Every car engine has its own engine oil inside. Since these engine oil will be used up and deteriorate after use, there is a need to replace it periodically. In addition, it is also necessary to change the oil element according to the period of use as well.
So when should we replace it? In this article, we will introduce you the appropriate time to replace engine oil and oil element.
Engines are divided to several types, but what they have in common is that friction occurs between the parts inside the engine.
When friction occurs, heat will be generated, and if it gets hot, the engine will melt down even if it is made of iron.
Engine oil reduces the friction done by the engine, and thus plays the role of preventing the engine from breaking down.
If you keep using the same old engine oil, it will start to lose its stickiness and it will stop lubricating the engine parts. This could result to the engine`s breakdown, so it is recommended to replace the engine oil periodically.
The time to replace the engine oil is not the same for all cars and engines.
When you change the engine oil, the appropriate time to change varies depending on things such as engine type / performance, engine oil type, car usage, etc.
The timing for oil replacement can be done by looking at the car`s mileage. It differs depending on the type and performance of the engine.
The manufacturer`s recommendation serves as the deadline, so let`s follow this at the least when you are planning to change the engine oil. For those who just want to be safe or those who like to drive in high speed, it is better to follow the general guideline.
For turbo engine, it has a turbine attached in order to produce great power even with a small displacement.
As a large amount of oxygen enter the engine by the supercharger, the engine power will increases. As this turbocharger rotates at dozens of revolutions more than before, the engine oil will deteriorate drastically.
As a result, the replacement time for turbo engine is faster than normal engine.
As mentioned in other articles as well, there are three main types of engine oil.
Mineral Oil
However surprisingly, there is an unexpected severe condition that everybody might not know, and that would be driving short trips. For example, repeatedly driving your car just to go shopping nearby puts the car in one of those conditions because it puts a lot of load to the engine. So, in this case, there is a need to replace the engine oil early than the recommended replacement period.
There is a thing called oil gauge in the car engine. When you open the bonnet / front hood, the oil gauge is a colored round ring that you can take out from the engine. With this oil gauge, you can learn the amount of engine oil and how bad it has become by examining the oil attached at the end of it.
New engine oil is sticky and has a beautiful fox color. While, old engine oil is not sticky and dark in color.
Let's try checking the engine oil when your car`s mileage reaches the guideline specified before.
There is a warning light shaped like a lamp located in the speedometer, and it is called the oil lamp (Hydraulic Warning Light). This warning light disappears after you turn on the engine if it is in normal condition. On the contrary, if it lights up when you are driving or when the engine is on, it’s an indication that "hydraulic pressure is decreasing" which means the engine oil is decreasing.
In this case, it is necessary to add more engine oil up to the specified amount, but we recommend you to replace it with new engine oil right away. In addition, you need to find out the reason for the decreasing engine oil, or else the oil lamp will light up again after some time. Most probable reason for it is engine oil leakage, check this article for more information about it.
The red light used for the oil lamp indicates that it is not safe to drive the car in current condition. So, if it lights up, find a place to stop as soon as possible. After that, you should try applying first aid or get help.
The oil element is a filter used to clean the engine oil by filtrating sludge and other dirty substances produced by the engine oil.
We recommend you to replace the oil element once every twice engine oil replacement and do them both together at the same time.
If it is only the fuel economy that got worse, it is still savable. But, if you start hearing strange noises from the engine, the possibility that it broke down is high. Once it starts to burn out, the engine will no longer be usable.
Even neglecting such a small task could lead to irrevocable situations, so let`s at least replace the engine oil according to the recommended period and take better care for our cars.
