Does Getting an Oil Change Really Matter?

It’s Saturday morning. You stayed up a little too late last night and had a little too much fun. Now, the last thing you want to do is go out into the harsh light of day. But it’s been a week since your oil change light came on, and all week you’ve been telling yourself you’d take care of it on Saturday, so now what? It can wait another week, right? Getting an oil change can’t be that important, can it? Honestly, if it’s only been a week, it will probably be fine for another week as long as you take care of it before too much time passes. But as to that other question, the importance of changing your oil (and car maintenance in general) can’t be overstated.

What Is Engine Oil and What Does It Do?

Before discussing oil changes, it’s important to understand what motor oil (or engine oil, as some call it) is and how it works. The reason that car engines are called “internal combustion engines” is that they’re powered by powerful explosions occurring inside them every second that your car runs. From the moment you start your engine to when you shut it off, massive heat is being generated along with all of the power that drives your vehicle. Your engine is built to endure all of this heat and pressure, but it has its limits.

That’s where engine oil comes into play. Your motor oil keeps all of the moving parts in your engine lubricated properly so that they don’t generate more friction and heat while doing what they do. With the oil there, the various moving parts can slide along properly to keep generating power for your vehicle without overheating. As you probably know, overheating is bad for almost any mechanical system, and your car’s engine is no exception. Without engine oil, or if your oil doesn’t work properly, you’d have too much heat, and damage could quickly occur in the last place you want it.

How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

This is a great question and one that the experts at our service center are asked all of the time. Unfortunately, there isn’t an answer that is as neat and clean as you might want because it depends on several factors. The easiest answer, however, is to look at the owner’s manual for your vehicle and find the recommended service schedule and information there. It will give you a clear guide for how often you should change your engine oil. This is typically provided as both a mileage and time limit. Whichever comes first indicates that it’s time for an oil change.

Even with this simple answer, there are more considerations. The type of oil in your engine also dictates how often it needs to be replaced. Your engine oil needs to be replaced because, over time, it will get dirty, thicken, and no longer lubricate your engine parts as well as it should. If you have conventional oil, it will wear out more quickly and must be replaced sooner than if you go with a nice synthetic oil. In other words, conventional oil needs to be changed more frequently than synthetic oils designed in labs to last longer and be more efficient, which is why they cost more.

With this in mind, you also need to consider how you drive your vehicle. The harder you are on it, the more frequently you’ll need to change your oil. You can often see this when looking at the service schedule for your vehicle in the owner’s manual because it will typically list a second mileage/time limit based on “severe usage.” Severe use refers to driving that puts more wear and tear on your vehicle and tends to result in your motor oil getting dirty and thicker sooner than someone just doing “normal use.” Severe usage includes things like:

• Driving off-road
• Driving primarily in hot, dusty conditions or extreme cold
• Making primarily short trips
• Driving in a lot of stop-and-go conditions
• Doing a lot of towing

If you tend to put your vehicle through that kind of excess stress, ensure you get your oil changed (and other kinds of service) more frequently. It makes a big difference when you take proper care of your car, truck, or SUV.

Finally, if you have a vehicle that you don’t drive very often, you should still get an oil change on a regular basis. Many people find it convenient to get an oil change once yearly in that kind of scenario without worrying about mileage since they’re not likely to reach that limit. This type of yearly oil change ensures that your engine oil isn’t too old and hasn’t become thick over time, even if you’re not driving a high number of miles. If you’re still unsure of what’s best for your particular situation, then our technicians are happy to answer your questions and help you figure out the right service schedule.

What Can Happen if You Don’t Get an Oil Change?

If it’s been a week since you should’ve changed your oil, then you’re probably not going to experience any issues. The problem comes when that week turns into two, and then a month, and then a couple of months, and so on. As your engine oil gets dirty and thicker, your engine’s performance will suffer. You might not even realize it if it happens gradually, but it’s happening all the same. You are likely to lose some gas mileage since your engine is not operating at peak performance and efficiency, and it might start to feel a bit sluggish when you press the gas pedal.

As you continue to ignore it, you’ll hit a point where things go catastrophically wrong. Once you reach this point, your engine oil isn’t doing its job, and excess heat builds up within your engine as the moving parts start generating too much friction. The result is that your engine seriously damages itself while you’re driving, perhaps without much warning. One moment you’re idling at a stop light, and the next, white smoke billows out from under your hood. A blown head gasket is a common result of not changing your oil, which can require at least a partial engine rebuild. This takes a long time and is very expensive.

In other cases, your engine will completely seize up. At that point, there’s no saving it and no fixing it. You need a new engine or a new vehicle. This isn’t a wild improbability, either. If you ignore changing your oil for long enough, one of these things will eventually happen. That’s what’s at stake when you ignore the need for an oil change. We should also note that your warranty won’t cover this since you need to follow the service schedule for your vehicle to maintain your warranty protection.

Let Us Take Great Care of Your Vehicle

We know how busy life gets and how inconvenient it can be to spend a little time handling an oil change or similar maintenance for your vehicle. That said, an oil change is faster and cheaper than fixing a blown head gasket, putting a new engine in your vehicle, or buying a new car. Plus, our service center at Loganville Ford can take care of everything for you. All you have to do is schedule a service appointment and let us know what your vehicle needs. We will handle everything else so you can sit back and relax. We can’t promise it will be your favorite way to spend a Saturday morning, but we will work hard to get you back on the road right away. Besides, considering everything your vehicle does for you, don’t you think it’s only fair to return the favor with the care it deserves?