When To Change Engine Oil In Car – When And How

The lubricant has the effect of burning and cleaning car engine parts when the car is in operation. Therefore, most car lubricants will be accompanied by detergent inside. During the working process, the residues will float inside the solution to help prevent the machine parts from sticking. When using oil it will produce a lot of residues. The function of automotive lubricants is undeniable. So do you know when to change engine oil in cars to keep your car running stably? Let’s discover this in our article. 

Why should you change your car oil?  

The oil itself is less consumed. However, many additives perform different functions such as cleaning, anti-wear, anti-rust, anti-oxidation, and anti-foam. The gradual consumption of these additives during these operations causes the oil to be damaged and require replacement. 

Is it necessary to change the engine oil once per year?

You should not only decide when to change engine oil in cars after a specific time or mileage. Even though the car runs less, the oil stored in the engine for a long time will also degrade over time. Therefore, in addition to the number of kilometers, the car manufacturer also stipulates that the oil use period is usually 1 year. So if after 1 year, the car has not reached the specified number of kilometers, it still needs to change the engine oil.

Is the thicker the oil, the better?

The previous concept of drivers was that the thicker the oil, the better the lubricating ability. However, it is a single-grade oil, only ensuring the viscosity at high temperatures is enough to lubricate the engine. The current oil is a multi-grade type that both ensures the lubricating viscosity at high temperatures and helps the car start easily at low temperatures due to not being too dense.

What happens if you forget when to change engine oil in cars? 

Reduce the possibility of friction 

After a period of use, the viscosity of the oil will decrease. At that time, the ability of the oil to reduce friction on the two engine surfaces of the engine also decreases. At this time, the engine will operate heavily and make strong noises during operation.

The additives in the oil after a long time of use will be oxidized and thus reduce the wear resistance of the oil. If you continue to use this oil, the engine will quickly wear out and the operating power will be significantly reduced.  

Dirt clinging to the engine

Dirt and iron particles are retained and suspended in the oil to avoid direct contact with metal surfaces to clean the engine. Your engine will be very hot when operating if it has not been changed for a long time, that is because the cooling ability of the additives in the oil composition will no longer exist. 

Exhaust harmful emissions

Oil burns more readily and emits more harmful gases the older it is. For this reason, remembering and following when to change the engine oil cars will help minimize this problem. Because the new oil almost burns very little and retains dirt, helping the car to discharge much less.

When to change engine oil in cars in time and mileage?

Normally, a new car when operating from 3,000 to 5,000 km or 3 months should change the oil once. However, some luxury cars use high-grade lubricants. With these cars, the operating time is longer, and the distance is also longer.

Thanks to technical advances, car manufacturers have extended the oil change time vs mileage to 12,000 – 16,000 km or 6 to 12 months, saving a lot for us. However, because the oil will dry out over time, users still need to change it twice a year. This action is to ensure the performance and longevity of the engine. In addition, you can rely on the oil dipstick in the engine that any car is equipped with. Usually, the oil dipstick has a yellow handle, located on the engine part. When opening the bonnet, you can find it easily.

On all oil dipsticks, there are two steps max and min. The oil must be at this level to ensure good engine operation. If it is out, below the min level means the engine is lacking lubricating oil. Meanwhile, higher than the max level is excess oil. Both cases are not good for the vehicle’s operation.

According to the experience of longtime car users, the best way to check is when the engine is cold, the oil should not be lower than min. And when the engine is hot, the oil should not be higher than max.

The time when a car needs a new oil change will depend on many different factors such as the age of the car, and each situation of activity. Therefore, the driver’s driving habits also affect the oil change schedule of the car. The number of oil changes in a car will depend on the time of using the car, the level of use of the vehicle on each terrain, and the number of kilometers traveled.

When to change engine oil in cars for the time used?

If the car is new, the program of periodic oil changes and maintenance is also different from the old car. Usually, the first 1.000km when receiving the car, the customer has to return to the maintenance center.  

In case your car has been used for a long time and often operates in areas with a lot of dirt, mud, etc, the time to change the oil between 2 times will be much shorter. Driving in the city also makes the oil change time come earlier than driving at a steady speed.

You can refer to the time when you need to change the car’s oil in the manual or the technical staff. But that information is only true when your car is always operating in normal conditions.  

According to some information from car manufacturers, it is not necessary to run enough mileage to change the car oil. We can change the oil sooner if the car is operating in bad condition. Besides, after 1 year, if the car has not run the specified mileage, it should also change the car oil.

The car oil change norm for each type of engine

When to change engine oil in cars is also different for each type of engine. 

