Keeping up with oil changes is an essential part of maintaining your Mazda maintenance schedule, but you'll also need to find the most up-to-date recommendations from auto experts about how often should you change your oil. In prior years, the rule of thumb for Chicago-area drivers was 3,000 miles between each oil change.
With recent advancements in automotive technologies and fuel quality, experts now suggest you change your car's oil every 7,500 to 10,000 miles. You should check your owner's manual for a more detailed figure specific to your vehicle make and model. Read on to learn more about checking your car's oil!
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What Does Motor Oil Do?
Before learning more about oil change intervals, it's important to better understand the purpose that motor oil serves. So what does motor oil do? Motor oil both lubricates and cools your engine to ensure that your metal-on-metal parts inside your engine don't overheat and cause issues. Because motor oil covers all metal contact points inside your engine, it's bound to pick up metal particles and combustion grim. To ensure that your motor oil keeps working properly, it's essential to ensure that it's healthy and up to spec.
What Happens If You Don't Change Your Motor Oil?
If you don't change your motor oil, you will inevitably run into problems in the future. The first issue that you could run into is overheating, as your motor oil will be less effective at reducing friction and cooling your motor. Overheating can cause your engine to completely seize after enough time and wear. As your oil picks up vast amounts of metal particles, your oil will become more of a sludge and can make your oil pump fail. If you oil pump fails completely, you'll end up with a catastrophic engine failure and thousands of dollars in damage.
Even if you catch the issue before a major failure, dirty motor oil can cause premature damage to your piston rings and other internal parts, causing reduced fuel efficiency and even lead to engine failure in the future.
Oil Change Frequency Recommendations
In most cases, an oil change every 7,500 to 10,000 miles will be adequate for your vehicle. However, there are a few circumstances that can affect oil change frequency, so it's a good idea to get your car checked out at our service center near Berwyn if the following apply to you:
- You take your vehicle to job sites or use it for other commercial purposes
- You regularly take your vehicle on off-roading excursions
- You use your vehicle for heavy towing
- You use your vehicle for racing
More Oil Change Tips for Berwyn Drivers
Keep in mind these additional oil-change tips to ensure that your car stays in top shape for years to come:
- Even if you rarely drive the car, you should still bring it in for an oil change at least twice a year. Oil breaks down over time, and this happens even when the car is not in use.
- At the time of an oil change, always replace the oil filter at the same time. If you're going the DIY route near Chicago, the parts center at Napleton's Countryside Mazda will have replacement filters ready for you to pick up.
- You have the choice between synthetic or conventional motor oil. Once again, you'll need to take a look at your owner's manual before heading out to buy oil for your DIY oil change. Some vehicles require synthetic oil, and your manual will specify if yours is one of them.
How Often Should I Check My Oil Level?
Checking your oil level at least once a month is ideal. That way you'll catch any leaks when they're minor, and far before they become a major issue. If you drive your vehicle when it's too low on oil, it can lead to costly repairs down the road. You should also check for any change to your oil's color, and look carefully for the appearance of metal particles in the oil. These can be indicators of a larger problem. If you notice these issues, reach out to schedule Mazda service with the expert auto mechanics at Napleton's Countryside Mazda.
How Do You Check Your Oil Level?
When you're learning how to check your oil level, the process is actually very simple. Before getting started, however, you should be sure that your vehicle uses a traditional dipstick and not a digital one. Be sure to check your owner's manual to be sure. Take the following steps to learn how to check your motor oil:
- Remove your dipstick and wipe it clean with a dry cloth
- Reinsert your dipstick
- Remove the dipstick and check to see where your oil lands
- If your oil line falls between the cross-hatched area, your oil is at the proper level
- If your oil level is too low, then add a bit until it's at the proper level or schedule service
- Take note of the color of your oil - if it's black or burnt looking, you should schedule service regardless of your oil level
Visit Napleton's Countryside Mazda for Mazda Service Specials!
For more service tips and tricks, visit our service center near Chicago. We're happy to help out with any car-care questions, as well as offer great deals to Cicero drivers with Mazda service coupons and service specials.
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