By
Samuel Murray
Oil
cleans your car. It lubricates parts. It helps cool things down. Without it,
your engine would be sitting squarely in the center of your local junkyard.
Scheduling regular oil changes is vital to the life of any vehicle.
The oil filter keeps little bits of dust and other contaminants out of your
engine, and helps ensure the oil runs smoothly, so you want to change that every
time you change the oil.
Imagine how your body would react if your kidneys and liver shut down. The
impurities in your blood would build up continually, and it wouldn't take long
for your body to completely break down.
Oil for your car can be likened to blood to your body. Your car needs clean oil
to keep going. What would happen if you never changed your oil?
Well, you'd be lucky to get 30,000 miles out of the car before your engine would
collapse.
Say you only change your oil once a year. Your car seems to be running fine, so
no harm done, right? Not so fast! Your engine has been flooded with
contaminants. It won't be long till you find yourself coming to a standstill.
Regular oil changes are as important to your car as daily trips to the bathroom
are to you. Now, we won't take the analogy too far, but you get the idea. This
one scheduled maintenance may help your vehicle avoid mechanical failures.
I actually heard two mechanics say that they figured you could run a car forever
if you had the oil changed every 2000 miles. That may seem excessive to some
folks. But it kept my baby humming nicely!
Now if you see any hint of an oil leak on the driveway after the car is parked,
get to a service station. This could be ultra bad news and you need to have your
car checked out immediately. Ditto if you detect a burning smell or smoke coming
from around the engine!
You may not feel 100 omfortable changing your oil, but you can check it easily.
It's best to check the oil when your engine is cold. Unscrew the cap and pull
out the dipstick. Wipe it with a clean tissue or paper towel. Reinsert the stick
all the way. Then pull it back out and check the dipstick. You'll see
"add" and "full" lines clearly marked on it. If the oil film
is between the "add" and "full" lines, you're good. If it's
below the "add" line, you need a quart of oil. Make sure you use the
kind recommended in your owner's manual. After adding the oil, repeat all the
steps.
See, that wasn't too hard, was it?
Make sure you take the time to check the oil levels in your car, and have it
changed regularly. It literally means the difference between life and death for
your vehicle!
About the author:
This article provided courtesy of http://www.car-leasing-guide.net
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