Purchasing a vehicle is a big financial responsibility. However, the purchase price isn’t the only that you need to consider. While buying a new car is an exciting adventure, overlooking simple maintenance checks like oil changes can be one of those small car problems that could result in hefty repair bills if ignored.
When it comes to your car’s engine, one of the most important things is providing it with sufficient oil. Although you may be tempted to skip it from time to time, here are 5 reasons why you should never skip an oil change.
Improved Fuel Mileage
No matter how fuel-efficient your vehicle is, anyone driving on a daily basis wishes that their vehicle had better fuel economy, especially considering the increase in fuel prices in South Africa.
Frequent oil changes promote improved lubrication within your car’s engine. This results in less friction, enabling your vehicle to operate more efficiently and use less fuel.
Promotes a Longer Engine Life
One of the main functions of oil is to manage the heat within your vehicle’s engine. By skipping oil changes, you risk excess heat within your engine. If this happens, it will not run efficiently and over time this excess heat will cause the engine’s components to wear down.
Regular oil changes help keep the temperature of your engine under control, promoting engine longevity.
Ensures Sufficient Lubrication
Within an engine, there are many parts that move at high speeds. Naturally, the constant friction of these components create heat and eventually – engine wear. Skipping oil changes can lead to an incorrect amount of oil within the engine, causing parts to come into contact with one another and potentially cause engine damage.
Regular oil changes keep all these moving parts lubricated, helping to ensure your engine remains functional.
Removes Engine Wear Particles
Once the oil has been used and effectively done its job, it starts to solidify and gel within your car’s engine, leading to something known as sludge buildup. As oil solidifies, it loses its ability to flow within your engine, leading to oil starvation to various important components.
Proper maintenance and regular oil changes prevent sludge buildup, avoiding oil starvation from occurring within your engine.
Helps Restore Engine Power
An engine with old, dirty oil will naturally operate less efficiently than a vehicle with fresh oil. As stated above, improper lubrication and sludge buildup will put more strain on your vehicle’s engine. An engine under strain will not produce the same amount of power, nor will it be as efficient,as the identical motor that has been properly maintained.
After the old oil has been drained from your vehicle and new oil is added, the fresh oil will help to restore your engine’s ability to produce the required amount of power to move the car with ease.
Keeping your vehicle’s engine clean is a top priority for a healthy, efficiently operating car. By skipping oil changes, you not only risk sub-optimal operation, but also potential engine damage – resulting in expensive repair costs.
If you don’t neglect your oil changes and strive to better understand the true cost of car ownership, you can give your vehicle the best chance of running for as long as possible. Change your oil at regular intervals, your wallet will thank you for it.
