Changing the oil in your car is an essential part of the regular maintenance that will help keep your vehicle running properly and extend the vehicle's lifespan. As you approach your next oil change, there are some things you may want to consider that could have an impact on the wear inside the engine and increase the mileage and service life of the engine.
Choosing You Oil
The oil that you choose for your car can significantly differ in the level of protection that it provides in your engine. When you are having an oil change, the dirty oil is drained from the engine, and the oil used to replace it should be a high-quality engine oil that will lubricate all the parts of the engine.
The oil weight can be critical, and the correct oil for your car is listed in your owner's manual and should be used unless the engine has high mileage or problems that benefit from oil with specific additives. In the past, 10w30 oil was the standard, but many newer engines use 5w30 oil, which is a lighter oil that is easier to circulate through the engine.
High-mileage oils are also available if you have a car with over a hundred thousand miles and offer some additives in the oil to help fill scratches in the cylinder walls and the bearings. These high-mileage oils will not repair the engine's wear, but the oil can help slow the further wear inside the engine. Ask your tech if this oil could be beneficial for your car before your next oil change.
Synthetic Engine Oil
If you put a lot of miles on your car daily, you may be looking for a way to extend the time frame between oil changes while still providing the protection the engine needs. Synthetic engine oils can be beneficial to your engine because they are engineered to stand up to the engine's heat and provide better lubrication to internal components better than standard oils.
The duration of time and mileage between each oil change is often extended when using synthetic oil. Still, it is essential that the oil and filter are changed on time with this oil because once it starts to break down, it loses its effectiveness very quickly.
Synthetic oils often extend the oil change interval to six or even seven thousand miles, but there are some that claim ten thousand mile duration, so talk with the technician working on your car when you are considering a synthetic oil and filter for your next oil change.
For more information, contact an oil change service.