How often should you change your car’s oil?

Motor oil is one of the essential fluids in your vehicle because it keeps all the moving parts lubricated and operational. However, many vehicle owners are unaware of when it should be changed. In this blog post, the experts at OCTO Auto Service Plus discuss the importance of changing your oil to keep your engine running smoothly.

Benefits of getting an oil change

Replacing your vehicle’s used oil has many benefits. For example, fresh oil:

• Lubricates the engine components to prevent friction that can lead to premature wear
• Captures impurities in the filter
• Reduces fuel consumption by optimizing engine performance
• Prevents metal parts from corroding

Respecting the recommendations

Many experts recommend changing your engine oil every three months or 5,000 kilometres. However, this advice should be taken with a grain of salt. Although relevant several years ago, it no longer applies to all vehicles. It’s best to follow the manufacturer’s oil change interval recommendations.

To save you time, your nearest OCTO Auto Service Plus can easily find this information and determine how often you should change the oil and filter on your vehicle. If necessary, they may ask you about your driving habits. For example, if you drive mostly short distances, your engine oil may not get hot enough to eliminate contaminants like moisture and other combustion by-products. For this reason, you may need to change your oil more often.

Additionally, checking and maintaining your engine oil allows you to detect problems that could otherwise go undetected. This preventive measure could save you money on costly repairs.

Choosing the right type of oil

There are two main types of motor oil: conventional and synthetic. Depending on the model of your vehicle, the manufacturer may recommend one product over the other. Modern vehicles often require synthetic oil. But with an older vehicle, there’s no point in opting for a more expensive synthetic oil if it doesn’t need it. Similarly, spending more money on a higher-quality synthetic oil doesn’t mean you can get away with not changing your oil as often.

Finally, failing to perform regularly scheduled oil changes can cause your vehicle’s warranty to be voided. Trust your neighbourhood OCTO Auto Service Plus for expert oil changes and service. Request an appointment.