It’s tempting to skip oil changes. They take time out of your day and what does it really do for your car, anyway? The truth is, regular oil changes make a big difference in how your car’s engine runs and even how long your car remains in good working order. We here at Interstate Automotive think that oil changes don’t get nearly the respect they deserve when it comes to keeping your car out of the repair shop.
Your Car’s Engine Gets Hot
Car engines get really hot when left to their own devices, which is why engine coolant and oil become so important. Oil in particular runs through the engine, cooling individual parts as it flows. Part of how it does this is by lubricating the different parts or reducing friction. Friction creates heat, so as the oil reduces that friction and makes the engine parts slippery it also brings temperatures down.
Older Oil Collects Contaminants
But oil doesn’t just lubricate the engine parts. It’s also responsible for flushing out dirt, metal shavings (a bad sign), and other debris that really shouldn’t be in the inner workings of your car’s engine. It can’t do that forever, though, because eventually the oil is too dirty to keep doing that job properly. And that’s even after it runs through the oil filter a few hundred times, which gets clogged with this debris.
Gas Mileage Is Better
You might think that your car’s oil system and the fuel system aren’t all that closely related, but fresh oil helps your car get better gas mileage. That’s because you’re keeping the engine and you’re also running fresh oil through the engine to help draw dirt away from engine parts. All of that together allows the engine to run more efficiently and, therefore, use less fuel. That saves you money at the pump.
Your Car’s Engine Will Last Longer
When you combine all of these benefits of clean oil, you start to see a pattern. Cleaner oil helps to take better care of your car and when you do that, your car’s engine will last a lot longer. Engines are expensive, and if you can get the most mileage as you can out of your car’s engine, you get a greater return on your initial investment: your automobile. Ready for an oil change? Call Interstate Automotive in Eau Claire, WI. We’ll change your oil and get you back on the road fast.