Under the hood: Oil change flexible

Q. Do I still have to change my oil every three months or 3,000 miles?

A. As cars haven gotten more fuel efficient and engines are burning cleaner, the need to change the oil so often is not as critical. However, it still needs to be changed and the danger is we can let these intervals get too few and far between.

We had a client come in this week with an Expedition where the engine was rattling terribly. Upon inspection, we discovered very little oil in the engine and learned that it had been 10,000 miles since the last oil change. In this case we were able to save the engine but I am sure it’s life was shortened.

Let’s face it … oil changes are cheap and not only is it important that the engine is full and there is clean lubricant in there but, a lot of serious problems can be averted by having a technician service your car at regular intervals.

To determine how often you should change your oil, check your owner’s manual and have a discussion with your service professional. The interval is going to fall somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000 miles depending on some of the following;

-- Age of the vehicle

-- Type of driving

-- Make and model of car

-- Regular, synthetic blend or synthetic oil

You may find your change interval is different from what’s recommended in the owner’s manual based on some of the conditions above.

Douglas Automotive is at 312 S. Hager Ave., Barrington, (847) 381-0454, and 7218B Virginia Road, Crystal Lake, (815) 356-0440. For information, visit douglasautomotive.com. Send questions to underthehood@dailyherald.com.