Preventative maintenance is the key to your car lasting many years without its parts breaking down. One of the most important services you can get at the Mitsubishi dealer is an oil change, and skipping a single change can have a negative impact on your car. Regularly changing your oil is key to extending your vehicle's longevity, keeping the engine parts lubricated and running well, and making sure your vehicle is fuel-efficient. Without regularly changing your oil, your engine can develop premature wear and tear. more Motor oil gets contaminated over time, which makes it less effective at its job. The oil filter can't hold all the debris that might make it into your oil, and older, low-quality oil can't fully break down all the debris that builds up in the oil and your engine. This results in the oil becoming a gunk-like substance that can clog your engine, decrease fuel efficiency and engine performance, and lead to you needing to get a whole new engine. How Often Do You Need to Replace the Oil in Your Vehicle? To make sure your oil doesn't get old, thicken, and turn into gunk, it's important to replace it as often as recommended by the car's manufacturer. Each car has an owner's manual, and you should consult yours to see how frequently you should be changing the oil. The frequency recommended in your owner's manual is best for your vehicle. Most drivers with modern cars need to change their oil replaced every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. However, if you drive an older vehicle that uses conventional oil, then you need to change your oil approximately every 3,000 miles. What Happens If You Don't Change Your Oil Regularly? As we said, if you go too long without changing your oil, then the oil can turn into gunk and clog your engine. However, if you're just a little late changing the oil, then you may notice these issues: Decreased gas mileage A stalling engine An overheating engine Difficulty shifting gears An unpleasant burned oil smell in your car How to Tell When You Need to Change Your Oil Apart from the above, there are a few other things that can happen when you need to change your oil. In cars with an oil life monitor, the light to remind you to replace your oil will turn on. If you're checking the oil manually, you may notice that the level is low or that the oil on your dipstick is dirty. Dirty oil tends to contain particles, and it's often a dark color with a thick texture. Fresh motor oil is an amber or red-brown shade. Come to San Jose Mitsubishi in San Jose, CA to have your oil replaced regularly. Be sure to stop by between changes to get the level topped off if needed.
