Don’t Let Your Oil Age Disgracefully
There are many things which improve with age but engine oil is definitely not one of them. We were reminded of this just before the holidays...
A new customer had brought their vehicle to us for investigation of a warning light, hoping to have it fixed in time for a family road trip. The diagnosis – a blockage caused by sludgy old oil in a very inconvenient spot, probably because the car (which was quite new) had many of its services well after they were due.
It turns out your dad was right when he said, probably repeatedly, “Look after your car properly, how long since you had it serviced?!”
Oil is More Than Just Oil
Modern oils are made with a base oil enhanced with a whole list of additives. Unlike the additives in your food these ones are good and they work hard – they clean, prevent wear, trap particles so they won’t stick to your motor and give oil the right consistency. But these additives don’t continue to work indefinitely.
What Does the Engine Oil do?
Oil is your engines’ lifeblood - it circulates through the engine with the help of the oil pump. It keeps your engine lubricated, and without it the moving parts would either tear each other apart or weld themselves together. A lubricated engine generates less heat and some of the heat it does create is absorbed by oil and moved along. Another important function is to keep the engine clean and prevent corrosion; oil absorbs carbon and stray fuel and any other bits of grime that would otherwise cause trouble.
How Often Should the Oil be Changed?
It depends on your vehicle, so the best advice is to follow the service schedule in your log book. Go by either the time lapsed or your kilometers, whichever comes first. If you are someone who doesn’t clock up many Kms and drives around in granny gear you might be tempted to stretch it out a bit. Unfortunately your engine disagrees, and frequent short trips are actually classified as ‘adverse driving conditions’.
Can Aged Oil Really Spoil a Road Trip?
It does have the potential to cause a whole list of problems that you really don’t want. Old oil becomes loaded with all the carbon and contaminants that it’s absorbed, sludge can start to form and important additives degrade so they are no longer as effective. The car I mentioned earlier had low oil pressure due to a partial blockage - caused by a sludgy combination of old oil and carbon. The normal circulation of oil was prevented, and that can lead to engine component failure, premature wear and overheating.
Looking after your oil is the smart approach. After all, the job of the oil is looking after your engine. So contact Woolgoolga Motors without delay and book in for a service to ensure your oil is up to the task.
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