total slacker .com

OK. So you're a slacker and you probably haven't changed you oil for a while now. In fact, if more people were like you, the term "oil crisis" would never have been invented. You're watching TV and see a "JIFFI BOOB" advertisement on oil change specials, and decide you should get a little nervous about not changing your oil, but maybe not until next month.

Almost every garage and service station on the planet recommends changing your car's engine oil every 3 months or 3,000 miles. Luckly for you, this is absolutely not true. Check you car's service and maintenance guide located in your glove compartment. It will probably be based on the conditions that you operate your car in, like repeated short trips and type of weather.

For example, the guide for the Nissan Altima has a "SCHEDULE 1 (Every 3,750 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first)" and a "SCHEDULE 2 (Every 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever come first)". SCHEDULE 1 is for:
- Repeated short trips of less than 5 miles in normal temperatures or less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures
- Stop-and-go traffic in hot weather or slow-speed driving for long distances
-Driving in dusty condition or on rough, muddy, or salt spread roads
-Towing a trailer, or using a camper or car-top carrier.
SCHEDULE 2 is for everything else.

So bottom line, check what the manufactures and designers of your vehicle say, not what the local service station says.