Easiest Way to Kill a Car? Forget Your Oil Change

It’s true that the old “every 3000 mile” rule has changed over the years.  Depending on the car, and depending on the type of oil, the frequency with which you change your oil may not be “3000 miles,” but ya gotta do it.  

 

It’s just oil… as long as it’s slippery – what’s the big deal?  The big deal is that as you turn your car on and off, that oil is not only trying to lubricate everything, but also clean the system as well.  Many new oils contain detergents that keep sludge from building up, and it’s the sludge that can cause big problems. 

Also, consider your commute.  If you’re one of those people that starts the car, drives 5 or 6 minutes, and you’re at your destination… you may need oil changes more frequently than that nice round number.  If your engine doesn’t fully heat up, your oil isn’t going to make it all the way through the places it needs to go.

Most importantly, if you goof this one up… that big fancy warranty probably isn’t going to cover it.  Proper, routine oil changes are your responsibility, and missing one could void the whole warranty.

Doesn’t take long… and it will save your engine

Dirty Engine, Clean Oil - Sounds Wrong

And, it is wrong. Why would you put clean oil into your dirty engine? But you do it each time you change your oil or get an oil change.

Change your oil, but clean the engine before!

 Have you ever considered an oil system cleaner to get all the grime and build up in various parts of the engine? It's a simple process and can be done with an oil change. The cleaner is added to your motor oil before it gets changed and then the engine runs for about five minutes. The cleaner helps push the traces of carbon that gasoline leaves behind from your engine and then when the oil is drained, the cleaner comes out with it.

Your owner's manual might warn against adding anything to your oil, but remember, this is a cleaning agent and will be completely drained once it does it's job and comes out with the oil change. Not only will you clean out the deposits left by gasoline that hasn't fully combusted, you will help keep your vehicles' engine a live longer!