Change the Oil to Prolong the Life of Your Car

Everyone has heard that it is important to change the oil in your car but many people don't realize exactly why the oil needs to be changed. Changing the oil helps to lengthen the life of your engine and can save you money in repair costs because your car will not be breaking down. 

To change the oil and the oil filter - something that many people tend to forget when they do an oil change - you drain out the old oil and put in fresh, new oil. You can find many brands of oil to use, such as Castrol or Valvoline. You can do the oil change at a professional's garage or you can do the oil change yourself. You will need something to catch the oil you drain, a rag to clean your hands, and a quart of new oil. 

So why should you change the oil in your car? Oil is a lubricant for your engine and it keeps parts from rubbing together. This makes your engine last longer because the rubbing can cause serious wear on your engine, resulting in a shortened life span and possibly repair bills. Oil also can neutralize acids that are in your engine. Additives in the oil keep the acids from damaging your engine; after a time, the oil loses those additives and can't neutralize the acids. Impurities such as dust, water, and combustion byproducts are kept in suspension by oil. When the oil is saturated with these impurities, the oil cannot protect your engine and the impurities begin to cause corrosion. 

So when should you change your oil? You should check the oil level in your car every few hundred miles. To do this, simply pull out the dipstick and if it says you are low or at the minimum level, add oil until it says full but no more than a quart. The recommendations vary as to whether you should change your oil every 3,000 miles or every 10,000 but most of the time if you change your oil every 5,000 miles you will be able to make optimum use of your engine. 

When to change your oil depends on how you drive as well. If you drive on dirt roads, drive fast, start and stop abruptly, carry heavy loads or have a jam packed car or have an old, oil burning engine then you should change your oil more frequently. This will allow you to drive the way that you normally do without incurring huge repair bills. 

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