What Happens if You Don’t Change Your Oil?
Whether your car requires an oil change every 3,000 miles, or 10,000 miles, it is important to not lose track of when your next oil change should take place. Forgetting regular oil changes sets you up for serious problems down the road.
The oil in the engine keeps your car or truck running smoothly. As the oil circulates through the engine, it is lubricating the metal components that work together to keep your car running, and it is drawing heat away from the engine. Oil is most effective when it’s fresh and clean, but it only stays that way for so long. The problem with neglecting oil changes is that damage can be taking place inside the engine that you won’t know about until it’s too late.
So do you know what happens if you don’t change your oil?
- A build-up of dirt and debris. As oil moves through the engine, it picks up dirt and debris and carries it into the oil filter. If the oil isn’t changed, the dirt and debris will eventually clog the oil filter and the dirty oil will be cycled back through the engine.
- Engine parts start to wear down. Dirty oil is thick and abrasive, so every time it cycles through the engine and picks up more dirt and debris, even though it may still be lubricating the engine parts, it starts to wear them down.
- Oil additives lose effectiveness. Most oils have additives such as detergents, dispersants, rust-fighters, and friction reducers. These additives wear out and lose their effectiveness.
- High heat warps engine parts. As the oil gets thicker and dirtier, it also loses its ability to draw heat away from the engine. Eventually, the engine will overheat, and critical components can be warped. Unless these warped and damaged parts result in a problem that can be heard or felt, like a broken gasket, drivers will remain unaware of a problem.
- Oil turns to sludge. Given time, the volume of dirt and debris can eventually outweigh the actual oil, resulting in a thick, dark, sludge with no lubricating qualities.
- Complete engine failure. The oil is now useless in keeping the engine’s components lubricated. Thus, the friction of metal-on-metal will damage the components so severely that the whole engine will cease to work. If this happens, the engine must be completely replaced.
Even though oil changes are one of the most vital maintenance services for your vehicle, they are one of the least expensive. Just by spending less than a hundred dollars on a quality oil change that takes less than 30 minutes, you can save thousands in engine repair.
Wondering what happens if you don’t change your oil? Call our ASE Certified Technicians at Gary’s Quality Automotive to ask about our oil change coupons and to schedule an appointment for an oil change service. Our auto shop proudly serves vehicle owners in Grand Island, NE, Wood River,, NE, and Doniphan, NE.
Whether your car requires an oil change every 3,000 miles, or 10,000 miles, it is important to not lose track of when your next oil change should take place. Forgetting regular oil changes sets you up for serious problems down the road.
The oil in the engine keeps your car or truck running smoothly. As the oil circulates through the engine, it is lubricating the metal components that work together to keep your car running, and it is drawing heat away from the engine. Oil is most effective when it’s fresh and clean, but it only stays that way for so long. The problem with neglecting oil changes is that damage can be taking place inside the engine that you won’t know about until it’s too late.
So do you know what happens if you don’t change your oil?
- A build-up of dirt and debris. As oil moves through the engine, it picks up dirt and debris and carries it into the oil filter. If the oil isn’t changed, the dirt and debris will eventually clog the oil filter and the dirty oil will be cycled back through the engine.
- Engine parts start to wear down. Dirty oil is thick and abrasive, so every time it cycles through the engine and picks up more dirt and debris, even though it may still be lubricating the engine parts, it starts to wear them down.
- Oil additives lose effectiveness. Most oils have additives such as detergents, dispersants, rust-fighters, and friction reducers. These additives wear out and lose their effectiveness.
- High heat warps engine parts. As the oil gets thicker and dirtier, it also loses its ability to draw heat away from the engine. Eventually, the engine will overheat, and critical components can be warped. Unless these warped and damaged parts result in a problem that can be heard or felt, like a broken gasket, drivers will remain unaware of a problem.
- Oil turns to sludge. Given time, the volume of dirt and debris can eventually outweigh the actual oil, resulting in a thick, dark, sludge with no lubricating qualities.
- Complete engine failure. The oil is now useless in keeping the engine’s components lubricated. Thus, the friction of metal-on-metal will damage the components so severely that the whole engine will cease to work. If this happens, the engine must be completely replaced.
Even though oil changes are one of the most vital maintenance services for your vehicle, they are one of the least expensive. Just by spending less than a hundred dollars on a quality oil change that takes less than 30 minutes, you can save thousands in engine repair.
Wondering what happens if you don’t change your oil? Call our ASE Certified Technicians at Gary’s Quality Automotive to ask about our oil change coupons and to schedule an appointment for an oil change service. Our auto shop proudly serves vehicle owners in Grand Island, NE, Wood River,, NE, and Doniphan, NE.
