Odd, you'd think someone who bought a manual transmission vehicle would have known to change the oil.
How often do you think average person gets oil changed?
- Thread starter Dunkaroo
- Start date
Dunkaroo (the OP)'s question is an unfair one.
BITOGers can't possibly relate to any "average person".
It'd be like Einstein trying to converse with a white mouse....on average, of course.
BITOGers can't possibly relate to any "average person".
It'd be like Einstein trying to converse with a white mouse....on average, of course.
My Toyota dealer puts 10k on that window sticker for me. In the past, other places I've gone with other cars put 3-5k. So, going 5k over the window sticker in those cases would be fine with my Toyota. Also, my wife's sticker says 42k for the next change. I've done the last 3 myself. I kept it so I'd remember the interval of 6k I'm on.
I think 65-70% peoples are getting oil change at the shops . So twice a years .
Maybe once a year
The cars all have red lights that come on, otherwise all is well. You are supposed to take it to the shop and they do whatever it is they do to make the red light go off. The average person is smart and doesn't fix things more than needed. This red light made it easy for people and was a government mandate. The hard part is seeing the red light they are too small.
Most people I know go by the service sticker added after every change and they do tend to stick with that suggested interval. I ignore that as most places I go to recommend 7,500 miles, likely because I use full synthetic. Since it's boosted and direct injected I have it changed every 4-4,500 just to be sure. Kind of like cheap insurance if you ask me. Also get the tires rotated every other oil change so it all stays in line/easy to keep up with.
If the car is equipped with a maintenance light, when it comes on. Most of those folks ignore the sticker.
If the car does not have a light, they usually remember once-a-year or a when the sticker becomes too faded.
If the car does not have a light, they usually remember once-a-year or a when the sticker becomes too faded.
This is true. There isn't any where near the amount of "OCD" in the real world verses on this forum. There are a lot of "money flushes" on here. Everything from buying up cheap oil, only to be given away or disposed of later-to 3,000 mile oil change intervals-all 'money flushes". With that being said-and as hard as it is to believe-I think that most owners follow the "oil minder" in their vehicles. Again-hard to believe on here with the amount of "antique" automobiles owned that don't have oil minders.
I think with most people, if the car tells them it needs an oil change, they'll do it pretty soon.
Most people I know are not oblivious to oil changes, and will have them done often enough. Other maintenance maybe not, but they know about oil changes and expect to be told about anything else when the oil change is done.
Every now and then there are legit stories of people never changing oil, but sometimes people just don't get some piece of information for whatever reason. Maybe someone didn't grow up in a place where owning or maintaining a car was common, or maybe it was previously handled for them.
Most people I know are not oblivious to oil changes, and will have them done often enough. Other maintenance maybe not, but they know about oil changes and expect to be told about anything else when the oil change is done.
Every now and then there are legit stories of people never changing oil, but sometimes people just don't get some piece of information for whatever reason. Maybe someone didn't grow up in a place where owning or maintaining a car was common, or maybe it was previously handled for them.
I happen to agree with that. They do it with the same urgency as when they run out of TP - Not!
Well, pretty soon, like whenever. It'll get done though...and they might even approve an air filter, cabin filter, and fuel system cleaning as a special treat if they "forgot" the oil change for a little while and the service writer makes them feel bad about it.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
Depends on how car they are. I do minimum 3-4 times a year but I’m also not an average person lol.
You are on the right forum.............
I think (hope?) maintenance minder systems have probably helped some folks along with maintaining their vehicles better. Based on a few observations at service counter at dealerships the common theme seemed to start with customer saying 'my car says oil service needed soon' or some variation of that.
Flip side variation of that - have a very good friend who leases a new Hyundai CUV every 3 years. I talked to her once when she was on her way to Hyundai dealer for oil change and her words were "my car needs a grease and lube" - I had zero words and was not going down that rabbit hole with her as far as terminology. She panics and drops everything once the light comes on to go get her car serviced, she also buys into every recommended maintenance by service advisor. Its her $$$ and she is very stubborn so trying to educate her on not wasting the $ is not worth an argument with a good friend.
Flip side variation of that - have a very good friend who leases a new Hyundai CUV every 3 years. I talked to her once when she was on her way to Hyundai dealer for oil change and her words were "my car needs a grease and lube" - I had zero words and was not going down that rabbit hole with her as far as terminology. She panics and drops everything once the light comes on to go get her car serviced, she also buys into every recommended maintenance by service advisor. Its her $$$ and she is very stubborn so trying to educate her on not wasting the $ is not worth an argument with a good friend.
So true.
Here cars have to pass an roadworthy inspection every two years and as an exemple, my gf's mother brings her car every two years to the mechanic before the inspection and that's when the oil gets changed but she had to look at the receipt when i ask her when the last oil change was done because she didn't even know that there's oil and that you're supposed to change it. Out of everyone around me, except for the "car people" that do their own oil changes, i'd say it is once a year at best to no oil changes until a mechanic notices the owner. A few friends have cars with 40 000 km oil the sump. The only ones who don't are those that listen to me, another car guy, the mechanic or the maintenance schedule when they have a new car under warranty. On top of that, nobody ever check oil level or even knows how to do it and drive with the oil light on. So i'd say every 1.5 year and every 30 000 km is the average here. People in the US seem to keep their cars way longer.
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