When Should You Change Your Engine Oil

If the engine is the heart of your vehicle, then the engine oil is the blood, which is most essential to keep the engine running and at optimum efficiency. What happens to the body if the blood is impure or in lesser quantities? The body will have visible problems in proper functioning. Same is the case with your vehicle. If you don't make sure that the engine oil is changed after a certain interval of time, it will become ineffective, resulting in problems in the functioning of your vehicle, like friction leading to cranking noise, increased pollutant emission and gradually reduced mileage. It has an adverse effect on the overall life of the vehicle. So, when should you change your engine oil? And what should be the time interval between successive oil change? Let us see in detail the answers to these questions, along with understanding the importance of engine oil.

Importance of Engine Oil

The engine oil acts as a coolant and a lubricant in the engine. With large amounts of combustion of gasoline happening in it, there is enormous friction and heat generated in the engine due to the particulate matter generated as a result of combustion. Engine oil acts as a cleansing agent and transports this unwanted matter to the oil filter, where it is filtered out. It helps a great deal in reducing the corrosion in the engine occurring due to rust and other corrosive agents. Thus, engine oil aids in improving the overall efficiency of the vehicle, making it pertinent to have it changed at regular intervals. So, let us see how often should you change your engine oil to keep the engine functioning at its optimum efficiency.

How Often Should You Change Your Oil in a New Car

How often you change your engine oil depends primarily upon the frequency of your car usage, conditions in which you drive your car, and the design of your car's engine. Having said that, the Ford and GM companies have set a standard interval for oil change at 7500 miles. This is true for a new car. However, for high mileage vehicles, it is mostly recommended that you change the engine oil every 5000 to 7500 miles or once a year (whichever is earlier). It is mostly dependent on the manual, which the car manufacturers provide. Many new cars' manufacturers recommend oil change as late as 10000 to 12000 miles. Nowadays, most of the new cars have a oil service reminder light to let you know when the oil change is actually necessary. Under ideal driving conditions, like 10 miles everyday on a proper highway, you may not get the signal for a long time. On the other hand, if you drive your car on dusty roads, in hot weather, or in traffic (involving a lot of starts and stops), this oil change interval goes on reducing. This is termed as severe service driving, and if you have a passenger car (or light truck with diesel engine), oil change intervals can be as short as 3000 miles or six months (whichever is earlier). Also, if you prefer using synthetic oil (use the same if your car manufacturer recommends it) over conventional oil for a new car, then the oil change can be done after as many as 12000 to 15000 miles.

Nowadays, a latest oil monitoring technology has been developed to check the condition of your engine oil, using electronic sensing. Also, there are many companies like Oil Analyzers Inc., Blackstone Labs and Insight Services, which provide oil analysis services, where they take a sample of your oil, and with laboratory checking, they recommend whether oil change is required or not. You can have your engine oil analyzed at the intervals of 3000, 5000, 7500 and 10000 miles. It costs less than $25, providing a cost-effective way for you to get your oil checked.

How Often Should You Change Your Oil in a Motorcycle

In a motorcycle, oil change can be tricky. Most of the time, it may happen that even though the oil may not have become ineffective, the levels of the oil may get reduced. In these circumstances, you should check the oil level after every 1000 miles, keeping the motorcycle level on the ground. Normally, it is recommended that you change your motorcycle oil every 3000 miles or six months (whichever is earlier). Again, with synthetic oil and if you drive under good conditions, this interval increases. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's recommendations about the weight and blend aspects of the engine oil. It will certainly ensure a longer engine life and high mileage for your motorcycle.

This is the information you required on how often should you change your engine oil. Remember that it is absolutely essential to keep a close tab on your oil change frequency, so that you have a smooth driving experience, and your engine has a long life, providing you with high mileage.