At What Mileage Do You Change the Oil, Filters and Timing Belt?

Q: At what mileage should you change the engine oil?

As a guideline, every 10,000–15,000 km or once a year, whichever comes first. The exact value is in your car's manual and depends on the oil type and your driving style.

Q: At what mileage should you change the timing belt?

As a guideline, between 60,000 and 120,000 km or every 5 years, depending on the model. A broken belt can destroy the engine, so stick to the interval in the manual.

Q: How often are the filters changed?

The oil filter with every oil change, the air filter at ~30,000 km, the pollen filter at 15,000–30,000 km, and the fuel filter (diesel) at ~40,000–60,000 km.

The intervals below are guidelines. The exact values are always in your car's manual — that's what should take priority.

Updated: June 2026 · Guideline values — check the manufacturer's manual.

Maintenance interval table

Component	Guideline interval
Engine oil + oil filter	10,000 – 15,000 km or 1 year
Air filter	~30,000 km
Pollen (cabin) filter	15,000 – 30,000 km
Fuel filter (diesel)	40,000 – 60,000 km
Timing belt	60,000 – 120,000 km or 5 years
Spark plugs (gasoline)	30,000 – 100,000 km (depending on type)
Brake fluid	every ~2 years
Coolant	every ~4–5 years

Things to keep in mind, by component

Oil

The most important interval. Mostly urban driving, over short distances, "tires out" the oil faster — in that case, lean toward the lower end of the interval.

Timing belt / chain

On engines with a timing belt, a broken belt can destroy the engine — don't exceed the interval. Engines with a timing chain don't, in theory, have a fixed interval, but should still be checked periodically.

Filters

The oil filter is changed with every oil change. The other filters have their own intervals — a clogged air filter increases fuel consumption.

💡 Tip: write down the mileage at every intervention. In AutoMeu you log a service record and get an alert as the next service approaches — no need to keep every interval in your head.

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Frequently asked questions

At what mileage should you change the engine oil?

As a guideline, every 10,000–15,000 km or once a year. The exact value depends on the oil type and driving style — check the manual.

At what mileage should you change the timing belt?

As a guideline, 60,000–120,000 km or every 5 years (for belt-driven engines). Don't exceed the interval — a broken belt can destroy the engine.

How often are the filters changed?

Oil filter with every oil change, air filter ~30,000 km, pollen filter 15–30,000 km, fuel filter (diesel) ~40–60,000 km.