Am I reading this right? I just hit 3000 mikes on my JK and am looking in the manual to see when I would need an oil change. I see the maintenance schedule in the back of the manual and it has 6000, 12000, and 18000 mile schedules. Does this mean the JK only needs an oil change every 6000 miles? I know newer model vehicles only need them every 5000 miles or so, but 6000 miles? Seems a little long to me.

 

You're reading it wrong..it needs an oil change every 3000 miles. And don't believe the misconception that newer vehicles need them every 5000 miles. Not true.

 

Awesome. That solves that questions. 3000 miles it is.

 

I change every 3000, but the '08 manuals all say 6000 miles and does not say anything about extreme conditions having to do it at 3000. Depending on the oil you use and the conditions, 6000 could be ok, but I'm old school and like to do it every 3000 regardless.

 

Yeah and that's the odd thing for me. Mine was an early 07. Mine says severe use change at 3,000 miles. you mean to tell me that changed something in the engine for 08 that allows it to go twice as long between changes? I don't buy it and I would stick with 3,000. Better to spend the extra money that risk wearing out the engine faster.


Wait a second though.... if the engine wears out.... that just as excuse to put a hemi in it....

 

The 3000 mile oil change is a MYTH touted by uneducated people. There is SO much info on it that I can post links ALL day. Here are but a few. Use your own judgement, AND read your owner's manual, because it DOES recommend 6K intervals.

http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#Th...%20Mile%20Myth

http://3000milemyth.org/

http://www.moneybluebook.com/the-300...ve-your-money/

http://lifehacker.com/396709/the-300...-myth-debunked

http://www.greencar.com/features/oil-change/

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...l-change-myth/

http://blog.impactmt.com/2007/08/300...revisited.html

http://www.carjunky.com/news/motor_oil_myths.shtml

http://ask.metafilter.com/29850/Is-t...-change-a-scam

http://genxfinance.com/2007/05/29/do...-is-necessary/

 

I tend to agree, 3K mile interval for most conditions is excessive. Those who off-road or live in really hot areas would probably be best served to go by the 3K schedule. I have always stayed "around" 3K just as a force of habit, I am going to do a 5K interval with the synthetic though.

 

I know people who've run their motorcylces to over 200,000 miles on 15K oil change intervals (synthetic oil).
I ran many of my Crown Vics to nearly 500,000 miles with 6-8K intervals with dyno oil and very rough treatment.
My Mini asked for its first oil change at 22,500 miles; I had already done it twice though...

 

My son's Honda, an 03 Civic Si, has an owner's manual recommended oil change interval of 5000 miles for severe and 10,000 for non severe use. He does the 5000 because he pounds the snot out of that little car and it currently has 140,000 miles on it and runs great.

 

Why bother changing early or worrying about the life of the jeep??? I have a lifetime warranty and I plan to maintain it according to the schedule in the manual... if the engine blows up in 5 years because of that, Jeep gets to buy me a new one!