When Should I Get My Oil Changed?

Getting your oil changed is one of the most vital pieces of maintenance that you can do for your car. And it’s not the type of thing you do where you’re feeling generous and want to treat your vehicle; there’s a strict schedule you should be following. The easiest way to know when you need to get your oil changed is to check your vehicle’s manual. There you’ll find a service schedule that can help you to know when you need to get your oil changed, as well as different vehicle systems serviced.

What Does Oil Do for Your Vehicle?

But what does your oil do exactly? Your engine has all the moving parts it needs to create chemical combustion and move your vehicle forward. Well, oil is there for two very important reasons:

• To reduce friction
• To collect small debris that could damage the engine

Reducing Friction

We’ll start by covering the first point. If your rub your hands together quickly for a short period of time, you’ll notice they get pretty warm. Now imagine doing this at a rate of several thousand RPMs for hours on end. You might begin to appreciate the stress your engine goes through.

Friction between your hands, as well as between engine parts, is what causes the heat. If you keep rubbing your hands together, you would surely burn or blister them. Oil acts as a lubricant to reduce friction and resulting heat in the engine, preventing damage that could occur if temperatures got too high.

Collecting Debris

Your oil’s other job, to collect debris, is just as important. Just look at your car after not having washed it for a few weeks. The road kicks up a lot of debris into your vehicle and its engine. If this debris was allowed to wander through your engine without restraint, the results would be disastrous; even something as small as specs of dirt will destroy the finely honed edges of different engine parts.

Your motor oil has special detergents that help soak up this debris and shield the engine from it. Overtime, though, your oil gets over-saturated with foreign particles and needs to be drained and changed out. This is why oil changes are so important. So do your engine a favor and stay on top of your oil change intervals.

Get Your Oil Changed at Cox Chevy

The Cox Chevy service center is happy to perform your regular oil changes. Feel free to call ahead or schedule an appointment online for your next oil change. Let us know if you have any questions about routine car maintenance.