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Changing out your engine oil is not only the key to long and trouble free engine life but also allows one to become mechanically familiar with the vehicle. With a bare minimum of tools, equipment, and space one can easily change the engine oil in under an hour yet in doing so extend an engine's life by many more. A thin film of oil molecules is all that separates spinning engine parts from engine destroying friction and heat. Another equally important function of engine oil is to keep those same parts clean. Modern engine oil does an excellent job at both tasks but only for so long. While having someone else change the oil and filter is all fine and good, knowing that you did it yourself and that it was done right makes for a happy engine and content driver.
Why change oil? | Back To Top
There are literally thousands of explosions going on your engine every second of operation. Even though engines burn fuel cleaner and more efficiently than ever before some of the nasty by-products of combustion end up as junk in the oil. An automobile engine also sucks in copious amounts of air to mix with the fuel to make these explosions happen. The oil and air filter are the engine's defense against dirt. A certain amount of metal will also float into the oil as the engine naturally wears. An oil filter can only hold so much crud before it ends up in the oil itself. Dirt and debris suspended in the engine oil can cause accelerated engine wear. Changing the oil and filter gets rid of the dirt. The engine stays cleaner and lasts longer.
Things to remember | Back To Top
The best advice to follow as far as engine oil and filter changes goes is from the folks that manufactured your vehicle. If that information is unavailable then every 3000-5000 miles or three months is a safe bet. Remember that stop and go city driving may qualify as "severe duty" when it comes to maintenance schedules. Look at it this way. Spending 20 bucks or so each time you change your oil is still cheaper than a new engine - even over the course of many years. Prevent unwanted oil spills by pre-emptive containment. Drain containers and drip pans are inexpensive and available where motor oil is sold. Finally don't go Gorilla Monsoon with the tightening. Over-tightened oil filters will not come back off without a fight, and filter base gaskets can fail if over-tightened. A dripping drain plug can be fixed with a new gasket, not by stripping out the oil pan threads.
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