Dirty oil does not do much for your car engine. It wears out the metal parts and collects water-forming sludge. When the metal parts start to wear out, the result can be metal parts suspended in the oil. This causes more wear on the engine as the parts cannot be coated and lubricated properly. When you see the low oil light come on, it’s a bad sign for your car. You may not only have dirty oil, but not enough to keep the engine running without damage.
Synthetic oil is recommended by auto manufacturers. It is more expensive but the car can run longer. It can last from 7,000 to 10,000 miles. It’s better to spend more on good quality oil. Use a good quality oil filter because that is as important as quality oil.
Many factors affect the right oil change interval. When in doubt about when to change your oil, every 3,000 to 5,000 miles is another measure that most people use. With extreme heat or with the summer coming up getting an oil change to deal with the heat is a good move. Hard driving or driving long distances or under extreme conditions calls for changing the oil more frequently. This means stop and go traffic, hauling a trailer, or dusty roads.