regular maintenance checks for your car

Although oil changes have become a common expectation and practice for vehicle owners, few of those owners truly understand how important this task can be. Sure, everybody understands that oil changes keep the engine protected and running, but in fact, clean oil plays a crucial role in your car engine's health and longevity. Here are some of the benefits that many car owners do not understand:

Oil Prevents Oxidation

Automotive engine oils contain antioxidants as part of the chemical composition. These antioxidants help to prevent oxidation within the engine by coating engine components; since oxidation can lead to corrosion and rust, it's an essential additive and protection for your engine. When you keep your oil fresh, filtered, and changed regularly, it ensures that your engine gets the best protection from this oxidation.

Short-Commute Vehicles Need Oil Changes More Regularly

Your car's engine will naturally develop condensation inside the components. That condensation often settles throughout the engine. As your engine reaches normal operating temperature and runs consistently at that temperature, it will cause the condensation to evaporate. In addition, condensation that isn't able to evaporate will settle into your engine oil. If you drive your car only short distances, it won't be able to run at operating temperature enough to evaporate that condensation. That means you'll have to change the oil more frequently than would otherwise be recommended.

Synthetic Oils Are Longer-Lasting

Synthetic oils have become increasingly popular over the years, but many car owners stick to their traditional oils that they've known and used for all of their adult lives. The truth is that synthetic oils are well worth the investment, despite the fact that they cost more than conventional oils. Synthetic oil is created to hold up better to the demands of the engine, ensuring not only greater protection against engine wear but also a longer general lifespan, letting you go longer between oil changes without worrying about engine damage.

Oil Changes Cannot Be Replaced By Just Adding Oil

You might think that, as long as you keep your engine oil topped off, you don't need to worry about oil changes. The fact is that keeping your engine oil at the proper level is important, but adding fresh oil to existing oil isn't going to eliminate the need for oil changes.

Oil is made to suspend particles and contaminants, allowing those particles to be captured by the oil filter to remove them from your engine. Over time, the oil won't be able to maintain that suspension, so the particles will be left in your engine. What does get carried to the filter may actually pass through it if the filter is clogged enough over time. Keep your engine oil changed and the filter clean to avoid these problems.