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Everyone knows you
need to change your
car oil every 3,000
miles, right? Well,
maybe not. The
traditional oil
change
recommendation was
based on decades-old
engine and oil
technologies.
Today's engines are
built using advanced
technology, reducing
or eliminating
contaminants and
increasing the
recommended time
between oil changes.
According to
organizations like
the California
Integrated Waste
Management Board,
the need to reduce
waste oil is
significant. The
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
estimates that about
185 million gallons
of used motor oil
are improperly
disposed of each
year, dumped onto
the ground, thrown
in the trash, or
poured down the
drain. And the CIWMB
says that just one
gallon of used motor
oil can contaminate
a million gallons of
drinking water.
New in-vehicle
technologies, like
GM Oil Life System,
can reduce the
frequency between
oil changes by
calculating each
engine's oil "life."
The system is a
sophisticated
technology that
determines the
optimum oil change
interval for each
vehicle, based upon
how individual
drivers have used
it. This can add up
to two or three less
oil changes a year,
saving more than 100
million gallons of
oil annually. Less
motor oil consumed
helps to reduce
environmental impact
and saves drivers
money.
