Oil changes
The need for low mileage changing is more of a function of your driving habits than total miles. Short runs ( i.e. 15 minute trips to the store and the mail box) can really be hard on the oil. My suggestion is that you change every 6 months if you are incurring less than 5000 miles a year and in any event at least once a year. If you do put on 3,000 in 6 months change it then. I personally change oil & filter every 3,500 miles since I started driving (1957) and have never had an engine excess wear problem. I keep my cars up to around 180,000 miles. The new synthetics are good but they still become "polluted" quickly with lots of short hop driving. I also suggest that you take the car on the freeway for 30 minutes or so every month if normal use is only short hops. Warm up the engine and the exhaust system!
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