Oil Change - Why It's So Important

If you own a car then you've heard about getting the oil changed. It's not something that's new and exciting. It's something that you've heard all about, often repeatedly, from friends and family. But have you ever stopped and asked why? There are a lot of different reasons that you might be told but what is the real reason? In reality, it's all about the lubrication of your car.

An oil change means that you not only change out the fluid but the filter. The fluid is only half the answer, although it is what lubricates the engine. The filter is equally important, because that is what helps keep the fluid clean as long as it can. You want the fluid part to be clean, though, because dirty lubrication can muck up the works. But is that the real reason you should visit your mechanic every three thousand or five thousand miles? It's a small part, but it's not the entire reason.

When you drive you car, the engine gets hot. That sounds like an obvious statement, but it's large part of the reason behind the regular oil change, because when the engine heats up, it breaks down the lubricant. As the lubricant breaks down, it becomes less effective, which means that it's not keeping the parts from rubbing against one another. That means that your engine can lock up if you don't replace that lubricant on a regular basis. By ignoring this important regular maintenance then will eventually have to replace the parts in your engine and that is going to be far more expensive than just taking the time to replace this fluid and the filter that goes with it.

Another good reason that you should get an oil change regularly: the fluid has additives in it. These additives neutralize acids. No additive lasts forever and once it's gone, it's gone forever. That means that the acids can get to your engine components and corrode the parts. Again, you'll have to spend a lot more to repair the problem instead of preventing it from ever happening by taking it in for routine maintenance.

Taking care of your car is important. Oil changes are a normal part of maintenance and should be done regularly. If you aren't sure when to have this changed check your car's owner manual to find out the suggested mileage. There are many good reasons to take care of this maintenance. All of them lead back to the truth that if left undone, your car will need even bigger, and more expensive repairs.