Oil - The Life Of Your Car
Oil cleans your car. It lubricates parts. It helps cool things
down. Without it, your engine would be sitting squarely in the
center of your local junkyard.
Scheduling regular oil changes is vital to the life of any
vehicle.
The oil filter keeps little bits of dust and other contaminants
out of your engine, and helps ensure the oil runs smoothly, so
you want to change that every time you change the oil.
Imagine how your body would react if your kidneys and liver shut
down. The impurities in your blood would build up continually,
and it wouldn't take long for your body to completely break down.
Oil for your car can be likened to blood to your body. Your car
needs clean oil to keep going. What would happen if you never
changed your oil?
Well, you'd be lucky to get 30,000 miles out of the car before
your engine would collapse.
Say you only change your oil once a year. Your car seems to be
running fine, so no harm done, right? Not so fast! Your engine
has been flooded with contaminants. It won't be long till you
find yourself coming to a standstill.
Regular oil changes are as important to your car as daily trips
to the bathroom are to you. Now, we won't take the analogy too
far, but you get the idea. This one scheduled maintenance may
help your vehicle avoid mechanical failures.
I actually heard two mechanics say that they figured you could
run a car forever if you had the oil changed every 2000 miles.
That may seem excessive to some folks. But it kept my baby
humming nicely!
Now if you see any hint of an oil leak on the driveway after the
car is parked, get to a service station. This could be ultra bad
news and you need to have your car checked out immediately.
Ditto if you detect a burning smell or smoke coming from around
the engine!
You may not feel 100% comfortable changing your oil, but you can
check it easily. It's best to check the oil when your engine is
cold. Unscrew the cap and pull out the dipstick. Wipe it with a
clean tissue or paper towel. Reinsert the stick all the way.
Then pull it back out and check the dipstick. You'll see "add"
and "full" lines clearly marked on it. If the oil film is
between the "add" and "full" lines, you're good. If it's below
the "add" line, you need a quart of oil. Make sure you use the
kind recommended in your owner's manual. After adding the oil,
repeat all the steps.
See, that wasn't too hard, was it?
Make sure you take the time to check the oil levels in your car,
and have it changed regularly. It literally means the difference
between life and death for your vehicle!