“What’s the big deal, the car still runs? All this fuss about changing the oil – oil schmoil. I know a guy who drove his car for a year without changing the oil. It seemed alright to me.”

So says the uniformed car owner. You won’t hear any mechanics saying anything remotely close to this. They know better. And, if somehow you do find a mechanic who believes changing the oil is not all that important, you really, really don’t want to bring your car to them.

Have you ever considered that the cost of an oil change is actually saving you money? It’s true. Regularly scheduled oil changes aren’t like scams where you’re told you need to purchase a maintenance agreement for your toaster. Recommendations that you have your oil changed regularly are legitimate. They’re a good idea – a very, very good idea.

If you go to buy a used car, if the car is in good shape, there’s a good chance that the owner also did a good job of changing the oil on schedule. They wanted to ensure that the car was running at its peak performance while they owned the car. They also realized that, if they did a good job of maintaining the car, it would fetch the highest possible price when they decided it was time to sell or trade-in.

Why is changing the oil on schedule so important? Because the oil is the lifeblood of the engine. But, unlike the blood in your body, oil has a limited lifespan. It has to be changed or it stops doing what it’s designed to do – lubricate the moving parts in your engine.

Dirt: Dirt: Over time, oil gets dirty. Dust, dirt and other matter mix into the oil. The oil runs through an oil filter designed to remove these particles but, after a while, the filter is loaded and can no longer effectively clean the oil. Now, when a thin layer of oil is between a piston and a piston wall ready to provide the lubrication that will protect both surfaces, there are also pieces of debris mixed in the oil. While the oil may provide that essential slippery surface, the dirt scratches its way across the metal.
Additives: Over the years, design engineers have developed additives and detergents that help oil to maintain its consistency, avoid foaming and maintain its viscosity (a fluid’s resistance to flow – if the viscosity is too low, the oil will drip down into the bottom of the engine before it has a chance to lubricate moving parts).
Temperatures: As the engine oil wears, its ability to withstand extreme temperatures is reduced. Extreme cold will make the oil thicken. Extreme heat will thin the oil. In other words, the temperature changes the oil’s viscosity. Over time, oxidation in the engine causes contaminants in the oil to create varnishes and sludge that can coat surfaces designed to move. The thicker oil also makes it harder for the oil pump to work moving the oil back up to the top of the engine where it starts its journey back to the oil pan and oil filter.

What does this all mean? It means that, if you don’t change the oil regularly, it stops doing its job. In the process, it leaves the engine exposed to increasing damage that is normal when moving parts rub together without a lubricant between them.

Over time, engines will grow more and more tired. Performance will falter. That includes the efficiency of the engine that translates to better gas mileage. Anyway you look at it, changing the oil according to the prescribed schedule (found in the owner’s manual) is a great investment in your automobile. Treat your car right and it should do the same for you.