Things You Need To Know About The Oil In Your Car's Engine And When To Replace It

Changing the oil in your car's engine is considered one of the most critical services that should be performed to ensure your engine runs properly. An oil change can serve several purposes and benefit the engine to ensure it will run longer, more efficiently, and stay cooler as you drive.

Benefits Of Engine Oil

The oil in your car's engine is there to lubricate the engine's moving parts and reduce friction in the bearings as your engine is running. Over time the engine oil will break down and lose its intended viscosity and effectiveness because it absorbs heat from the engine. 

A regular oil change is the best way to avoid problems inside the engine and protect all the moving parts. Thinner oil allows more friction in the moving parts, and the more friction you have, the more heat build-up occurs. As the heat builds up, the oil continues to break down, and eventually, the heat can cause bearings to seize and the engine to stop running.

Fresh engine oil can also help reduce drag in the engine assembly, so the system can work more efficiently and increase the engine's fuel economy and performance. The type of oil is less important than fresh, clean oil in the engine, but some synthetic oils can reduce the thermal breakdown issue and allow you more time between each oil change.

Oil Change Recommendations

An oil change has always been stressed as something you need to do every three thousand miles, but that number is changing on newer cars because of synthetic oils and advancements in traditional oil products. The recommendations are stretched to seven thousand or even ten thousand miles on many modern vehicles, so it is critical that you check the owner's manual in your vehicle or check with the dealer for clarification.

Older cars will often use the standard three thousand mile recommendation unless the oil is upgraded to a synthetic product when you do an oil change. Talk to the tech at the garage you use for service, and they can help you determine when to change the oil and what type of oil you want to use in your engine.

If the car has many miles on it, a high-mileage synthetic oil may help restore some of the power and efficiently lost over time by filling in scratched in bearing journals and piston walls that occur over time. The type of driving you do can also affect the best engine oil options, so you may want to consider that before your next oil change and choose a product that is designed and engineered to work best in your situation.

Contact an auto shop to schedule an oil change today. 

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