4 Mistakes People Make When They Change Their Oil
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Changing your car's oil is essential in maintaining the well being of your car. When you don't change your oil, it takes a toll on the engine, which is going to lead to extensive and expensive repairs. So, changing your oil, as well as changing it properly is highly important. Here are four mistakes that are commonly made when people change their oil that you should avoid:
- Not Keeping Track: Every time you get your oil changed, you should mark down the odometer reading so that you know when to change your oil next. Although every 3,000 miles is recommended, you should check your owner's manual since many newer vehicles allow you to drive for longer periods of time before getting another oil change. When you don't keep track, you will just have to ball park when you should change your oil next, which can be damaging for your vehicle if you wait too long.
- Not Changing the Drain Plug or Oil Filter: Your car will either have a drain plug or oil filter that needs to be changed whenever you have an oil change. This is because without changing this, you can experience a slow oil leak soon in the future. This is going to cause you to lose oil more quickly, which means you will have to change the oil much sooner than is otherwise recommended.
- Not Using the Right Oil: When you change your oil, always check your owner's manual for the recommended oil type. If you choose a cheaper oil, it can cause damage to the engine because the oil is not of the right consistency to keep it cool and lubricated. If you choose an expensive oil that you believe is best, but is not the recommended type for your vehicle, you are probably just wasting your money. This is because your vehicle won't need the high quality oil if it's not the type of car that experiences heavy use of the engine.
- Using Additives: When you change your oil, the car shop may ask if you want to include additives with your oil change. However, if you have a newer car, this is often unnecessary and a waste of money. On top of this, additives can cause damage because of the extra weight they put on the oil.
When you know some of these common mistakes, you can be sure that you know what to do to avoid them.
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8 April 2016
