Published
City driving: when should you change the oil and filters?
Check the interval in the service book, but also read the section on severe operating conditions. Many manufacturers class short journeys and repeated cold starts as severe use, and in that case the oil and filter are changed more often than usual. A city car also often reaches the time limit before the mileage limit.
Why short trips are hard on the oil
A cold engine wears most just after it starts, before the oil has warmed up and is circulating properly. On short journeys there are a lot of these moments compared with the distance driven.
When the engine never gets warm, moisture and unburnt fuel build up in the oil and cannot evaporate. The oil loses its lubricating properties faster than in steady driving on the open road, even though the car covers only a few kilometres. In winter, freezing temperatures lengthen the time the engine runs cold.
Where to find your car's interval
- Service book or owner's manual. These usually list normal use and severe conditions separately. Check what your car's manufacturer means by severe use and which interval goes with it.
- Service reminder. In some cars the reminder works out the interval from the way you drive; in others it is fixed. The manual tells you which one your car has.
- Time limit. The oil is changed no later than the time limit in the service schedule, even if you have driven only a few kilometres.
Checking the oil level
It is worth checking the oil level between changes. Park the car on level ground, switch off the engine and wait a moment so the oil drains back into the sump. The level should be between the marks on the dipstick. If you need to top up, use only the oil specified in the manual.
Not every car has a dipstick. In those cars the oil level is checked through the instrument cluster, as the manual describes.
Which filters are changed, and when
The oil filter is usually changed at the same time as the oil. The other filters have their own intervals in the service schedule:
- The air filter cleans the air the engine draws in. In dusty conditions it clogs up faster.
- The cabin air filter cleans the air that comes into the passenger compartment. There is more about it in our article on replacing the cabin air filter.
- The fuel filter is a replaceable part, particularly in diesel cars. In some petrol cars it sits inside the fuel tank and has no separate replacement interval.
Oil and filter changes with us
We do oil changes and filter replacements on our own premises, based on a quote. They cannot be booked online.
| Service | Includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oil change | Engine oil and oil filter | price on request |
| Filter replacement | Air, cabin air and fuel filters | price on request |
| Basic service | Oil, filters and checks | price on request |
When you ask for a quote, give us the car's registration number, make, model, engine and mileage. If a service under the manufacturer's schedule is already due, read our article on scheduled service or basic service.
Oil change coming up?
Oil change: price on request. Call us or send a message.