Have you ever heard the term, “your car is a well oiled machine?” If you’re a red and blue blooded American, the odds are you have. What you may not have realized is that this statement is more of a warning than a common phrase. Your vehicle is a well oiled machine, but if this oil is not drained and transplanted on a regular basis, you’re vehicle and your wallet will suffer.
Any auto owner understands that a vehicle needs new motor oil introduced into the engine periodically in order for it to run properly, but most are unaware of the why and how of this process. First, let’s discuss why you need to change your oil. Motor oil acts as a lubricant to the ever turning process of an engine. It seeps between pistons as they cycle and press against the working cogs the churns them and reduce the friction caused from the constant metal on metal connection. This creates a great deal of friction, which becomes heat, which can wear down the working pieces of your engine. Oil removes most of the energy and heat created by the friction, thus preserving the amount of wear your engine will receive.
Not changing your oil will not kill your engine…at first. Professional mechanics and motor oil companies suggest that you change conventional oil in engines every three thousand miles or three to six months. This is a generality that encompasses any style of driving (driving many or few miles a year). For synthetic oil, which is a higher quality than standard oil, it is suggested every 10,000 to 15,000 miles or every six to eight months. The reason you change oil is because over time and multiple recycling of the oil in your engine, the oil becomes dirty and less effective. It’s not going to ruin the engine if you keep the oil in there an extra thousand miles, but the friction the oil is designed to prevent will increase as dirt accumulates in the oil and the oil additives to prevent rust and clean your engine wear off. Not changing your oil for a long stretch past the recommended maintenance time will eventually cause your engine to seize up and breakdown.
When you decide it is time to change your oil, you have two choices. One, take it to a mechanic to have it changed or do it yourself (see: How to Change Oil). Either choice is fine and either choice will lead to another choice. Synthetic or regular oil. Synthetic should be used in vehicles that are driven a lot or are newer. It is manufactured in a way that makes it lighter, sleeker and more effective than standard oil. It also helps keep your engine cleaner than regular and will increase your fuel efficiency. If you’re driving a newer vehicle, switching to synthetic is a good way to keep that engine running pristine and clean and ultimately keep your engine as new as possible. If you’re worried about mixing regular with synthetic, don’t be. Synthetic has come a long way over the last few decades and now interacts with regular oil much better than in the past. It’s not recommended, as it will hinder the job of synthetic, but any new oil is better than old, dirty oil.
Tyler Baker; OSM Writer
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