Everything You Need to Know about Oil Changes

You don’t have to be a car expert or enthusiast to know how important oil changes are. Find out the answers to your common questions about changing your car’s oil.

1. Why Do I Need to Change My Car’s Oil?
   Oil has an important job under the hood. It lubricates everything to help it run smoothly and prevents overheating. Your engine wouldn’t run right or last as long without it.

2. When Should I Change the Oil?
   An easy way to determine how often your car needs an oil change is to follow your manufacturer’s recommended schedule. Their specifications are designed for your specific vehicle. Once you visit an auto shop for an oil change, the technicians will put a sticker in your car to remind you when you’ll need one next. Usually it’s about every 3 months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first.

3. What Does an Oil Change Involve?
   An oil change is much more involved than pouring fresh oil into the engine. Removing the old, contaminated, dirty oil and replacing it is a messy process, but makes all the difference in protecting your engine and helping it run smoothly.

4. Why Can’t I Just Refill the Oil?
   While topping off the oil does bring it back to the correct level, it doesn’t remove contaminated oil that continues to flow throughout the engine. This can sludge up important parts and seriously degrade your car’s performance. But if you are in an emergency and need to get your oil levels back to normal, definitely fill up and then follow up with a professional oil change.

5. What Kind of Oil Should I use?
   Typically, you should only use the manufacturer’s specifically recommended oil for your car. If you own a new vehicle, changing the grade or other specifications could void your warranty. Still, if you want to know more about the best oil for your car’s purposes, talk more with a trusted technician.

6. Can I do it Myself?
   There are more than a few reasons to reconsider changing your own oil at home. Not only is it a messy job, it can also be very risky! Mistakes might mean damaging your car’s engine. Plus, oil spills are hard to clean up and dangerous to the environment.