What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Oil?

What happens if you don’t get your oil changed? Oil protects your engine and all the moving parts under the hood from friction and overheating. Old or dirty oil will contaminate the engine causing low performance and breakdowns. Checking your oil once a month and getting bi-yearly oil changes, is an essential step of car ownership and maintenance. Read on to learn more about why oil changes are important, then learn how to perform more at-home maintenance tasks like how to remove a car battery and more at Music City Autoplex.

What Does Motor Oil Do?

What happens if you don’t change your oil? Oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle. The motor oil acts as a lubricant, but it has many more important functions in the performance of Hendersonville cars:

• Motor oil reduces friction between parts under the hood.
• Car oil with dispersants cleans sludge from the engine.
• Cleaning detergents found in car oil clean varnish from the engine.
• When motor oil is changed regularly, it can help neutralize acids that form from fuel, improve piston ring seats, and moves the heat away from the engine.

How Often Should I Change My Vehicle’s Oil?

Older models typically need the oil changed every 3000 miles, but newer cars typically only need their oil changed every 7,500 10,000 miles. Every model has their estimated maintenance schedule, so you must check your owner’s manual for your model’s recommended oil change schedule. Driving habits will also affect how often you need your oil changed, and vehicles that drive longer distances usually need oil changes more frequently.

How Do I Change the Oil Myself?

For at-home oil changes, you should first check your owner’s manual for what type of oil your car uses. Once you have the correct type of oil for your vehicle, follow the instructions below:

1. Jack up your car with jack stands or steel ramps.
2. Locate the oil drain plug underneath your engine, then place an oil basin directly underneath the plug. Unscrew the plug and drain all the oil into the basic. The process can take up to 15 minutes. When all the oil is drained from your vehicle, replace the plug.
3. Locate your oil filter and remove it with an oil filter wrench. Expect that a bit more oil will come out. Catch it with the basin.
4. Wipe a bit of oil around the new filter to ensure that the filter is watertight.
5. Install a new filter in your vehicle, then tighten it by hand.
6. Once the old oil is drained out, and the new filter is in place, remove the oil cap. Fill up the oil tank with the correct amount of oil specified in your owner’s manual.
7. Check your oil level by pulling out your dipstick. If it’s too low, you can add some more and then recheck the oil until it’s at the level that your car needs.

Visit Music City Autoplex for All Your Service Needs

Now that you know what happens when you don’t get your oil changed and how often you should change your oil, learn other important service information with Music City Autoplex. Our service team is here to help you with at-home maintenance so you can perform standard maintenance tasks like cleaning leather seats, from your garage. Visit today in Madison, near Hendersonville and Clarksville. Contact us with any further questions.