You should think of engine oil as the lifeblood of any vehicle that has a motor. It is essential to have a healthy engine that helps to keep your vehicle running as smoothly as possible while you drive on the road and go thousands of kilometres. Oil changes are a super important part of maintaining your vehicle—there are millions of oil changes done every year across the country. However, have you ever wondered why cars need to change their oil anyway? Today, we will talk about why cars need oil and the benefits of changing your oil.

What is the point of putting oil in the car?

One of the main roles that oil is designed to accomplish is lubricating all moving parts in a vehicle’s engine. Because the engine contains many small moving parts that move quickly, engine oil is needed to ensure things are running optimally and smoothly. Engine oil helps reduce friction and wear on these parts and keeps things from overheating.

Keeping your engine from overheating is another critical job that your engine oil accomplishes. It helps to draw heat away from the components of your engine and keeps things going at the correct temperatures for optimal performance. Without engine oil, your engine would stop working pretty quickly and overheat.

Other than understanding what engine oil does for your engine, you should also understand how you can check your oil yourself to know when your engine is running low or if it is about time to get an engine oil change. Committing to regular oil changes is necessary to achieve optimal performance from your car. Skipping out on these routine oil changes will have some pretty dire consequences for your vehicle’s health, and it can even cause your engine to completely fail if you accidentally run your car without oil or if your engine oil is too dirty to function correctly.

It is pretty standard to recommend that vehicles get an engine oil change every three to five thousand miles. However, you could need to change it more frequently or less frequently depending on your vehicle’s manufacturer maintenance schedule. You should always keep your owner’s manual as a reference when figuring out the recommended grade of oil, oil type and maintenance plan for your particular vehicle. If you see your red oil light on your dashboard, you should get your car to a repair shop. You could be dealing with serious issues such as an oil leak or low-to-no oil pressure.