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How Often do I Really Need a Kanata Oil Change?

So we get this question a lot – do I really need a Kanata or Stittsville oil change every 5,000 km or is this a wive’s tale or some sort of master plan to spy on us perpetrated by the motor oil industry?

Admit it – you don’t do it.  Every 5,000 km?  A Stittsville or Kanata oil change? Come on now. So are you abusing your car or shortening it’s engine life?  Maybe… maybe not.  It depends on a few things…

Older Cars
If your car is older or high mileage then you should get a Kanata or Stittsville oil change every 5,000 km. In short, your car has been good to you and lasted this long, don’t press your luck and take good care of it.  A Kanata or Stittsville oil change seems like a small price to pay for no car payments.

Newer Cars
Newer cars are built with better materials and typically if you use a higher quality oil for your Stittsville or Kanata oil change, you should be able to take good care of your engine with an oil change every 10,000 km. This doesn’t mean 15,000 km or 20,000 km, it means 10,000 km.  Maybe the 5,000 km as a guideline was a made-up number to ensure that we all get a Kanata or Stittsville oil change within a safe timeframe to take care of our cars.  Telling drivers to get a Kanata or Stittsville oil change every 10,000 km isn’t permission to put it off twice as long as you would have previously.

Check Your Manual
Pull out your owner’s manual from your glove box (and maybe a few unpaid parking tickets while you are at it) and see how often it says you need an oil change. Again, the older the car the greater care you will want to take.

How’s Your Driving?
Did you know that it takes a few minutes for oil to heat up and actually do its job?  So if all you do is drive short distances, your driving conditions would be considered severe. Change your oil more often. Other extreme conditions include extensive stop-go driving, idling in traffic, and driving in extreme cold (or as we call it, winter).

How’s the Weather?
Lastly, when asked the next time you are getting a Stittsville or Kanata oil change if you want synthetic oil, consider that these oils are best for cold weather.  So you may be able to get the other oil… because you are sure to change your oil before winter comes… right?