What Happens If You Don't Change Your Oil?

Life happens, and there are times when it gets very hectic. You might forget to keep up with your vehicle’s regularly scheduled Subaru maintenance, including oil changes.

At our Traverse City service center, we sometimes hear from customers who want to know what happens if you don’t change your oil. Learn more about the importance of oil changes at the right interval with our guide. Then, if you think you need an oil change, stop by our service center near Kalkaska and we’ll get you in as soon as we can.

What Happens If You Don’t Get Your Oil Changed?

If you ever ask yourself, “Why are oil changes important?” You won’t have to wonder again. Over time, motor oil loses its thickness and becomes less effective at lubricating your engine’s moving parts. This causes an increase in friction, which can increase the temperature of the engine parts.

When your engine gets too hot, serious damage can occur, like excess wear and tear, warped components, and even catastrophic engine failure. Once your engine fails, it would probably be better to buy a new car rather than rebuild the engine.

What Does Motor Oil Do?

Motor oil lubricates the moving metal parts in your internal combustion engine. More precisely, oil has the following important roles in Bellaire internal combustion vehicles:

• The main role of motor oil is to reduce wear and tear on moving parts due to friction.
• Motor oil with dispersants is designed to clean sludge from the engine.
• Detergents in motor oil help clean varnish from the engine.
• When changed regularly, motor oil can help neutralize acids that form from fuels, improve piston ring seals, and cool the engine by moving heat away from it.

Trust us, you don’t want to find out what happens if you don’t get your oil changed. And now you know the importance of an oil change.

How Often Should I Change My Vehicle’s Oil?

Part of the importance of oil changes is knowing when your vehicle’s oil change interval occurs. It used to be that an oil change would occur every three months or 3,000 miles. But many modern vehicles with high-tech engines and full synthetic oil can go 7,500 to 10,000 miles between oil changes.

Every driver has different habits and every vehicle is different. If you drive long distances every day, for instance, you may need an oil change more frequently. If you’re about to go on a long road trip, consider getting an oil change before you go regardless of the last time you changed out the oil.

Problems That Arise from Not Changing Oil

Take our word for it! You don’t want to find out what happens if you don’t change your oil. Examine the problems that can arise from not changing your oil, most of which are time-consuming and expensive to rectify.

Why are oil changes important? They’re a lot less expensive than these problems:

• Weakened Performance: As it deteriorates, oil leaves behind carbon deposits which can clog the positive crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation valves. This leads to sluggish engine performance.
• Loss of Fuel Efficiency: This occurs when the oil wears down so thin that it slides past seals and rings and gets burned up in the combustion chamber. This increases fuel usage and causes smoke to seep out from the exhaust.
• Engine Overheating: The oil loses viscosity and fails to regulate the temperature of the engine. This can lead to overheating, and eventually, total engine failure.

All of these problems are expensive to correct and can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs and more money at the gas pump.

Get an Oil Change in Traverse City Today!

Now that you know what happens if you don’t change your oil, you’ll be better equipped to care for your vehicle properly. Changing your oil at home in Suttons Bay can be daunting and waste your time. Leave your next oil change to the professionals! Schedule a service appointment at our Traverse City service center to bring your vehicle in for service.

Even better, check out our service specials to see if you could save money on your next maintenance. We handle tires, brakes, transmissions, radiators, and oil changes.