


It also helps you maintain good gas mileage in the long run. That’s why frequent oil changes are important. However, over time, the oil gets extremely dirty from the debris and stops doing its job - especially with harsh driving conditions. The oil also picks up debris along the way, keeping your engine clean. This prevents excess wear and overheating. What Is An Oil Change?Įngine oil is crucial for lubricating your car engine, keeping the metal components from grinding against each other. Here are some oil change-related questions and their answers: 1. More Mileage Than UsualĪfter you return from a long road trip, you may need an oil change.Īny time you record a significant number of miles on your car than normal, expect to need an oil change sooner than anticipated. When the oil becomes thin, old, dark, or poorly textured, your engine will make a knocking sound every time you drive. Motor oil lubricates your engine enabling all the parts to function together and smoothly. If the oil is dark, gritty, and doesn’t feel smooth to the touch, it’s time for an oil change. If it’s low, get a top-off or oil change depending on your car’s need. Get in the habit of using a dipstick before long drives to check if the oil level is low.


Some will disappear, and some will likely leak out, even if you don’t notice significant oil leaks. It’ll flash the replace engine oil warning light to remind you to get an oil change. Your vehicle knows its fluids just as well as it knows its tires. It’s best to adhere to that timeline and go for regular oil changes. Your vehicle comes with the manufacturer’s recommended intervals for oil changes. Like many people, chances are you schedule service or maintenance, then ignore it when life gets busy.ĭon’t avoid your scheduled maintenance because it only gets your tires and fluids in a world of trouble. Your being on track for a bit over 3000 miles puts you at less than half the optimal mileage case as per GM, meaning that you really must be short-tripping it pretty hard or something (7500 miles has been the "ideal conditions" maximum mileage with GMs for a while now) - you're losing 1% per 30-35 miles or so, on average, and in ideal conditions you'd lose 1% per 75 miles or so.Here are some of the common instances when you need an oil change: 1. And there's also the question of contamination vs breakdown (ostensibly, better oil will resist breakdown for longer (thanks to some combination of more additives and a more robust base oil) but will still be susceptible to being contaminated with fuel, moisture, etc.) But it's difficult to quantify by how much. Is Redline better oil than what they programmed it for? Sure. Your car is assuming that you're using a 5w30 meeting Dexos spec (synthetic or a robust blend) and its calculations are pretty good with that assumption. It's pretty sophisticated technology, and has far more inputs than changing based on mileage alone. GM programmed the OLM to hit 0% (plus some safety margin) with a basic oil meeting the Dexos spec (the lowest common denominator, if you will).
