Is it time for you to get an oil change? Facts: if you’ve got a light on your dashboard that says you have maintenance required, then yes! It is time. But I bet you don’t know how to calculate that frequency yourself, or what you need to be doing to maintain the health of your engine in the meantime between oil changes, do you? Well, if you don’t, here you go. If you DO know, then good for you! Teach your kids what they need to know. If you don’t have kids, teach someone else’s kids.

So, first, the frequency of changes. They used to say that every 3,000 miles or six months was how often you should get your oil changed, but that’s definitely not true anymore. Depending on what type of oil is used, how many miles are on your engine, how hard you drive your car, where you drive your car, and what type of engine you have are all factors that go into determining how long you should go between oil changes. Your dealer is the best source of this information, but your owner’s manual is a close second.

Next, making sure your oil is in good shape! You should check it once a month. It’s a really easy process – simply open up the hood, pull out the oil dipstick (yellow handle, labeled, near the engine) and wipe it off with a clean cloth. Dip it in again and take a look at the oil when you pull it out. If it is between the two marks on the end of the dipstick, you’re good. If it’s a little higher, then that’s fine. If it’s low, then you should top off the oil – of course, before you do this you should know what type of oil is in your engine so you don’t mix and mess something up accidentally. You should also check for small particles in the oil – if there are particles, you should get your oil changed pretty soon. This is a good thing as it means the particles aren’t getting stuck to the inside of your engine parts, but you should still get your oil changed.

And that’s it! Good luck, and remember – coupons are your friend.