Why Do You Need an Oil Change?

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Sometimes, that little symbol lights up on your car’s dashboard, and you think to yourself, “It would be okay if I ignored this for a bit, right?” If you don’t know what an oil change is for, it can seem like just another annoying light that goes on to tell you that you need to find a day when you can go without your car for a few hours. But, like most things to do with the giant combustion engines powering most of our cars, oil changes are an important way of keeping your vehicle working smoothly and safely.

Why Do You Need an Oil Change?

The internal combustion engine in most cars requires oil to lubricate the many moving parts that make your car go. But, over time, the engine manages to break the oil down with all of the fast movements, making the oil less and less able to do its job of absorbing the engine’s heat and keeping all of the car’s metal bits from grinding away at each other and getting damaged. That’s why it’s essential for you to get your car’s oil changed regularly, regardless of how new or old it is.

Depending on the car you own and the activities you’re usually performing with your vehicle, you may want to change your car’s oil every 3,000 miles, or every 10,000 miles. Towing things, excessively hot or cold weather, only driving short distances, and excessive idling or stop-go traffic can all be things that stress your car and might be reasons to bring your car in for oil changes more frequently.