When You Need an Oil Change?

As a vehicle owner, you are required to change the fluids in your car periodically. Among these, one of the most important is engine oil. So why is the oil change important to your vehicle? What happens to the engine oil that is replaced? The answer will surprise you!

Why Do Our Vehicles Need Engine Oil?

Motor oil is a lubricant used in engines that power cars, motorbikes, lawnmowers, generators, and other machinery. There are parts in engines that move against each other, such as the pistons that travel up and down through the engine cylinders hundreds of times each second.

In summary, engine oils maintain engine efficiency by lubricating the moving parts in the engine, thereby reducing the friction that would otherwise.

Why Do We Need to Change our Oil Periodically?

Why do we need to drain the old oil and replace it with new oil when it doesn’t diminish like other fluids? The answer to this is efficiency and, even more importantly, engine safety. Over time, impurities in the engine circuit are regularly discharged from the engine parts into the oil, which returns to its container under the bonnet. As a result, it gradually accumulates micro-residue, affecting its original physical properties and efficiency. If this is allowed to build over time, it will damage your entire engine, causing you massive costs in replacement. If this happens, it can cause the engine to seize. Your engine seizing while driving can cause you to lose control, resulting in an accident.

Furthermore, when oil is not changed for an extended time, it begins to harden after regular use in an engine, eventually turning into sludge. When this occurs, oil cannot reach all areas of the engine as it loses its viscosity, resulting in oil starvation in the crankshafts, bearings, camshafts, and other valve train components.

How Do You Know You Need an Oil Change?

A vehicle can show many signs indicating it needs an oil change, which can change or differ with the millions of cars being produced to date. Some common signs all cars share are:

Low oil level – Check your car’s oil level with the oil dipstick.
Warning lights on the dashboard
Darker Exhaust smoke
Irregular vibrations when the engine is on and idle
Loud, frequent Knocking sounds from the engine
Irregular oil texture.

Changing engine oil every six to twelve months or within 5,000 to 10,000 miles is generally advised. However, the time frame might differ depending on how well you use your vehicle. Without a doubt, oil in our vehicles is the most important fluid. Changing it at the approximate time with good quality oil will ensure our engine has the juice it needs to perform the duty it was built to do.

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