Oil Changes

What would happen if you never changed your oil?

Horrible things. Insanely horrible things.

Oil as a chemical has its breaking point. Nice, pure fresh oil has a number of amazing capacities, chief among which are coating all your engine’s moving parts in a super-slippery film that allows them to slide past each other without scraping metal-to-metal. It also serves to carry away the intense heat from the fuel-air explosions and friction inside the cylinders where the pistons are being forced up and down at high pressures.

Oil is quite literally the “lifeblood” of your vehicle. But unlike the human body’s heart, which manufactures new blood all the time, engines need their oil replaced.
Very small fragments of soot, metal, dust and other particles are drawn with the oil down into the filter and “cleaned” from so it can be pumped back up through the engine. There are also important anti-oxidizing additives in fresh oil that fight corrosion in and around all those steel parts.

Old oil loses these superpowers as it ages. High temperatures and pressures result in the loss of its ability to flow well, and it becomes increasingly gummy and engine parts suffer more direct contact, increasing friction and further breaking down the oil. The abrasive particles in suspension can’t be filtered out anymore, so they flow back up into the engine and act a liquid sandpaper.

At first, it would start to make some funny noises. As the oil burns off due to blown seals and heavy friction, your check engine or low oil lamp will blink on. Eventually you’d experience a loud bang, a cloud of blue smoke and then… silence. The engine parts get so hot they can weld together or key parts just explode, ruining the cylinders and just about everything else.

Aside from putting gas in your car, getting the oil changed is the next most common thing a person should do as far as maintenance goes. Most people have no idea why. They do it because one of their parents told them to or because they just inherently figure out that they should. None of that is bad because the end result I agree with, getting your oil changed regularly is a good thing.

There are those who admit to never changing the oil. They merely add a quart when it starts making a funny noise or looks low on the dipstick. While this is better than nothing (doing nothing is a guaranteed death sentence for any engine), it’s neither a cost effective nor a responsible way to treat your ride. Suffice it to say that the oil which is running through your engine is its very life blood and the filter is like its liver, cleaning out the oil as the engine produces nasty stuff.

Most folks do not consider the other systems of their vehicle with fluid that need to be maintained or changed out as well. Every so often your transmission, brake fluid, power steering fluid, etc. need to be serviced as well. You can find out how often and when you should have those services performed by either consulting your owner’s manual or asking a trusted and certified mechanic.

If you are in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area and need your oil change done by a professional, stop by or call A+ Auto Repair for an honest service and repair done right the first time. We can also help you get your ride caught up on any other maintenance it may need.

Aside from putting gas in your car, having the oil changed is the next most common thing a person will do as far as maintenance goes. Most people have no idea why. They do it because one of their parents told them to or because they just inherently know they should. None of that is bad because the end result we can all agree with, getting your oil changed regularly is a good thing.

At A+ Auto Repair, we take pride in offering a top quality oil change at an affordable cost and quick in-and-out turnaround time.