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When Was The Last Time You Changed Your Motor Oil?

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Motor oil is one of the necessary common maintenance items of owning a car. 

You wouldn’t imagine your car operating without regularly pulling into the gas station. The same applies to motor oil. 

It’s something every driver understands on some level. 

But how often should you change your motor oil? That question is heavily debated online. 

Should you schedule it every 3,000 miles? Can you wait 5,000? New advice states you can even wait 10,000 miles or more with some cars. Is that true?

Cars today are staying in service longer than ever before … 12 years on average. But a car won’t stay running and be a reliable asset in your life if you don’t care for it. 

Yes, cars are more sophisticated than ever before. Yet no matter how much technology influences how a car operates, if it’s an internal combustion engine, motor oil will always be the lifeblood. 

What motor oil does for a car

Motor oil serves a vital role in keeping your car’s engine running smoothly and efficiently. One of its main jobs is to reduce friction between the many moving parts inside the engine, like pistons and crankshafts, helping to prevent premature wear and damage. As the engine runs, it generates a lot of heat. Motor oil helps dissipate this heat, keeping the engine at a safe operating temperature.

But that’s not all; motor oil also acts as a cleaner. Over time, dirt and debris can build up in the engine, potentially causing harm. Motor oil contains special additives that trap and suspend these contaminants, pushing them through the oil filter to remove them. This helps keep the engine clean and running smoothly.

Motor oil creates a seal in the engine, which is crucial for maintaining compression in the cylinders and ensuring efficient combustion. It also protects engine components from corrosion, reducing the risk of rust and deterioration. Plus, it plays a role in reducing engine noise and vibrations, contributing to a quieter and more comfortable ride.

When Was The Last Time You Changed Your Motor Oil?

Did you know your motor oil did all that? Now imagine your engine if the motor oil isn’t doing its job.  

What if you don’t change the motor oil?

We all know motor oil is important to keep a car operational. Still, it sometimes sinks to the bottom of your to-do list. You keep pushing it aside with more important things to do. 

Here’s why you shouldn’t. 

Over time, that oil gets dirty and gunky, filled with all sorts of debris and contaminants from your engine. This contaminated oil can’t do its job properly to keep things running smoothly. Without adequate lubrication, your engine’s moving parts start to rub against each other, causing wear and tear. That means your engine might not last as long as it should, and you could be facing some hefty repair bills.

Your car’s performance takes a hit, too. You might notice it feels weaker, slower to respond, and drinks more gas. That’s because the engine has to work harder without sufficient oil. Plus, there’s the risk of your engine overheating, which can lead to serious problems like warped parts and engine damage.

This can all impact your wallet. Poor engine performance and efficiency mean you’re burning more fuel for the same distance traveled, costing you extra at the pump. On top of that, a poorly maintained engine can throw out more harmful emissions, which are not great for the environment and may even make your car fail emissions tests.

Worst-case scenario? Your engine might give up on you altogether. Yep, that’s a pricey situation to fix. So, don’t skip those regular oil changes. It’s a simple and cost-effective way to keep your car running smoothly, save money in the long run, and avoid a lot of headaches.

Convinced? Here’s how often you should change your motor oil

Changing your motor oil is based on mileage. It’s also based on timing. Here’s why. 

Let’s say you work from home, and your car sits in the garage most days. You take it out occasionally – a trip to the grocery store 3 miles away, a night out at a restaurant 5 miles from your house. 

To hit 3,000 miles at that rate may take you nine months or more. In this circumstance, it’s better to err on the side of caution and replace it at least twice per year. Short trips aren’t enough to heat your engine rough to boil off condensation accumulating within the system. This can cause motor oil to break down faster. 

Let’s talk about the age of your car. If you’ve purchased it in the last few months, start by looking at the owner’s manual for guidance. Many manufacturers suggest 5,000, 7,500, or even 10,000 miles or more between motor oil changes. Again, you should take your driving style and habits into account. 

A new car driven regularly at fairly steady speeds creates the perfect scenario for going a little longer between oil changes. An older car that is driven erratically in stop-and-go traffic provides a reason to change it more frequently to ensure the motor oil remains in good working condition. 

What about synthetic motor oil?

When your car was designed, it was with a specific motor oil in mind. You’ll find the weight of motor oil needed printed on the cap where you add the oil. It’s listed in your owner’s manual, too. The manufacturer knows best; going with what’s recommended or required assures you use the right motor oil for the way your vehicle was designed. It can also save you money and avoid using motor oil that may not be best for your car’s engine. 

That said, older cars may work better by upgrading motor oil. Synthetic oil is designed to be more effective at resisting breakdown and withstanding higher temperatures. It’s also designed to last longer, meaning 10,000 miles or more may be possible. 

Yes, there isn’t always a clear road to deciding what motor oil is best. That’s where finding a trusted auto mechanic can help you navigate oil changes more effectively. 

If a service only offers oil changes, they are more likely to push everything they can to up the sale – more expensive motor oil, upgraded filters, and more frequent servicing. 

When you work with a mechanic there to keep your car running smoothly, you’ll get honest advice about what best suits your vehicle and how you drive. 

If you haven’t worked with us before, you’re in for a surprise. We’re a family-owned and operated business that still thrives on offering sound advice. 

Is that what you need to keep your car running smoothly? 

