What Happens If You Don't Change Your Oil?

When life in Culver City gets hectic, it can be challenging to keep up with your vehicle’s regularly scheduled maintenance. At the Chevrolet Of Culver City service center, we sometimes hear from customers who want to know what happens if you don’t change your oil. Over time, motor oil breaks down and becomes less effective at lubricating your engine’s moving parts. This causes an increase in friction, which can lead to a rise in temperature. When the engine overheats, serious damage can occur, such as excess wear and tear and even warped components.

Learn more with this guide to learn more about the importance of regular oil changes and what happens if you don’t get your oil changed consistently.

What Does Motor Oil Do?

Motor oil is a lubricant for your engine. More precisely, oil has the following essential roles in cars:

• The primary role of motor oil is to reduce wear and tear on moving parts due to friction.
• Motor oil with dispersants is designed to clean sludge from the engine.
• Detergents in motor oil help clean varnish from the engine as well.
• When changed regularly, motor oil can help neutralize acids that form from fuels, improve piston ring seals, and cool the engine by moving heat away.

Considering that the engine is the heart of your car and how much engine oil does for it, you don’t want to discover what happens if you don’t get your oil changed while you’re on the road!

How Often Should I Change My Vehicle’s Oil?

It used to be said that you should have an oil change every 3,000 miles, but these days, most drivers can go 7,500 to 10,000 miles between oil change services. However, every driver has different habits, and every vehicle is different. If you drive long distances every day, for instance, you may need an oil change more frequently.

Problems That Arise From Not Changing Your Oil

Take our word for it! You don’t want to find out first-hand what happens if you don’t change your oil for too long. Here’s a breakdown of a few of the problems that can arise — most of which are time-consuming and expensive to rectify:

• Weakened Performance: As it deteriorates, oil leaves behind carbon deposits that can clog the positive crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation valves. This leads to sluggish engine performance.
• Loss of Fuel Efficiency: This occurs when the oil wears down so thin that it slides past seals and rings and gets burned up in the combustion chamber. This increases fuel usage and causes smoke to seep out from the exhaust.
• Engine Overheating: The oil loses viscosity and fails to regulate the temperature of the engine. This can lead to overheating, which can eventually result in total engine failure.

Turn To Chevrolet Of Culver City For Oil Change Service & More

Now that you know what happens if you don’t get your oil changed regularly, you’ll be better equipped to care for your vehicle. Changing your oil at home can be daunting, so if you’d like to leave it to a professional, simply schedule an appointment at our Culver City service center! Have lingering questions or want to learn more about our service specials? Contact our service team or call us at (424) 216-6031, and we’ll be happy to help.