When you were just a teen, your dad probably told you that you absolutely had to change your car’s oil every 3,000 miles or every three months, depending on which came first. That seemed fine back then when you had plenty of idle time that seemed to stretch on forever each weekend. Now that you have reached adulthood, though, you wonder how you can possible get the oil changed, catch up on work, take your kids to swim lessons and maintain something that resembles a social life.

Luckily, dear old dad has fallen behind the times.

Better Technology Equals Less Work

Cars built in the 50s and 60s needed regular oil changes. Changing the oil every 3,000 miles or three months kept those cars in top shape so that drivers didn’t need to worry that their engines would grind to a halt somewhere on the interstate.

Today’s cars have better technology. Oil has also gotten a lot better.

Advances in engine and oil technology mean that you don’t have to change your oil as often as your father did. In fact, 3,000 miles doesn’t even come close to pushing an engine to its limits.

So, how far can you drive a modern car with good oil in the engine? 5,000 miles?

Keep guessing.

6,000 miles?

Sure, if you like getting your hands dirty more than once or twice a year.

Most experts now say that drivers only need to change the oil every 7,500 miles. You can go even further when you pay a little extra for high performance oil.

Of course, now that you have some spare time on your hands, you can use it to get a second job. You’ll need it to pay for rising gas prices…