What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Oil?

Sometimes life in Chapel Hill is jam-packed with responsibilities and every day seems busier than the last. It might be necessary to prioritize some things over others, but your car’s routine maintenance is one thing that shouldn’t be put on the backburner. You might wonder what happens if you don’t change your oil — is it really that bad to skip it every now and then? As motor oil ages, its lubricating properties start to lose effectiveness. This has a negative impact on the engine’s moving parts, as friction increases and the engine temperature rises. If the engine gets too hot, critical components can get warped and excess wear can occur. 

What Are the Roles of Motor Oil?

First and foremost, motor oil helps lubricate the moving parts of your engine. But that’s not all it does to help provide a smooth ride in Raleigh. Motor oil also:

• Helps reduce friction and wear and tear within the engine components 
• Cleans sludge from the engine with dispersants 
• Cleans varnish from the engine with detergents 
• Neutralizes acids, improves piston ring seals, and moves heat away to cool the engine

A lot can go wrong when the engine oil breaks down and can’t perform these roles as effectively; the last thing you want is to learn from experience what happens if you don’t get your oil changed!

When Does Oil Need to Be Changed? 

If you get your oil changed at a corner shop, they might put a sticker on your windshield that tells you to come back after 3,000 miles. However, that’s a long antiquated oil change frequency recommendation. These days, the accurate oil change interval is more like every 7,500 to 10,000 miles. Of course, you might need to change it more often if your engine is often strained by off-roading, heavy towing, or other strenuous activities.

How to Change Your Oil in Cary

Checking your oil level is a very simple DIY maintenance task. Replacing your own oil is a little more difficult, but not impossible. Here’s what to expect from the process:

1. Elevate your car on level ground using jack stands or steel ramps.
2. Find the drain plug for the oil pan below the engine. You will need to situate an oil basin directly underneath the plug before you unscrew it, to catch all the oil. Unscrew the plug and let the old oil drain for about 15 minutes. Once all the oil is drained, put the oil plug back on.
3. Next, locate the oil filter and get ready to replace it. You will need an oil filter wrench to remove the old filter. We recommend leaving the oil basin underneath in anticipation of a little extra oil draining out at this step.
4. Get the fresh oil filter and dab a bit of oil around the rubber seal. Don’t skip this step as it helps to keep the filter watertight.
5. Once the new oil filter is seated, tighten it by hand.
6. With the old oil drained and a new oil filter in place, it’s time to add the fresh oil. Remove the oil cap and use a funnel to pour in the correct amount of oil. Your owner’s manual will tell you how much oil is required for your vehicle. Replace the oil cap after adding the oil.
7. Before you close the hood, use the oil dipstick to ensure you added the correct amount of oil. If the oil level is a little low, you can add a little more and check the level again. Repeat this process until the dipstick indicates the proper amount of oil.

Need A Professional Oil Change in Durham?

With more information on what happens if you don’t get your oil changed, do you need to schedule your next appointment? You can reserve a spot online with the Hendrick Cadillac Southpoint service center! Before your appointment, remember to check our service offers for oil change coupons and other helpful maintenance savings.