A Comprehensive Guide: Why and When to Carry Out Car Oil Change

As an owner of the car, it’s crucial that you carry out its regular maintenance so that it runs smoothly and efficiently. One of the maintenance tasks you need to carry out for your car is changing oil. The engine oil is used in your car to lubricate its moving parts, reduce friction, help dissipate heat, and other things to ensure the longevity of your car engine. But how do you know when it's time for an oil change? In this guide, we'll explore the signs that indicate your car is due.

Importance of Car Oil Change

As we have already pointed out, there are several reasons why you need to maintain regular oil changes for your car.

The first thing you need to understand is that the oil degrades over time and usage. As you cover miles, the oil in your car gets filled with dirt, debris, and sludge. This can hinder the engine’s components from properly functioning and impedes their performance. The oil loses its ability to lubricate the car’s components, which can lead to increased friction between the moving parts of your car.

Therefore, you need to carry out regular car oil and filter changes to ensure that the engine remains as efficient as possible.

The filter is actually a component that also needs to be changed during the oil change procedure. It captures waste such as harmful debris and other dirt in the engine oil to help the engine run smoothly. Without the filter, dirty particles can get into the oil and damage the car engine.

Hence, the newer and cleaner oil, as well as the filter, dissipates the heat away from the engine so your car doesn’t overheat. Because overheating significantly damages the car’s engine. You can avoid major engine problems with your car if you ensure that oil change is carried out on a frequent basis.

Signs That It’s Time for an Oil Change

Below we have listed some signs for you to understand when it’s time for an oil change so that you can address it immediately to avoid any further damage to your car:

When The ‘Check Engine’ Light is Illuminated

This is one of the most obvious signs: the blinking of ‘check engine’ light or dashboard warning light. This light is often shaped like an oil can or displaying the word 'Oil'. The icon indicates low oil pressure or low oil levels.

Do not ignore this warning otherwise, it will lead to serious engine damage.

When You Can Spot Visibly Dirty Oil

You can also carry out a visual inspection of the oil to check if it’s dirty.

Clean oil is typically light brown in colour and has a smooth texture. If the oil is dark in colour, and visibly dirty, then you know you need to change. Debris found in oil accumulates over time and it means the oil isn’t effective anymore.

The Engine Is Making Noise

The oil that gets degraded over time doesn’t help in lubricating moving parts anymore. This can lead to wear and more friction. At this point, there will be audible signs from your car engine such as knocking or ticking noises.

If you notice unfamiliar sounds while driving, it's wise to have your oil checked.

There’s Burning Smell/Smoke Coming From Exhaust

Degraded oil may also burn, emitting smoke in blue or grey colour from the exhaust pipe.

When the oil levels are low or the oil is unable to perform lubrication for the car’s components, it starts burning. Hence, if you see smoke coming out from the exhaust pipe, you need to get that checked as soon as possible.

There Is A Decrease in Fuel Efficiency

There are many factors that can affect fuel efficiency and using inadequate oil can also be one of them. The oil breaks down over time and becomes sludgy. This means that your car engine has to work harder to move the oil through its internal components, resulting in more usage of fuel.

In fact, an oil change can improve the fuel economy, meaning that your extra bucks will be saved from going down the drain. If you notice a sudden drop in fuel efficiency, it may be time for an oil change.

The Engine Keeps Overheating

If the oil in your car is low or dirty, it could result in the engine overheating.

One thing that the oil cannot take is heat, which is why it can quickly break down. As a result, the oil doesn’t perform its function of keeping the engine running. If you don’t change oil constantly, your car engine is more likely to overheat.

The longer you go without changing the oil in your car, the more issues will rise for your car. Hence, to prevent any future problems, make sure to change the oil timely.

How to Change Oil and Filter

There are two ways you can go about it; one is to do it yourself, and the other is to hire a professional to do it for you.

DIY Oil Change

If you are a hardcore car enthusiast, you probably have the technical knowledge of the car engine.

You do need to take a few precautions as well. It’s important to prioritise safety so keep the rubber gloves on to protect your hands from engine parts that may be hot. Check out local guidelines on how to dispose of the oil in a safe manner.

When done, you need to double-check all the connections and levels to ensure that things are in place.

Go To Local Car Workshop

You can easily look up If you need to check engine oil change price in the UAE, you can use Fougito Autos service for information. You can also get any information regarding auto workshops near you by using this platform; there’s a whole list of them situated in the UAE, mostly Dubai.

Normally, a basic car oil change in Dubai should cost you up to AED 100-150, but an extensive one will go up to AED 300-500. It’s best to find detailed information on this by reaching out to a local car workshop.

Wrapping Up

Understand that a regular oil change is essential for maintaining the health and performance of your car engine. Pay attention to the signs we have outlined in this blog and act promptly when needed to ensure that your car runs smoothly and efficiently for years to come.

Remember, it's always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to engine maintenance.