How do you know when you need to change the oil of your car?

There's a sticker on the windshield that has oil something on it but the date on the sticker is past while the mileage is above the current mileage on the car. I know u're supposed to change the oil after 3000 miles but how do I know what was the mileage when the oil was changed last time?How do you know when you need to change the oil of your car?
If your unsure then play it safe and change it,for the price of oil and the change it would be worth it,also normally the oil looks sludgy and dirty.When you have a change ask to see or have a look if you are doing yourself and the old oil to the new oil shocks me everytime and i do mine Twice every year .


Every 3000 miles is good or twice a year.


Dont forget to change the oil filter also,and you may as well change the petrol filter if you are on petrol as if you dont know when that changed also.How do you know when you need to change the oil of your car?
the date on ur sticker was the day the oil was changed last.......the milage on ur sticker is when you will need it changed again.





sometimes they include the weight of the oil, brand, how many quarts it takes, and a filter number
your supposed to change the oil every 3 to four months and mileage wise your supposed to change the oil every 3,000 miles but you should go by what ever comes first. I would just check the oil if the oil is not very dark in color and its at the proper level then I would just leave it be until the car reaches the mileage on the sticker.If the oil is a little under the full level on the dip stick than I would top it off but remember if the oil is very dark or black in color than I would change it.
well if you dont know chang it and after that it should say on the sticker. the millage number on the sticker should be the next time you need an oil change. just remember you can never change your oil to much just to little!
Keep a record.
Not knowing if it's yours.You may choose to change it at 3K or go to synthitic at this time.And change it at 7500.Does the oil now have a dark color to it ?If so now the time.


Once you choose to use syn. oils it is not a good Idea to change back to regular oil.


Rule of thumb is to add 3K to the speed o meter during oil service and that is writtin on the stickers.That is when next ones due.
subtract 3000 miles from that sticker on your windshield and that will tell you, the mileage that is on the sticker is when you should have changed it again.
If you don't know when the last oil change was, then its time to change it now!!! ASAP
First of all, it is probably time for an oil change right now because of the time (More on this later) Regular oil changes are the single most important ingredient of a long life engine, so head over to an oil change place tomorrow.





If you are curious about when it was last changed, deduct 3,000 miles from the sticker. That is how many miles your car had at its last oil change. Deduct 3 months from the date on the sticker, that is the date your car had an oil change. 99% of the shops will add 3K miles and 3 month's to that day's date when they prepare the sticker.





Now back to why it is time to change the oil even though the mileage has not come yet. Miles is very well understood by people (Every 3K, 5K etc.. whatever the manual says) but if you drive little which is your case, you should also keep track of the time. Even if you do not drive your car, the properties of the oil will deteriorate over time just by the presence of the engine combustion by-products. So if you hit 3 months before 3K miles for example that should prompt you to change your oil. Whichever comes first in other words.





Having said all that, modern oils are a lot better than before. If you have passed the time a little this one time, that is probably not a big deal at all. I would not stress over it. In fact, you will notice that in the new cars the oil change interval is extending all the way to 7,500 miles or 7 months. The advances in the oils is the primary reason for this. But in the long run, sticking to a rigorous oil change routine at the frequency called by the manual is the single best thing you can do for your engine. Hope this helps.
Subtract 3000 from the mileage on the sticker and thats the mileage when it was changed. Many oil change places want you to change the oil every 3 months........so subtract 3 months from the date shown....