changing your oil based on this data. While these automatic systems can be very useful and accurate, it’s a good idea to regularly manually check your oil level as well, just to be sure.
Ask a Trusted Technician at Your Local Honda Dealer
An experienced technician at your local dealership can check both your engine and oil and offer expert advice on how frequently to have your oil refreshed. They’ll also make sure you’re using just the correct type and brand of synthetic oil for your vehicle, which will help both your oil and engine last even longer.
Have your oil inspected and changed today at Honda of New Rochelle. We offer the largest inventory of new Honda vehicles in Westchester along with attentive, personalized customer service, whatever your car-related needs might be.
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