Knowing the right oil to use for your car is vital to its maintenance, but what is even more essential is to know when to change your vehicle’s oil. A regular oil change is a crucial maintenance measure. It makes the road safe for all, and it also makes the environment cleaner.
A car engine has moving parts, which need lubrication to keep them running. Engine oil forms an atom-thin barrier between moving parts, preventing complete contact and extending the engine lifespan. Without oil, these pieces would grind against each other and wear down over time. Engine oil is also crucial to removing debris from the engine and car cooling, where the coolant system does not cover. Engine oil provides up to 40% cooling needed in a car.
It is common to find people change oil only when the overall car servicing is due, which is a bad practice.
A better way to handle oiling your vehicle is to watch for these eight signs:
Dark/Dirty Oil
Dirty oil could be just as harmful as having the wrong oil. When the oil in your car is no longer viscose or has been contaminated by impurities, like debris, dirt, or metal, the engine part corrodes and wears out faster.
For a new car, make oil and filter changes every six months. The oil system will not be as efficient for an older car, so it requires more frequent changes. Generally, consider changing your car oil after around 7,500 miles for new vehicles and 3000 miles for older vehicles.
You can also avail oil change discount through online coupons when you schedule your vehicle for full service. Have experts inspect your vehicle’s engine systems to keep the performance at the highest level.
Low Oil Level
If your car engine is running low on oil, it could permanently damage the engine. To fix this problem, all you would need to do is add oil to your engine or go to a local lube shop for an oil change. It is less costly to do the oil change at the right time when it takes only 10 to 15 minutes to fix than to have issues with the engine by ignoring its essentials.
When the oil in your vehicle drains too quickly, check what may cause the leak. Usually, it is due to an underlying fault causing leakage. Fix or replace the components that leak.
Burning Oil Smell
If your car gives a burning oil smell after changing, it might be due to a loose drain plug. An oil leak is dangerous for many reasons. Two prominent reasons are the risk of fire when the leaked oil hits the exhaust and the damage from constant oil shortage for the engine.
A burning oil smell from your car could mean an overheating rotor or brake pads, which can result in premature brake wear or braking failure.
Weak Fuel Economy
Using recommended oil of the manufacturer for your car is vital to car longevity. Abandoning the use of the proper oil by attempting to reduce the cost of fuel is more costly in the long run.
To figure out the recommended oil for your automobile, see the owner manual or call a local garage and ask an expert. Oils have varied qualities and viscosity. Use the optimum one for your vehicle, as you need the right viscosity for your engine to run smoothly.
Service Warning Lights
Most vehicles manufactured recently require having an oil reset light on the dashboard. After using your car for some time when you notice the engine light going on and off, that is your sign to change the engine oil.
You can expect the same warning light method for indicating oil levels across different car brands. It is usually displayed on the dashboard with an oil can.
Blue Exhaust Smoke
Blue smoke, although more commonly called Black smoke, is unburnt fuel resulting from a leaky fuel injector. Poor oxygenation in the fuel-air mixture or carburetor malfunction can also cause blue smoke.
Check your oil levels to see if your car engine is burning oil. Black smoke is most likely from unburnt fuel forced out of the exhaust. Motor oil lubricates the inner workings of your internal combustion engine. The metal pieces that make this component wear out after thousands of miles.
Stalling Engine
An engine may stop working for many reasons. If your car engine starts to show signs of failing, the problem might be the oil. Change the oil to see if that’s the problem. If this does not solve the stalling, check for other common causes like fuel pressure, alternator condition, cooler sensor condition, and dead battery.
Overheating Engine
Oil lubricates internal engine components, ensuring they don’t wear out. Lack of lubrication causes friction, generating excessive heat and potentially causing the engine to fail.
When the engine also fails to get the required cooling, the heat rises to cause the engine to overheat. Even though the engine oil is not part of what makes up the cooling system of a car engine, it has an immense contribution to the overall cooling of a car. It absorbs heat as it goes around the engine, through the oil cooler, and then back to the engine.Â
Conclusion
People generally give more attention to fuel than oil because the consequence of not doing so is more pronounced. The underlying effects of oiling your vehicle late can stack up to cause major damage to your vehicle’s health. Take note of these signs to keep your vehicle at an optimum level. Remember, it is safer and less expensive to prevent a total engine stall than to find a solution when it eventually happens.