Everyone knows a car needs oil. But you may not know why your car needs oil, and if you don’t know, it becomes easier to put it off. After all, the thought is you’ll get around to it sooner or later.
A little later may not hurt your car – too much. But again, there are good reasons to take your car’s oil needs very seriously.
Your oil keeps your engine working smoothly. We at Milex Complete Auto Care aren’t just talking figuratively but also literally. Your engine has a lot of metal parts that move and rub against each other. When your car engine is properly lubricated, the metal against metal isn’t an issue. Everything works, and your car moves. But without oil – if you just stopped getting oil – eventually, those metal components would rub up against each other, create friction, heat and a lot of trouble. Things in your engine would break. This leads to your car having a breakdown and possibly leaving you stranded on the side of the road.
Your oil keeps your engine cool. Your probably know that coolant in your radiator is important because it keeps your car cool. Well, oil keeps your car engine cool as well. If your car engine doesn’t have oil, as those metal parts press against each other, the friction starts to create heat. You can have all the coolant in the world, but if your car lacks oil, you could still find your car overheating.
Your oil gets rid of sludge. You’ve probably noticed that there are different kinds of oil for cars. The reason manufacturers offer different priced oils is that the more expensive brands (that is, synthetic oils versus conventional oil) work on not just making sure the oil is keeping the engine lubricated, but that dirt particles and sludge are being removed. What’s with this “sludge” word, again? Your oil, as it gets old and worn, can actually turn into sludge, which is basically a consistency as thick as mud or tar. Obviously, having this thicker substance in your car’s engine will have a negative overall impact on the performance of your vehicle.
Your oil keeps expensive repairs at bay. Not always, of course. You could get your oil changed every day, and a tire could blow out. But as you can imagine, sludge in a car can wear your car parts down. Even if you’re lucky enough to avoid engine failure, allowing sludge to build up can mean you’re suddenly replacing a gasket or your timing belt.
We all know the proper amount and type of oil for your car is important. But now, maybe we know why it’s important. Making sure your car gets regular oil changes is an important part of ensuring both the short-term and long-term viability of your vehicle.