State website overwhelmed after article on motor oil change
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California has launched a campaign to stop drivers from changing their oil so often, but the plan has run into a hiccup –- a cranky website.
Many automobile owners are spending more than they need on motor oil, believing that it should be changed every 3,000 miles even though almost no manufacturer requires such an aggressive oil-change schedule.
To stop that, the state set up CheckYourNumber.org, a website on which drivers can look up the suggested motor-oil change interval number for their vehicles.
But after The Times published an article about the campaign, the site was overrun with traffic and has been going down periodically or operating slowly.
State officials say they are working to keep the site online and speed it up.
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-- Jerry Hirsch
twitter.com/LATimesJerry
An auto mechanic in Beecher, Ill., repairs a car. Nationally, 51% of vehicle owners said they believe oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or three months, according to an NPD Group survey. Few manufacturers require such an aggressive maintenance schedule. Credit: John Zich / Bloomberg News
