One of the best ways to take care of your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine is to have the oil changed every time that it needs it. In terms of conventional oil, this is every 3,000 miles. In terms of synthetic oil, this is every 5,000 miles. We are not making an overstatement when we say that the motor oil is the lifeblood of your engine. It does so much to make sure the engine does not break down.
Protects the Engine
One of the primary responsibilities of the motor oil is to protect the engine. It lubricates moving parts so they do not grind against each other. If the parts were not lubricated, they would wear each other down and your engine would seize up and die. In fact, this could happen in less than 30 minutes. The engine always needs motor oil circulating through it to protect it while it is running.
Reduces Friction
Lubricating the moving parts reduces the friction between them. An engine with low motor oil will make metallic sounds because the parts are not being lubricated and they are generating friction. In addition to generating friction, the parts will wear each other down. You could actually end up with metal shavings in the motor oil from the parts that rub up against each other.
Reduces Heat
Reducing the friction between the moving parts reduces the heat they produce. As such, motor oil helps to keep the engine running at a normal temperature. In fact, if your engine is overdue for an oil change, you may notice that it is running slightly hotter than it normally does. This is a sign that the parts are creating friction and generating heat that is overheating the engine.
Cleans the Engine
Finally, motor oil also cleans the engine as it circulates through it. It removes dirt and grime to ensure that the engine does not end up with a ton of sludge and gunk. Older engines are known to produce excess sludge, so there is a motor oil on the market that is designed to prevent this in older engines. The motor oil flows through the oil filter to remove the dirt it picks up so it can pick up more dirt during the next circulation.
As you can see, the motor oil plays an important role in the overall health of your vehicle’s engine. As such, it is important to have the oil changed every time that it needs it.
