OIL CHANGE

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Changing your vehicle’s oil is one of the most important things you can do to increase the longevity of your engine. Not changing your oil frequently enough can lead to a “hardening of the arteries” internally in your engine & premature engine failure.

However, there’s a lot of controversy about exactly when engine oil gets old and how often it should be replaced with new oil. Because there are many factors at work — how you drive, the condition and age of the engine, the external environment you drive in, and stop-and-go versus highway driving — it’s an inexact science. Owner’s manual recommendations for oil and filter changes vary from 3,000 to 15,000 miles.

Prestige Auto Repair in Bernardsville recommends that you change your oil and filter every 3,000 miles, if you use regular oil or every 5,000 mile if you use synthetic oil. By changing your oil at the regularly schedule interval, it will help your engine last to a ripe, old age.

You may want to consider changing your oil more frequently if:

• You drive like a knucklehead: jackrabbit starts, heavy acceleration or high-speed driving
• You live where the climate is extremely hot or cold
• You often drive on dirt roads
• Your engine is old and burns oil
• You frequently carry heavy loads