| Old habits die hard. A long time ago, mechanics | | | | byproducts away from the combustion chambers. |
| recommended that you change the motor oil (MO) in | | | | If you were to let your oil continue to degrade, it would |
| your car every 3,000 miles. Decades of improvements | | | | eventually turn into sludge. At that point, it is ineffective |
| in design and function have made engines far more | | | | for protecting the moving parts; you'll likely suffer a |
| efficient than in the past. To that end, they need new | | | | failure due to excess friction and overheating. |
| oil less frequently. | | | | With the above in mind, let's return for a moment to |
| So, when do you need to change it? In this article, we'll | | | | the original question: how often should you change |
| approach this issue by first exploring what your motor | | | | your oil? Today's cars (diesel and performance |
| oil actually does inside your engine. I'll then describe | | | | vehicles aside) can usually go 5,000 miles without a |
| some of the reasons it needs to be changed | | | | change. Some manufacturers even recommend 7,500 |
| periodically. Lastly, I'll provide a short guide for doing the | | | | or 10,000 miles. You should check your owner's manual |
| job yourself instead of paying your mechanic to do it. | | | | for the recommended interval. |
| What Your Oil Does Inside Your Car's Engine | | | | Doing The Job Yourself |
| Your MO has three main jobs, but it's important to | | | | First, drive your vehicle for a few minutes to warm the |
| understand your engine's operation to appreciate the | | | | motor oil. Then, park on a flat surface, turn your engine |
| oil's value. Your engine consists of moving parts. When | | | | off, and put blocks in front and back of your rear |
| you drive, many of those parts make contact with | | | | wheels. Crawl under the front of your car. If you lack |
| other parts. The oil's first job is to lubricate the parts | | | | enough room, lift your vehicle on a sturdy jack. |
| and prevent them from creating excess friction and | | | | Look for the drain plug. It should be the part that hangs |
| heat when they rub together. Otherwise, they would | | | | nearest to the ground. Use a socket wrench to loosen |
| quickly destroy each other. | | | | it. Next, position a small basin under the plug to catch |
| Its second job involves heat transfer. The combustion | | | | the oil. When you have done so, loosen the plug further |
| process produces high temperatures. The oil "soaks | | | | and allow the oil to drain. |
| up" some of this heat and moves it away from the | | | | For the next step, you'll need a filter wrench. The oil |
| cylinders. | | | | filter should be easier to loosen than the drain plug. Use |
| The third job involves moving the derivative chemicals | | | | the filter wrench to create a little slack and your |
| generated by the combustion process. These include | | | | fingers to remove the filter. Slip out from underneath |
| silicon oxide and a number of acids. If these elements | | | | your car, pop the hood, and take the oil cap off. |
| were to remain in the cylinders, they would eventually | | | | After twenty or thirty minutes (to allow for thorough |
| cause a build-up and impact your engine's | | | | drainage), put the new oil filter in and tighten it. Then, |
| performance. | | | | replace and tighten the drain plug. Add as many quarts |
| Why It's Important To Change It | | | | of new oil as the manufacturer recommends before |
| Over time, the MO becomes dirty. This is from | | | | replacing the cap. Lastly, start your engine and let it idle |
| constant circulation over thousands of miles. The | | | | for a few minutes while you check underneath your |
| viscosity gradually breaks down while the level of | | | | car for leaks. |
| foreign particles (i.e. soot, metal, etc.) contained in the oil | | | | Changing your car's oil is an easy job that you can |
| increases. Both make the oil less capable of providing | | | | perform in less than an hour. Given the protection it |
| adequate lubrication for your engine's moving parts. | | | | offers your engine, the time spent is a good |
| Moreover, the dirt and reduced viscosity combine to | | | | investment. |
| make it less efficient in transferring heat and chemical | | | | |