One of the most important elements of maintaining your vehicle is to change the oil on a regular basis.
Using the best lubricants possible, from the likes of Shell and Q8, is also vital, but there are many more tips to help you understand just why.
Making regular oil changes
With lubricants increasingly being developed hand-in-hand with leading oil manufacturers, consulting the car’s instruction booklet is sensible. With this in mind, you should be changing your oil, and the oil filter, no later than the intervals indicated.
These do tend to be based on mileage covered or the time lapse between changes, however, so a little judgement may be needed. Making your oil changes as regular as possible will ensure optimum performance.
What happens when it’s not changed?
If a car does not have its engine oil changed regularly, the performance of the vehicle will drop off quickly and significantly. Left too long, it can also have catastrophic effects. Oil protects an engine from wear and tear, and collects debris that will also harm the workings of a powertrain.
Not refreshing the oil will see the level of protection reduced between moving parts, as well as the likes of soot, sludge, and other materials collecting inside the engine. This can increase stress throughout the unit.
Older oil will also naturally see its active components be reduced, further affecting its utility.
Topping up instead of changing
Filling up on top of old oil may seem suitable, but it really isn’t. The older the lubricant becomes, the more problems there are, as outlined above. Therefore, changing oil completely and at regular intervals is the best way to maintain performance.
Disposing of old oil
A polluter to the environment, it is essential that old motor oil is disposed of responsibly. Your local council, car dealership or garage should be able to point you in the right direction of how to do this.
