As with everything else under the automotive sun, technology is changing the lube, oil and filter market. More specifically, modern technology is making it possible to use the vehicle's on-board engine management system to mathematically determine the length of an oil change interval.

At the most basic level, the PCM simply adds up the mileage since the last oil change and then turns on a light reminding the owner that the oil needs changing. At a more sophisticated level, the PCM can calculate the engine's average operating temperature, loading and trip length in order to arrive at a recommended oil change interval. Instead of tracking his vehicle's mileage by comparing it with a traditional lube sticker, the driver merely waits for a PCM-activated reminder light to alert him of the impending need to change the engine oil.

Clearly, if this technology is implemented throughout the major vehicle lines, the net effect will be to eliminate the standard, fixed-mileage oil change in favor of variable, extended length oil change intervals. Since the current practice of sending regular customers an oil change reminder every three months may well become obsolete, the typical independent service shop may find itself developing new tactics, such as mailing a monthly or quarterly newsletter, to keep in touch with its customer base.

Unfortunately, eliminating fixed-mileage intervals may leave the independent shop in a reactive,...