There is a lot of work done by the engine for your vehicle. Your car wouldn’t be able to move without the engine, which is why it is important to ensure it is clean of debris, grime, and dust. The filters will start getting blocked over time, insects find their way into the vehicle, and leaves and dirt blow under the hood. Grease covering the engine traps heat, which makes it harder for the engine to cool properly.
Changing Engine Oil Can Make a Lot of Difference
There are a lot of different components to an engine and a lot of them need to be properly lubricated when the engine is running. This is where engine oil comes into play.
Over time, your engine oil will begin to collect contaminants and while your oil filter will catch most of this, the oil can still remain contaminated. This results in the engine oil not being as effective, which can cause problems throughout your engine.
The easiest way to explain how oil works in an engine is using the analogy below.
Rub your hands together. You’ll notice that your palms begin to get hot, this is due to friction. Now, if you add a few drops of oil (or hand wash) to your hands and do the same thing, less heat will be generated as friction is reduced. Following on from this, place some salt in the palms of your hand. Notice how even though your “oil” is still on your hands, friction is still being created. This is similar to how dirty oil reacts in a running engine.
If I Don’t Change the Engine Oil, What Will Happen?
As we’ll cover later in this article, an oil change is a fairly easy task to complete. Given the simplicity, it’s advisable to change your oil when it needs to be done. If you choose not to then you may run into problems with your car’s engine later on, some of which are more expensive to fix than others.
The main reason for engine oil is to lubricate the different parts of the engine, control the heat of the engine, and prevent components from wearing away. This may result in damage to some of your engine’s components, a decrease in engine performance, and at worse engine parts may need to be replaced.
In some of the worst cases of heat damage, the engine’s pistons may end up welded to the wall of the cylinder and the engine will seize up. This is an incredibly expensive thing to have fixed.
All in all, nothing good can come from not changing your engine oil!
Always practice good safety behaviors when working on motor vehicles. To help prevent injuries, use appropriate personal protective equipment, which may include safety gloves, goggles, helmets and shoes.
CEO at Euro Team Performance