• If the vehicle uses a gasoline engine, the recommended quality grade lubricant is API SG, SJ; SL, or SM. The letter S represents the oil used for gasoline engines, the next letter represents the quality grade (Arranged in alphabetical order). 
• On Diesel engines, lubricants should be used with performance levels: API CG-4, CH-4, or CI-4. The letter C represents the Diesel engine, the next letter is the quality grade, and the number 4 represents the 4-stroke engine.

The SAE viscosity grade is also a factor that affects your vehicle’s oil change cycle. Typically lubricants have the recommended SAE rating: SAE 40;50 (Single grade), SAE 15W-40, and 20W-50 (Multigrade lubricant). Most cars today use multigrade lubricants, which have more advantages than single-grade lubricants (Save fuel and help the car operate more smoothly). 

Do not things in the oil change 

Do not change the oil only based on mileage

If gasoline is considered “food”, then lubricating oil is like the “blood” of the engine. In the composition of the lubricating oil, there are additives to ensure cleaning, anti-chemical, and anti-foaming properties.

During combustion, the fuel generates carbon deposits and dust that adhere to the engine. Meanwhile, the lubricating oil will disperse these deposits and soot into small molecules and store them in the oil. After a period of use, the residue content exceeds the allowable threshold and it can stick back into the engine.

Changing the engine oil after every mile of use seems like a simple question. We saw many people question: “When to change engine oil in cars for mileage?” The precise distance, whether it be 3.000km, 5.000km, or 10.000km, depends on a variety of variables.

• The oil change depends on the type of lubricating oil according to the standards required by the vehicle manufacturer. 
• When to change engine oil in cars depends on the actual condition of the engine. 
• The oil change also depends on the operating conditions. A vehicle that often operates in traffic jams, floods, or stops for a short distance, etc needs to change the lubricating oil at a shorter cycle of operating kilometers than a vehicle operating in better conditions. 

Replace the lubricating oil at home 

The next bad habit is that many car owners tend to replace the lubricating oil at home or car washes. This action easily leads to the risks of leaking the drain, opening the wrong oil drain screw, or filling the wrong type of oil or the wrong amount of oil. 

For the reasons above, you should strictly remember and bring your car to the maintenance center if it’s when to change the engine oil in cars. You should choose reputable locations with a reasonable price and many promotions. The manufacturers or other maintenance centers are both fine. You can choose one that is more convenient for you. 

We would like to recommend Valvoline. You can always believe in Valvoline and bring your car for an oil change. This center is famous for its professional staff and brings every service at an affordable price. Not limited to the oil changes,  Valvoline also offers numerous other services to maintain and help your car always work as a new one. The best thing is you can easily find the Valvoline $24.99 oil change coupon at our website FindCouponHere.net and use it to get some money off. Simply save and show it to the staff before making a payment. 

Use of additives of unknown origin

Many vehicle owners pour unverified, unknown additives mixed into the lubricating oil to meet their expectations, such as cleaning or descaling. If the users did not do research carefully, they can mistake additives that are not compatible with the lubricant. Consequently, it can cause a loss of the chemical balance in the oil and reduce the performance of the lubricant.

Change the oil as soon as the oil turns black

This habit causes unnecessary waste if the lubricating oil has not reached the service date or mileage. The oil turns black that is the operating principle of the oil. In the operating engine, the heat up to hundreds of degrees will cause the color change of the oil. During the movement of the engine, in addition to lubricating, oil also does the job of washing the engine.

So, the oil does not change color does not mean that the oil is good. Besides cooling the oil, it also has the effect of lubricating the engine, so turning black is normal. But how black is the oil? Too much is not good, the oil also has a residue that can be the residue of rusty parts filtered from friction in the engine.

Only replace the lubricating oil without replacing the lubricating oil filter

It is necessary to change the lubricating oil filter after 2 oil changes to ensure good flow and quality of lubricating oil circulating inside the engine. 

Important notes during an oil change 

• Open the oil cap to let the airflow: Before draining the oil, you should carefully check the position of the engine oil drain screw and the transmission oil. This is to avoid the wrong discharge. 
• When removing the drain screw, check the temple, if damaged, replace it with a new one. While waiting for the oil to be drained, you can check the undercarriage screws and the tire surface. 
• Depending on the vehicle, the engine, and the manufacturer’s specifications, engine oils are classified according to the viscosity index. After pouring oil into the engine, it is necessary to check the oil level and clean the oil head cap, around the oil filling position. 
• Avoid the case of oil spilling out of the engine, leading to the risk of fire.
• Don’t forget when to change engine oil in cars next time.