I know there are several mechanics on this board so perhaps one of you could answer this for me. I was discussing routine maintenance issues with a friend of mine, particularly scheduling oil changes when recommended. He swears the manufacturer's suggested schedule is over zealous and a waste of money. He says these days with the more modern engines and oils that you don't need to change the oil every 3000 miles but could easily and safely double or even triple that figure.
Tell me, guys, is he right? Am I wasting my money having oil changes every 3000 miles?
The newer Saturn's all have oil life monitors on them which calculate based on distance and driving factors when the oil should be changed. If you have the owners manual and one of the cars that have this system read the owners manual. GM says that the system works and they will stand behind it with warranty. If is the base minimum that you should be doing. It will meet the warranty requirements.
My personal opinion is if you are keeping the car for a long time, anything past warranty, then doing oil changes every 3,000 miles is worth it. Minimal extra cost and all oil is/should be recycled so it is not like you are keeping it out of circulation.
Modern oils are without a doubt better than the oils of years gone by. But there is still "stuff" getting into the oil ready to do damage. It is not so the oil that you need to worry about but the "stuff" in the oil.
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I think it all depends on how long you plan to keep your car. With my driving habits i change every 5k. All my vehicles have made it over 220k. One is even at 429K and still going. Cutting costs on being cheap about reg maintenance will cost in the end.
I change mine on every vehicle we own every 3k give or take a week's driving. Its a matter of habit and its never failed me either. While you most certainly might be able to get away with going longer its not too expensive, especially if you're doing it yourself. While car companies are money hungry they couldn't pull off such a massive lie without regular mechanics proving it wrong.
I had one of those lucky cars too, now its well past the graveyard though. I think it really depends how you drive what you have. I have seen some people put so many miles on it, they had to change sooner than most recommend, and some others not nearly as much.
In the s-series when you dont change your oil, the most common thing is a broken timing chain. This then results in broken valves, and thus an expensive bill to get a new head or a new engine.
Oil should be changed every 3k. Automatic fluid changed should be changed AT LEAST every 30K however its been recommended to be changed more often than that
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You could safely run 6000-9000 miles if you bought synthetic oil. That is what I do. That in mind, the way the 1.9 burns oil, you would risk running out of oil by then.
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Question about routine maintenance 
I had one of those lucky cars too, now its well past the graveyard though. I think it really depends how you drive what you have. I have seen some people put so many miles on it, they had to change sooner than most recommend, and some others not nearly as much.
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