Oil Change - More Than Mileage

Many drivers complain about the relationship between mileage calculation
and the time for a recommended oil change. Manufacturer recommendations
for a once a year, 3000, 5000, or 10,000 mile lubricant replacement are
predominately seen as too often, and rarely seen as too long of a wait?
So let’s address the driver with the sludge in his engine. Quite often
the response is based on lack of information about the significant role
clean lubricant plays in the collaborative function of the engine and
overall drivability of a vehicle. Second to that would be past
experience with their older or less dependable car because many drivers
tend to put off this vital maintenance for other automobile concerns.
Third on the list of excuses is that I don’t have one of those 3,000
mile check up cars so I can push it to the end of the year or every two
years or so.

The fact is that the oil change mileage recommendation given is just a
method of measurement to estimate good timing for an exchange. The
actual measuring stick for when to perform this maintenance is the type
of motor lubricant used. The life of the lubricant is really the issue
because the engine can only successfully perform its functions under the
proper temperature, fluidity, and pressure conditions – to put it
simply.

Much like the oil change recommendation in your manufacturer’s manual
there is also a type of lubricant recommendation as well. The main
objective with the lubricant options available for different vehicles
and driving use is to accommodate the engine processes from start up and
throughout operation. It is well known that thinner lubricants work
particularly well for cold engine start up. In the colder months, most
of engine wear occurs at the start up point, so having the lubricant to
do this job keeps vehicles in better working condition for longer.
However, thicker lubricants help to keep engines cooler in the warmer
months for reduced lubricant consumption during use and easier
drivability. This warmer/colder temperature comparison is why it is
useful to switch the lubricant in your vehicle to one that is suitable
for the best performance for your engine and therefore your entire
vehicle.

The objective behind oil change should be the health of your vehicle. It
may not be the best suggestion for you to only listen to manufacturer’s
recommendations or to follow past experience when it comes to the inner
workings of your vehicle. The engine’s functions are dependent upon the
lubricant you choose and the lubricant you choose is dependent upon the
temperature of your region. There are motor lubricants that offer the
combined benefits of the thin fluidity with the thick components to
offer the best performance product for your vehicle. It is up to you to
maintain its productivity with a regular exchange according to vehicle
and climate conditions, not necessarily mileage or time.