Why do I need an engine oil & filter change?
This is one of the more common questions that I am asked on a relatively regular basis. To understand the answer, it is important to understand the requirements under the hood. Within your vehicles engine, there are many metal surfaces that rotate, pivot or otherwise move very close to one another at high speeds. The primary goals of your engine oil are to keep those surfaces lubricated and cooled.
During engine operation, the engine oil is pushed through the engine oil filter in an effort to keep the oil free of contaminants. The filtered engine oil is then used to coat and lubricate moving parts, absorbing heat and washing away chemicals and other build-ups. The engine oil is then recycled through the engine oil filter, where the impurities are trapped, keeping them from cycling back through the engines crucial parts, minimizing premature parts wear.
The stress put on the oil in your engine is very hard to imagine. It is subjected to an immense amount of heat and pressure, it cleans an engines internals of chemicals such as silicon oxide along with other by-products and eventually, the stress becomes too much and the oil begins to break down on a molecular level. By this time, the engine oil filter is clogged and at the end of its usefulness.
Ideally, it is recommended to have your engine oil changed every 3 months, or every 3,000 miles. The idea behind that recommendation is to replace the engine oil filter before it is clogged and to replace the engine oil before it can no longer protect your engine to the best of its ability.
So, back to the question at hand, why do I need an engine oil & filter change? An engine oil & filter change is an inexpensive and quick operation and is widely considered as the most important preventative maintenance that can be done to your vehicle.