Why Change Your Engine Oil?
Oil-change intervals vary by manufacturer and engines, so consult your owner’s manual or maintenance schedule to see how often you need to change the oil in your vehicle and what type of oil to use. Manufacturers suggest you change oil more often for “severe” driving conditions, such as extensive stop-and-go driving or idling in traffic, driving in extreme heat or cold, or frequent short-distance driving in which the engine doesn’t reach full operating temperature.
How do I know when it’s time for an oil change?
Time and mileage intervals vary by vehicle manufacturer and whether an engine requires synthetic oil (which is meant to last longer). Use the guidelines in your owner’s manual, including whether most of your driving qualifies as happening in “severe” conditions, such as frequent short trips and stop-and-go driving. Under those conditions, you should change the oil more frequently.
Why do I need to change my oil?
Oil is the lifeblood of an engine; it lubricates and cleans moving parts and performs a vital cooling function as it circulates. Over time and repeated exposure to cold starts, short trips and engine heat, oil gets dirty, becomes thicker and loses its ability to prevent sludge and deposits from forming. We often say that changing the oil is the best preventive medicine for extending engine life.
Engine Oil Change
Determining change intervals requires some common sense and an educated guess, unless your vehicle has an aforementioned oil life monitor.
Below list is a general summary of how to gauge your oil change intervals.
- If you make many short trips of eight kilometers or less (in normal temperatures)
- If you make many short trips of 20 Kilometers or less (in colder temperatures)
- Extreme hot-weather stop-and-go driving
- Driving at low speeds for long distances
- Lots of miles on dusty, muddy, salty, sandy, or gravel roads
- Track driving