[Donald]

One of my friends thinks I'm nuts because I never check my oil. I don't change my own oil, I just take my car in on schedule to get a service. Isn't that sufficient, or am I missing something? I'm aware that maybe I'm wasting money sometimes, but I'm asking this question out of concern for my car, not my wallet.

[MaximumSpeed]

That depends. How often is your regular service? Is the oil always checked then? Do you ever hear knocking from the engine? Do you ever see oil under the car?

[KC23]

I can honestly say I never check my oil between servicing. I've never even thought about it. I have a newer car, with a system to tell me when something is askew. I would check it if something was off.

[Jon]

I guess it would depend on the age and condition of your engine. If it's relatively new, you probably wouldn't need to regularly check the oil. If it's an older car, serviced or not, I'd check it about once every 500 miles. Better to find out you're low on oil in the driveway than running down the interstate at 80 MPH.

[Donald]

Thank you all for the great replies. I've generally felt similar to KC23, although my car is getting a little older, so maybe I should start getting more diligent about this. Regarding MaximumSpeed's questions, it seems like my car's fine, but I appreciate you giving me some things to watch out for.