The typical oil change interval these days is every 7,500 to 10,000 miles. Working out exactly how often you should refresh your oil involves considering various factors, all of which you can find out about at your local Cadillac dealership.
How Often Should Your Cadillac Get an Oil Change?
Driving Conditions That Wear Oil Down Faster
When planning your optimal oil-refreshing schedule, consider how much wear and tear you put your engine and oil through on a regular basis. If you frequently drive in the following severe conditions, your oil is likely to wear down faster than that of the average driver. As a result, you should consider having it refreshed more often.
Regular Extremely Short Trips
Some drivers are surprised to hear that using a car for only very short trips puts more strain on the engine. This is because short drives of under five miles don’t give the motor oil time to warm up to its optimal lubricating temperature.
This means the moving engine parts are regularly used without proper protection against friction. As a result, both the engine parts and the motor oil itself wear down faster under these conditions.
Low Speeds for Long Distances
Idling and driving at lower speeds also puts an engine under more strain. If for some reason, you regularly drive long distances at lower speeds, your oil is likely to degrade faster.
Heavy Stop-and-Go Traffic
Daily commutes in heavy stop-and-go traffic mean the engine is idling a great deal, which inevitably takes its toll. The air in a traffic jam is also filled with pollutants that can get into motor oil and cause it to thicken.
Dusty, Muddy, Sandy, or Salty Roads
When there’s plenty of dust, sand, salt, and other contaminants in the air, particles get into the engine and dirty the oil. This means rougher, dirtier road surfaces often cause oil to thicken and degrade more rapidly.
Increasing the Weight of Your Vehicle
When an engine is put under more strain with a heavier vehicle, the motor oil has more work to do as well. Therefore, regular trailering or carrying heavy loads also impacts how quickly the motor oil wears down.
Extremely Hot or Cold Temperatures
Both extreme heat and cold can impact how rapidly motor oil wears down. Consider more frequent oil servicing trips during the height of summer or depths of winter.
Set Up a Routine Schedule with Your Local Cadillac Dealer
A trusted technician at your local dealership can help you estimate the optimal oil refreshing interval. You can then set up a routine servicing schedule with a system of reminders to ensure you never forget to change your oil on time.
Have your oil checked and changed today at Earnhardt Cadillac.
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