What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Car’s Motor Oil

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One of the very basic items to keep your vehicle running is motor oil. Outside of gasoline, it’s the number one thing you’ll change out on a routine basis.

But as you buy another can, or drive into your local service station for a motor oil change, have you ever wondered what would happen if you skipped it altogether? What if you waited a few months? What if you didn’t follow the guidelines? How bad could it be?

Many of the guidelines state that a car’s motor oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. If you check your owner’s manual, depending on the vehicle you drive, it may push that up to 5,000 or more.

What should you believe?

What motor oil does

Before we get into how frequently you should change it out, let’s talk for a moment about what it does.

Motor oil has one purpose: it’s designed to keep your car running smoothly. It’s designed to lubricate the engine and help carry heat away from the engine compartment. As the motor oil circulates throughout the system, it continuously lubricates the thousands of parts that come together and make your vehicle operational. And at the same time, it helps dissipate heat, carrying it away from where it can do the most harm.

What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Car’s Motor OilThat makes motor oil pretty important, right?

Think of motor oil as the lifeblood of your vehicle. If it doesn’t have a high quality supply running throughout the system, it can function at peak performance. And that means things will start to wear down over time.

Fresh, clean motor oil will keep your car in its best possible condition.

If it degrades, your car will start to wear down.

What really happens without fresh motor oil?

Glad you asked. It’s important to keep in mind that every car reacts in its own unique way. Your car won’t suddenly wear out without new motor oil at 3,001 miles. It’s more of a gradual process.

As motor oil works and moves throughout the system, it picks up all kinds of dirt and debris. If it’s working well, it can push this debris away from the moving parts and into an oil filter. But if you don’t replace the filter (it’s part of a regular oil change), the filter will eventually become too clogged to do its job. That means whatever the motor oil pushes in, it bypasses it and leaves it within the system.

That’s when engine parts start to wear down. Instead of fresh, clean motor oil, dirty fluid is circulating throughout the system. And it might not be doing a very good job. It can be abrasive, causing parts to rub together in wrong ways. It might not keep each part properly lubricated.

Motor oil isn’t just oil. Instead, it’s a combination of oil and additives designed to keep your car running at its best. It has things like detergents, dispersants, rust-fighters and friction reducers all working together to provide your vehicle with what it needs to thrive. You know when you’re washing dishes and the soap bubbles eventually dissipate because of all the grime that makes its way into your sink? That happens to motor oil too. The additives can’t work the way they did when you first added motor oil to the system, not once the system is compromised.

So the oil gets thicker, dirtier, and loses the ability to do what it was designed to do – keep heat out of the engine compartment. Heat builds. Parts warp. Damage starts to occur. And your car might not drive quite the way it did before.

But you still might notice anything. You might continue driving.

This turns oil into sludge. The volume of dirt and grime becomes too much, and it can’t process it at all. It barely moves, loses most of its lubricating qualities, and brings no relief to your vehicle’s parts.

If you leave it this way for too long, the engine will seize, and stop working altogether.

A high quality motor oil change is something you’ll barely notice in your monthly budget. We guarantee you’ll feel the pain of replacing a seized engine. It can cause thousands of dollars to bring your car back into working condition.

What else happens along the way?

Now that you know what happens within the engine compartment itself, let’s talk about a few other things you should know.

Did you buy a new or used car with a warranty? The warranty is only good if you follow the rules. And if you read the fine print on the warranty itself, you’ll find that it states you have to service your vehicle according to a schedule. If you don’t service it according to factory guidelines, the warranty will be null and void. Yes, that means you should keep track of every motor oil change you do. For that matter, you should keep a record book of every maintenance item you do, just to be able to refer back and determine all that you’ve done to your vehicle over the years. It can also be something that gives you an edge when trying to sell it down the road.

And long before you face a seized engine, you’ll also find your vehicle shows poor engine performance. When detergents and lubricants aren’t working correctly, you’ll hear and feel your engine sputtering. It can materialize as poorer gas mileage too.

It’s time to change your motor oil today

There’s an adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And while that’s true for every system in your vehicle, it definitely applies here.

If you want a car that continues to operate well throughout its life, giving you the longest lifespan possible, it’s important to keep it working well.

You can do that easily just by pulling into our service station on a regular basis. Three or four times a year, for most.

It’s not about the money you’ll spend on new motor oil. It’s about the money you’ll save on repair bills down the road.

What Every Car Owner Should Know About Motor Oil

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Whether you are a first-time car owner or you are on your fourth or fifth car, basic maintenance comes with owning a car. And one of the most routine items on your maintenance schedule is changing your motor oil on a regular basis.

Motor oil is essential to the operation of your vehicle. Without it, your car is not going to get very far before the motor locks up – and you are left without transportation. Understanding what motor oil does to protect your motor will help you ensure that you are never left on the side of the highway due to motor oil problems.

Motor oil is a lubricant for your engine. However, it does much more than simply keeping the parts lubricated. Motor oil creates a film on bearing surfaces that helps to separate the parts and keep them from rubbing on each other. This minimizes friction and reduces wear and tear on your engine. Motor oil also cushions the moving parts of your engine. It keeps certain parts of your motor cool and keeps rust and corrosion at a minimum. In short, motor oil serves many purposes within your engine – each one vital to the longevity of your motor. [Read more…]

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