Often, due to busy schedules and hectic lives, we take our vehicles for granted and assume that they will always work no matter what types of paces we put them through, but then we get frustrated at them when they appear to suddenly break down on us. However, taking a moment to regularly maintenance your vehicle means that you may not have one of those frustrating surprises because your vehicle is tuned up and ready to go.
You may have heard it before, but it’s true: regular oil changes really do extend the efficiency, reliability, and value of your vehicle. Here’s what you need to know.
The Why of Regular Oil Changes
It’s important to change your oil regularly for a number of reasons but more so for those drivers who do a lot of city trips where the engine more often heats up due to stop-and-go driving and traffic jams.
With such harsh conditions for your vehicle, it’s good to know that you can count on oil that keeps your vehicle’s engine running at optimal performance levels. Here’s why:
- When your engine is running at its best, you are economizing on gas, protecting the internal components of your vehicle, and avoiding what could become very expensive, major repairs.
- Oil is there to lubricate and keep all the parts running smoothly and loosely so as to avoid abnormal wear and tear that can happen when there is nothing there to grease the internal workings of your car or truck.
- When the oil cuts down on this friction, it also keeps the motor running on the cool side, which is what leads to better gas mileage.
- On an environmentally-friendly note, a lubricated engine also does not add to the pollution whereas one that is running on old, dirty oil simply increases the emissions pumped out by your car.
When all this care is taken to protect your vehicle, like anything that is looked after, it tends to last longer and, therefore, retain a higher value.
The How of Regular Oil Changes
For those who use regular oil, the average timeline for oil changes is every 2,500 to 3,000 miles or at least once a year if you actually do less driving than that. For those with synthetic oil, you can go much longer. There is a wide range of potential oil change periods for synthetics from 5,000 to 10,000 to even 25,000 miles, depending on the type of synthetic oil, the type of vehicle, and the type of driving conditions it operates under.
Beyond just when you need to change natural oil versus synthetic oil, here’s what you need to know:
- Natural oil is petroleum-based and has a number of impure elements in it like sulfur while synthetic oils are born in the lab so that there is tight control over what goes into them.
- Natural oil takes time to work through an engine, but synthetic oil is designed to work under high and low temperatures.
- Because natural oils have impurities, they more often leave deposits in your engine, which build up over time. Hence, that is why oil changes need to occur at a lower mileage rate than synthetic oils.
While many people choose to change the oil on their vehicle themselves, it can be a good idea to take your vehicle in to your dealership because they can check other things on your car, truck, or SUV at the same time, such as tire pressure, air filter, and spark plugs. It is an inexpensive trip to the dealership that can save you considerably in the long run.
Greasing Your Knowledge about Oil Changes
What can we do to help you better understand the importance of oil changes? Have you visited your dealership recently and had an oil change? Share your comments and thoughts with us here.
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