Q. It seems most quick-change oil places insist that oil be changed every 3,000 miles. In my mind, this is the “severe duty” schedule. I think 5,000 miles is a more reasonable interval. Recently a friend of mine with a Volvo was told he could go 7,500 miles between changes. I’m sure the “quick lubes” have their reasons for wanting to change your car’s oil every 3,000 miles, but it’s wasting an awful lot of perfectly good oil and doesn’t seem very “green.” How often should oil be changed?

A. When I first got into the repair business, I also recommended changing engine oil every 2,500 – 3,000 miles. Yet in those days, we were also grinding valves at 25,000 miles and rebuilding engines at 75,000 miles. Engines very rarely need major work today, as they are more precisely manufactured and run cleaner. In addition, the quality of oil and filters has improved dramatically. My advice is to follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations as stated in the owner’s manual. These intervals can run anywhere from 5,000 miles to as many as 12,000 with some models. The subject of oil change intervals came up recently while I was speaking with Jeff Hsu, manager of technology for Quaker State on my radio program. Jeff also was comfortable with following the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations, but like me, would never recommend exceeding those time and mileage intervals. One final note—the oil level should still be checked every 1,000 miles. Even the best running engine can burn a quart of oil every 1,000 miles, and operating your car low on oil is a sure way to cause expensive damage to the engine.

Q. As I’m getting older I feel I can’t see as well at night. I recently drove an Audi with xenon headlights and thought they were great. Can these lights be adapted to my three year-old Toyota Camry?

A. There are xenon light kits available, although many don’t have the self-leveling function that allows them to meet Department of Transportation standards. A better and less expensive choice may be upgrading the standard bulbs to brighter bulbs from Sylvania or GE. Sylvania has a brighter bulb called the Silver Star Plus and GE has a new bulb called Nighthawk. I’m actually waiting to test a pair of Nighthawk bulbs on my own aging eyes. However, when shopping for replacement bulbs, please be cautious—some bulbs are very bright, poorly focused and produce more glare than light. In fact, some of these bulbs are marked “off road use or novelty use only.”

Q. Today’s cars seem to have so much technology built into them—GPS, satellite radio, DVD video and even television. Why aren’t these car manufacturers concerned about distracting the driver?

A. Certainly adding technology to a car can distract the driver, but some car manufacturers seem to be more aware of this than others. Recently I drove a Lexus HS 250h hybrid and it had the equivalent of a mouse that controlled many functions. At first I thought this would be a problem, but the design actually worked very well and minimized distractions. However, a much greater problem, in my opinion, is drivers that text and drive. I don’t believe there is anything more distracting than texting while you are behind the wheel.

Q. I just inherited a “new to me” Volvo and due to my height, I sit close to the airbag. I’m concerned about the airbag and getting hurt. Can I get the air bag disconnected?

A. You can get the airbag disconnected, but first consider that the majority of drivers are much safer with the airbags remaining in operation. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the chance of serious head injury is reduced by 83 percent by the combination of a safety belt and an airbag. I would personally consider pedal extensions before disconnecting an air bag. But if you would like to have the air bag on your car disconnected, go NHTSA’s Website, nhtsa.gov, to find the necessary information, as well as shops that will install a shut-off switch.

Q. Recently my 2004 Yukon takes forever to fill with gas. At first it just seemed to happen at certain gas stations, but now just about every time I go to fill it up, the pump keeps clicking off. What do you think is wrong?

A. The most common issue is with the evaporative vent solenoid or hoses. The solenoid can stick or the hoses can kink and cause slow refueling.