An oil and filter change is the most essential form of car maintenance. It consists of a full drain and refill of your engine oil and fitting a brand-new oil filter. During an oil and filter change, a mechanic follows five simple steps:
An oil and filter change extends the lifespan of your car. You should book an oil change regularly to keep your car in top condition. A small expense now can save you forking out for much larger car repairs in the future. If there isn't enough oil in your car, or the oil is dirty, you run the risk of severe engine problems and seeing the red engine management light.
An oil and filter change helps you avoid this stress.
Most importantly, oil goes bad. No matter how well-maintained your car is, dirt and debris will always end up mixing with your oil. This affects its quality and running on dirty oil damages the interior workings of your car.
By regularly changing your oil and oil filter, you can avoid these problems. It ensures your car has high-quality engine oil circulating for as long as possible. This is very important because your car can't work properly without oil.
Engine oil lubricates the moving parts of your car's engine, helping them work efficiently during combustion. Your car wouldn't keep moving without engine oil. Metal parts would rub together, causing irreversible engine damage.
Oil needs to remain clean to work properly. But, as it traps dust, dirt and other particles easily, that's not always possible.
That's where the oil filter comes in.
Engine oil passes through the filter and any dirt or debris it has picked up is trapped there. This keeps the oil particle-free and an efficient lubricant for as long as possible. If you don't replace it regularly, the oil filter can become blocked by all this debris. Any blockage will reduce the amount of oil that can pass through it, causing severe damage to your engine.
An oil filter is designed to last the same length as engine oil, so you should always replace them together.
Engine oil can last between 3,000 and 10,000 miles, but there are plenty of factors that affect this.
Oil becomes dirty as soon as it passes around your engine, so if you maintain your car well, you should need an oil change less frequently. If you can keep dirt and debris from mixing with your oil as much as possible, you'll see the best results.
However, there is no definitive lifespan for engine oil, so you should check yours regularly. What's more, there are different types of oil and each lasts a different length of time.
Fully synthetic oil can last for up to 10,000 miles. These are premium oils that are designed for high-end, performance machines and are quite expensive.
Mineral oils are the least efficient engine oil, lasting only about 3,000 miles. They're very crude and most modern cars aren't designed to use them.
Semi-synthetic oils last 5,000 miles. These take the efficiency of fully synthetic oils and the affordability of mineral oils to form a cost-effective engine oil.
Most drivers need semi-synthetic oil for their cars. If you're not sure what oil your car needs, you should check in your vehicle handbook, with a local garage or on an auto supplier website such as Eurocarparts. You can cause plenty of problems if you choose the wrong engine oil for your vehicle.
For cars using semi-synthetic oil, you should book an oil change every 5,000 miles. Fully synthetic oil should be changed every 10,000 miles, whereas mineral oil needs replacing every 3,000. Your driving style can also affect the lifespan of your engine oil.
You should check your oil regularly to ensure you keep on top of any issues.
Checking your engine oil is one of the easiest and most important things you can do at home. It only takes a couple of minutes and it can save you untold stress. Knowing when you need an oil and filter change keeps your car as efficient as possible and avoids any breakdowns or problems.
To check your engine oil, look for the oil reservoir at the front of your engine bay. It should be marked by a dipstick that looks like this.
If you check your engine oil and the level is between the minimum and maximum lines on the dipstick, you have plenty of oil. However, that doesn't mean that you don't need an oil and filter change. You should book an appointment if you notice any of the following things:
Some modern cars use an oil warning light to alert you about an upcoming service. If you see this or realise it's been a while since your last oil change, regardless of oil quality, book an appointment today.
An oil and filter change is one of the most essential parts of car maintenance. It extends the lifespan of your car by replacing dirty oil with fresh, effective oil.
Most drivers should book a change every 5,000 miles, but this depends on which engine oil your car uses.
Call AutoNetVip local garage in Harlow to book your car