I had a mechanic/technician friend say to me yesterday that they thought everyone knew that they needed to change their motor oil. I thought is this true? It seems like there is so much misinformation out there about changing your oil that there are some of us that aren’t sure if the new engines really need an oil change.
1,000 Mile Oil Change? Seriously?!
Back in the day they told us that we should change our oil every 1,000 miles. It was easy, they would put that cute little sticker in your window, and if you were like me, every so often you’d check that sticker and you’d know when and where you were going to change your oil, right!
Watch Our For Oil Change Bias
These days when you are trying to decide when you should change your oil there is a lot more information out there. If you go to Google and search “Oil Change Near Me” (which by the way is the most popular search criteria for finding an automotive service shop), you will get a lot of information by all different segments of the car and motor oil industry. Your car salesperson may want you to believe they have built an incredible machine that will never need an oil change again and on the other hand the motor oil company wants you to believe you need to change your motor oil all the time.
Ask-A-Tech... Oil Change Needs
For most production vehicles today, you'll want to change your oil every 3,000 to 6,000 miles depending on the type of vehicle. Always consult your owners-manual or pop in to a victory location and we can help you out.

Chad P.
Location manager
How often should you change you oil and who do you listen to about oil changes? This is where the source should be your owner’s manual and the mechanic or tech that takes care of your car or truck. The manufacturer of your car or truck did lots of tests to figure out how often and at what point you need to change your oil but they don’t always get their hands dirty (literally) as much as the tech who is fixing 10 cars a day. They know if the owner's manual has an error in it. So start with your owner’s manual when it comes to miles and timing of your oil change but if you have a trusted technician they are under the hood almost everyday and may have a recommendation you want to consider.
Modern Vehicle Oil Change Needs
So should we change our oil every 1,000 miles like we did back in the day or have they built better engines in the 21st century? It depends on the manufacturer, the type of car or truck, and whether the manufacturer made the engine for full synthetic oil or synthetic blend oil. An older car may still use regular oil and that is what is best for many cars built in the 20th century instead of the 21st century. For oil needs your owner’s manual is your best reference. It can also depend on where the car was made in Europe, Asia, or the Americas. Modern, 21st century cars and trucks usually have much longer recommended oil change schedules.
Dry Click = Time For An Oil Change
A pet peeves of mine is when I hear an engine that is running dry, when it’s running rough that dry engine noise just gets me. Have you ever been talking to someone and they start coughing, they’re hoarse and all you can think is “take a drink, your throat is dry.”
That is what I feel when I hear a dry engine, it needs a drink. I am sure your vehicle was made by some great humans who made a great machine. It is still a machine and thus will still needs oil and your oil gets dirty thus, needs changing. So I’m asking you to give your vehicle a fresh drink once in a while.

- Kathy B.