Why are regular oil changes so important?

Spring is in the air! Winter has finally left us! As the weather warms up and the road conditions improve, you are probably going to start driving more; which means it’s the perfect time to do some routine maintenance, like getting an oil change.

You might be thinking, “vehicle maintenance sounds expensive, do I have to do it?” In some cases that’s true, but getting your oil changed is one of the least costly maintenance services and one of the most beneficial. Getting it done at the recommended rate of every 3,000 – 5,000 miles, really does help keep your vehicle running smoothly. Read on to find out some of the good things that getting a regular oil changes can do.

Improve gas mileage.

Gas is expensive, why wouldn’t you do everything you can to make sure you are getting the most miles for your money? Regular oil changes help you do just that. Having clean oil in your car helps with the health and efficiency of your engine. Clean oil lubricates the various moving parts in your engine, helping it run more smoothly. The dirtier your oil is, the harder your engine has to work and the more fuel it has to use. Don’t make your engine work harder than it has to!

Prevent engine over-heating.

Have you ever been just driving along and had one of your check engine lights come on telling you that it’s overheated? If you have, you know what a major inconvenience it can be having to pull over and wait while the engine cools down; and how stressful it can be afterwards driving to your destination hoping the light doesn’t come on again.

Well, guess what? This is another issue that can be prevented with regular oil changes. As we mentioned, clean oil helps to properly lubricate all of the moving parts in your engine. Without it, there can be a lot of friction between those moving parts. Friction creates heat and heat causes all of the sensors in your engine to go crazy, alerting you of the issue. But keeping sufficient amounts of clean oil in your engine can prevent too much friction and the over-heating of the engine.

Remove built-up dirt and sludge.

Engine sludge. Sounds pretty nasty and like something that should really be avoided, right? It certainly is. As oil ages, it absorbs water, dust, and dirt particles to help protect your engine from corrosion. However, as the oil is absorbing all of these things, it’s becoming less of a liquid and more like sludge. No matter how good the oil is, eventually it degrades.

When you get an oil change, all of the nasty, dirty sludge is cleared out and replaced with fresh oil that will be a much better job of keeping your engine clean and running smoothly.

The average oil change costs between $25 and $55, and takes about 20 minutes to do. What takes even less time than getting an oil change? Getting approved for a car at Car City.