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Why does an engine need regular oil changes? It’s not simply that oil’s ability to lubricate breaks down after a predetermined amount of time or mileage. It is the condition in which the engine is operating. Oils become contaminated primarily with fuel, moisture, and dirt. How do we know how much of each contaminant is in our oil? Do we operate under more extreme conditions at times? This is the reason we should have regular, TIME-BASED oil changes. I recommend changing your oil at least 3 times a year.

There are 3 extremes of operating conditions:

1) Short engine operating time

2) Extreme temperature operating and

3) Dusty operating conditions.

Numbers 2 and 3 are easy to understand and control, but Number 1 is the condition that occurs to every vehicle almost every day. How often do we start our vehicle to simply move around our driveway, a 30 second run time? How often do we take a quick run to the store, a 5-minute run time? Do you live close to work and have only a 10-minute drive time? Moisture is the worst contaminant of the 3!

Each time we start our vehicle’s engine there is a rapid temperature change that is created by the engine’s combustion process. This temperature change occurs every time we start our vehicle’s engine! This rapid change in temperature creates moisture, especially when the engine is started cold. The engine must continue to run for at least 20 minutes after it reaches operating temperature in order to burn off this moisture. Moisture creates sludge in the engine’s crankcase ventilation system, which causes several problems, including oil leaks and excessive oil venting into the engine’s throttle body and air intake system.

These problems can become irreparable if enough sludge is created. Only regular oil changes can prevent these problems! It’s too late after the sludge appears! Moisture also creates corrosion, which causes metal pitting and will cause mechanical wear. Late model vehicles are equipped with precise fuel management systems which causes less fuel dilution in the engine oil. Because these systems have such precise control over the fuel system the engine also warms up quicker, which creates less moisture and less fuel in the engine’s crankcase system. These are the two primary reasons engines are reaching 100,000+ miles much more frequently and with less maintenance. This has caused some vehicle owners to neglect regular maintenance.

The problem with mileage only based oil changes is that it doesn’t take into account short engine run times. For example, I only drive about 2 miles to work each day; therefore, I changed my engine’s oil 4 times a year to help maximize engine efficiency and longevity. For the person driving 20+ miles a day, it is okay to extend the mileage intervals between oil changes; however, the time between oil changes is still as important.

The problem with manufacturer’s extended maintenance intervals is that we don’t inspect anything on our vehicles until some reminder lamp appears. This can create mechanical wear and safety issues for our vehicles and its passengers. Regular maintenance allows for inspection of other vehicle components such as air filters, tires, belts, hoses, wiper blades, and vehicle lighting systems before they become a safety issue.

There was a time when we would check the engine oil level each time we filled up with gas. When was the last time you checked you engine’s oil level? Did you wait until the low oil level lamp appears? I hope not!

How low does the level need to be in order to turn on the low level lamp? How much wear was created during the time the engine was run 20% to 30% low on oil?

As a mechanic attempting to maintain and repair vehicles I can assure you it’s much easier and costs much less to repair a vehicle that has been properly maintained. Also, if your mechanic is more familiar with your vehicle the repairs or maintenance will take far less time to accomplish.

I compare servicing vehicles which have had little or no maintenance to a patient going to a doctor for the first time at 65 yrs. old and saying, “Hey Doc give me a look over and tell me what’s wrong...and oh yeah, what’s your warranty?” It’s not that simple. The doctor is going to need a little more help from the patient.

Being involved in the service industry for most of my life, the one thing that stands out more than anything is we all want someone who makes us feel like they have our best interest at heart. Do we feel the same way when we deal with a large corporation? Then why do we believe everything they tell us about maintaining our vehicles? Well, maybe they just want us to buy a new vehicle every 4-5yrs.

Thanks for listening,

Galen Guidry

Owner-Today’s Car Care

ASE Master Certified Technician

L1 Advanced Engine Performance

Medium and Light Duty Diesel Engine/Electrical

Hunter Engineering Master Suspension & Alignment Specialist