3 Warning Signs Your Car Needs an Engine Oil Change

Car servicing is important and even before your next car service appointment, a few maintenance tasks are essential. Changing your engine oil is crucial because the oil affects the performance of your car. Unfortunately, many car owners tend to neglect checking and even changing their engine oil until their next car service. Doing this simply means your vehicle will operate inefficiently, and you even risk causing other damages to your engine. Here are three ways to know when to change your engine oil.

The Oil Looks Gritty and Dirty

Clean and proper oil should be amber in colour. You will not know exactly when the colour turns unless you check the oil regularly. Simply remove your dipstick and wipe it off. Put it back and then remove it one more time. If your oil is still fine, you should be able to see the dipstick through it. If you can't because the oil is too dark and thick, it's time to schedule for an oil change.

Your Engine Runs Louder

The oil lubricates the engine. Therefore, when parts of your engine are properly lubricated, they will operate smoothly and quietly. The first sign that your engine oil needs to be changed is an engine that is noisier than normal or one that revs up louder on start-up. This happens because, when the oil starts breaking down, it will gradually lose its ability to lubricate your engine parts. The parts will rub against each other when your engine is in operation, producing the louder-than-normal sounds. If you don't change the oil at this level, you may hear rumbling or knocking sounds from your engine because the oil will have completely broken down.

The Oil Level Is Visibly Low

This sounds obvious that when your dipstick shows low level of oil, you are running low on engine and should change it. A mistake that you are likely to make is filling up your engine oil reserve. First, if you are running low on engine oil before your next service, chances are your engine is using more than it should. This will only happen if the engine isn't operating at its optimal performance. Therefore, before you rush to fill the oil, talk to your mechanic to ensure everything is fine with your engine. Also, to ensure you have the correct consistency, it is essential that you change the entire oil instead of just filling it up.