Oil Change Tips for Car Owners

Oil change for vehicles is something that should be done regularly to maintain good working and running condition of the engine. In most vehicles, a yearly change is recommended by the car manufacturer once it has undergone the initial ones that are required right after the purchase of the brand new automobile. Usually, some manufacturers like to have it done at least two or three times after the purchase, on specific number of miles logged by the vehicle. So let us assume that the vehicle has been through the initial bout of changes.
Schedule
After the last oil change recommended and required by the car distributor, the mechanic in charge of the vehicle will likely inform the owner when the next one is due. There are many factors that will determine the schedule but the timetable that the manufacturer gives is based on vehicles that are regularly used. The owner does not necessarily need to follow the timetable to the dot. This can be flexible, give or take a few miles. It is not a wise decision, however to keep on putting it off since burnt oil can coat the engine and affect its performance negatively. Overused cars will benefit from a shortened schedule, meaning instead of the recommendation of the manufacturer, a visual check of the oil is needed.
Some service garages recommend a more frequent change for older vehicles. This is under the premise that older vehicles have engine wear which means it may not be able to burn efficiently therefore leaving residue. In cases like this, the service garage will recommend a shorter schedule or the automobile owner will have to rely on his visual check or the calculation of how many miles the vehicle has been used for.
DIY Oil Change
Many car owners would like to do the job themselves instead of going to the service center. One reason for this is that many of these service centers are usually busy and packed with customers. This means that the mechanics or the specialist who does the oil change may not do a thorough job due to the fast paced atmosphere and the need to service as many customers as possible. A job that is not thorough can compromise the integrity of the engine: not all of the burnt oil will be taken out since it takes a lot of time to drain it from the engine. There are some flushing techniques which are supposed to do a thorough job but these do not guarantee that the residue is flushed out. It can also be quite costly to have a regular service done, which is another reason why many owners are learning to do this.
One of the tips for DIY oil change is to warm up the engine before changing. This means to idle or use the engine for about fifteen to twenty minutes and turn it off and then wait for another ten minutes to check how warm the engine is. The dipstick can be touched as an indicator as to how warm the oil is before proceeding to do the service.