Change your oil.

How often do you need to change your oil? Every 3000 miles or 3 months right?

That is what I have been thinking for years. Well apparently the 3000 mile rule is a myth. Every oil company says that their oil will go a lot longer under normal driving conditions. In fact, most late model car manuals say that you can go between 5000 and 10,000 miles between oil changes. I don't know about 10,000 but 5000 I would feel comfortable with. According to a press release from General Motors, they said: "...that changing the oil of a vehicle every 3,000 miles or every three months is probably a waste of time and money. For most people, the standard of 3,000 miles or every three months is too often..."

So what's the point you ask? It's all about marketing. Right now you're thinking I am really reaching. No really, it IS about marketing. Do you know where this "get your oil changed every 3000 miles" concept came from? Jiffy Lube. That's right Jiffy Lube. Not some authority on the viscosity life of an oil or some independent test firm.

At some point about 20 years ago, when conventional wisdom said to change your oil every 5000 miles, Jiffy Lube came out and started putting the little sticker on your windshield that directed to you to change your oil every 3000. Positioning the 3000 mile oil change as "cheap insurance", the lube masters convinced an entire generation to change their oil almost twice as often as it needed to be. Now, I consider myself to be a pretty savvy consumer and know more about cars than most. That being said, I too have fallen victim to the marketing (yes I said marketing) of one company who is no more of an authority on petroleum products than I am. This, by the way, is an excellent example of viral marketing.

Considering the tremendous impact this marketing has had on a generation, my hat goes off to Jiffy Lube for a job well done.