OIL CHANGE FAQ

Most cars built after about 2010 on full synthetic oil go 5,000–10,000 miles or 6–12 months between changes. Older cars on conventional oil are usually 3,000–5,000 miles. If your car has an oil life monitor, follow it — and change sooner if you tow, drive short trips, sit in traffic, or drive in dust or extreme heat (the 'severe service' schedule in your manual).

It's the car's estimate of how much useful life your oil has left, based on engine revolutions, temperature and trip length. At around 15% most cars warn you; at 0% the oil is due now. It only goes back to 100% when you reset it after an oil change.

It depends on the car. Most newer cars reset through the dash menu (steering wheel buttons or the touchscreen); many older cars use a key-on, pedal-press or trip-button hold. Find your exact car on our home page for the step-by-step.

The grade (like 0W-20 or 5W-30) is printed in the owner's manual and usually on the oil filler cap. Use that exact grade and an oil with the right approval (API SP / ILSAC GF-6, or the maker's own spec such as dexos for GM, VW 504/507 or MB 229.5 for European cars). Each vehicle page here lists the common oil type.

If your manual says synthetic, you must use synthetic. Otherwise synthetic is still a good upgrade: it protects better when cold and hot and lasts longer. Never go thinner or thicker than the grade the manual lists.

Each vehicle page lists a common factory filter part number. Cross-reference it at the parts store or by giving them your year, make, model and engine size — filters can differ between engines on the same model, so always confirm.

Every vehicle page shows the capacity with a new filter in quarts and liters. Fill to about half a quart under that, run the engine for 30 seconds, wait a minute, then check the dipstick and top up to the full mark.

Look in the index for 'Maintenance', 'Specifications' or 'Capacities'. The capacities table lists oil amount (with and without filter) and grade. The maintenance chapter lists the change interval — note the 'normal' versus 'severe' schedule — and the reset steps are often under 'Instrument cluster' or 'Maintenance minder'. Lost the manual? Most makers post free PDFs on their owner websites.

No. Resetting only restarts the reminder timer. Only reset it after you've actually changed the oil and filter, or the reminder will be wrong.

No. The maintenance or oil life light (often a wrench or 'oil change due' message) is just a reminder. A red oil can light means low oil pressure — pull over safely and turn off the engine, then check the oil level before driving further.