As a car owner, you need to know when your oil change is overdue because it can significantly affect the performance and longevity of your car engine. If you are like most people, you probably rely on mileage to schedule your oil change, but this is not a reliable method. Your engine needs oil to stay lubricated, but it doesn’t last forever. After some time of use, your engine oil loses its viscosity or thickness, which is very important when it comes to controlling friction. Once the oil gets thin, it no longer has the ability to keep your engine parts from grinding.

Thin oil that’s contaminated with metal shavings and grime will not only result in a poor performance but could damage the engine parts. For this reason, you need to be well aware of the warning signs that your car will show when an oil change is overdue.

• Dark and Dirty Oil

This is by far one of the most obvious signs of a much-needed oil change. When engine oil is new, it has amber or golden color, almost like honey, but then gets darker with time. If it’s overdue, it will not only be dark, but greasy and grimy after collecting all the dirt from the engine parts. It’s always advisable to check the color of your engine oil on a regular basis.

When your oil is dirty, you may smell burning oil in your car. This is closely related to low oil levels, and you may also have a leak, but it will most likely smell if it’s dirty. This is not a good sign and you should have your engine checked as soon as possible.

• Engine Noise

The primary job of engine oil is to keep the engine lubricated so without oil, not much lubrication will go on. This translates to metal grinding on metal, which causes tapping and knocking sounds from the engine. You might also hear the lifters bearing noise from the low oil pressure. If your engine has gotten quite noisy, your oil needs changing.

Car maintenance is very important, and you can easily avoid such a problem if you have your car checked on a regular basis.

• Oil Check Light and Oil Change Reminder Light

The car dashboard comes with a plethora of warning lights going from battery light, to low fuel light and check engine light. On that list is the oil check light as well, which is usually shaped like an oil can and red in color. This light could mean a couple of things though, which means that you need to check on your engine as soon as it turns on.

It could mean that your oil pressure is low below the required safety level, and it could also mean that you have a faulty sending/pump unit that needs to be replaced. Add some oil to your engine to see whether the light will go off. If it does, you need to have your oil changed as soon as you can. If it does not, you need to have it fixed for low pressure so avoid driving your car in that condition.

The oil change reminder light is different and will come on automatically once you reach the mileage limit provided by your car manufacturer. Check your car manual or the oil change sticker on your windshield to know your mileage limit and once the light goes on, it means that you are beyond your recommended service interval mileage.

Either that or the mechanic failed to reset the light during the previous service.

How Often Should You Check Your Oil Levels

Engine oil needs to be checked at least once every month. If you have a newer car model, it probably has an electronic oil monitor, which makes the whole process all the easier for you. To check for your engine oil, all you have to do is a dip and remove your dipstick to note both the color and level of your oil.

If you have low but clean oil, you need to add more, but if you have dirty oil, you need to change it. You can also have it checked by a professional and get the right oil change from nb2 miata.

How Often Should You Change Your Engine Oil?

Most car manufacturers recommend an oil change after 5.000 miles, but it could highly depend on how old your car is, how well you take care of, your driving habits, and the type of oil you use. If you constantly drive off-road on in dusty areas or if you carry heavy loads, then you need frequent oil changes.

How Do You Choose the Right Engine Oil?

The right oil depends on a few factors, like the age of your engine, your engine type, and your driving environment. High-performance engines usually need superiors oil qualities. There are also different types of oil for different types of vehicles. Here is a list of the oils you can choose from.

• Conventional oil is best suited for drivers with low mileage engines and those who adhere to regular oil changes.
• Synthetic oils are well suited for areas with high temperatures are work well for high-performance engines.
• Synthetic blend oils come with a high level of protection and are suited for high temperatures and heavy engine loads.
• High mileage oils come with seal conditioners that boost the flexibility of the gaskets and seals. This makes the oil a lot more expensive than the first three.

Importance of Oil Change

In the end, it is highly important for you to keep an eye on the condition and level of your oil. Always ensure that your car is serviced at the right intervals and that you change the oil according to manufacturer recommendations. If you notice any overheating, noise, black exhaust, low pressure, or oil leaks, you should address the problem immediately to avoid significant damages to your engine.

If you have your oil changed at the right time, you are bound to avoid all these problems. If you need more awesome tips on everything about cars, and the importance of having frequent oil changes, check out our blog.