Advances in motor vehicles and oil make it possible to go much longer between oil changes without harming a car's engine. However, motorists should follow car maker recommendations for oil change frequency based on driving conditions.

Thus, our materials cost for a single oil change is $24. If we couple that with an oil filter change, it's $35. This compares to an oil change cost of $30 and $50, respectively. In short, I save about $15 doing it myself.

It used to be normal to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but with modern lubricants most engines today have recommended oil change intervals of 5,000 to 7,500 miles. Moreover, if your car's engine requires full-synthetic motor oil, it might go as far as 15,000 miles between services.