By Special to the Town Crier

The Kendall Motor Oil Technical Service Department offers the following tips for changing an automobile’s oil:

Change the oil every 90 days or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first, or depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Start by checking your car owner’s manual, paying particular attention to the recommendations for extreme service.

Always change the oil filter when changing the oil.

Maximum oil-change recommendations apply to relatively high-speed driving on paved roads in dust-free areas.

Reasons for more frequent oil changes may include:

Stop-and-go driving (trips that are less than 10 miles). Driving in dust or sand. Cold weather operation. Extended high speeds. Idling for extended periods. Frequent cold starts and short trips. Trailer towing also may require a shorter interval between oil changes.

Some older vehicles are a quart low at the 3,000-mile mark. If the driver doesn’t add a quart of oil, the engine’s oil consumption will begin to accelerate. For example, if the car is not serviced until the 5,000-mile mark, it already could be 2.5 or so quarts low on oil. Many $4,000 engines have been replaced because the engine was run low on oil. In some cases, the sticker showed that the car was past due for an oil change.

- North American Precis Syndicate