If you're wondering, “why you should never skip an oil change?” This article is purposely for you! Here are some of the consequences that your vehicle will experience after delaying the oil change for so long:
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Resulting in thermal breakdown
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Causing damage is due to sludge buildup
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Causing excess heat
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Reducing the fuel efficiency
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Shortening the engines lifetime
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Losing warranty
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Reduction in the resale value
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Missing other inspections
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Harming the environment
An oil change is one of the very common vehicle maintenances that you need to perform regularly. Otherwise, your vehicle can experience major issues resulting in significant engine damages.
Unfortunately, many drivers do not realize the importance of never skipping an oil change and cannot envision the trouble they might face when ignoring the oil change for a long time.
This article highlights all that you need to know about “why you should never skip an oil change?” It tells you exactly what type of consequences your vehicle might chase and how severe these consequences are paired.
Keep in mind that skipping an oil change for a short time does not necessarily lead to these major consequences, but the intent here is to highlight the long-term problems your vehicle might face when skipping an oil change.
Why does your vehicle need oil?
Your vehicle's engine consists of many internal components that interact with each other up continuously. As these components interact with each other, they generate a lot of friction resulting in very high temperatures.
Since the engine is supposed to work within a specific range of temperature, this access temperature might damage the engine and reduce its overall performance. That's why your vehicle is equipped with many different systems to help cool down the engine all the time and maintain the right temperature range.
Along with the cooling system and other components, the engine's oil is one of the critical components that must be maintained at the proper level. The oil will help produce the heat generated through friction and prevent premature tear and wear among your engine’s internal components. This way, the engine lasts for a longer time when it continuously has the right oil level.
Your engine oil collects a lot of debris and contaminants as it moves around the engine. This way, it helps the engine from getting clogged with many form items. However, as the oil collects these items, it gets dirty, and it cannot do the right job. Therefore, every vehicle has a specified frequency for changing the engine oil to ensure that it's working properly and the engine temperature is reduced continuously.
For example, your vehicle's owner’s manual will tell you exactly when you should change the oil based on your vehicle's type and the type of oil they decided to go with because some oils last longer than others.
Why should you never skip an oil change?
Since the oil has a very critical job, it is important not only to maintain the right oil level but also never to skip an oil change. However, there are plenty of major consequences that could face your vehicle when skipping an oil change for a long time. So let's take a closer look at some of these consequences:
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Resulting in thermal breakdown
Over time of using the same oil, the engine temperature breaks down the oil particles and causes what's known as the thermal breakdown. Once that happens, the oil will not be able to lubricate the engine or do its job. Thus, your vehicle will perform like it doesn't have the right amount of oil or no oil at all in certain situations.
Therefore, skipping the oil change for a long-time resulting in significant engine overheating that could damage the entire engine.
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Causing damage is due to sludge buildup
Another aspect of old oil is sludge buildup. When the oil goes very old, it collects debris, and the oil itself turns more like a gel substance, which doesn't have the right characteristics to help reduce the engine's temperature.
With too much sludge, the owner will not be as viscous as it should, and it will run slower than usual. Thus, you won't get the right engine lubrication at the right time. You'll also notice that the camshaft, the crankshaft, the rearing, and the other components are suffering from what's known as oil starvation.
Unfortunately, add the direct impact of oil starvation is a need for an engine rebuilt or installing a new engine.
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Causing excess heat
Finally, many drivers do not realize how critical it is to never skip an oil change because of excess heat built up. The engine oil keeps the engine under approval temperatures and maintains good control of any excess heat. Unfortunately, over time of use, the oil loses this aspect. Therefore, your vehicle's engine can experience significant overheating that damages the internal components or at least shortens the lifetime of the engine itself.
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Reducing the fuel efficiency
When the engine is overstressed and has a lot of excess heat, it does not work properly, and it does not provide you with the right performance. Therefore, the engine will continuously ask for more fuel to generate the right amount of power. Thus, one of the very common consequences of skipping an oil change is a significant reduction in your vehicle's fuel efficiency.
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Shortening the engines lifetime
Many drivers don't know that these simple components of an oil change can play a major role in extending the lifetime of their engines. With the proper lubrication, the engine's internal components will not wear out prematurely, and therefore, your engine can serve you as much as it was designed for.
Therefore, if you want to get the most out of your vehicle's engine, it is recommended that you never skip an oil change.
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Losing warranty
Did you know that you might lose your vehicle's warranty if you do not perform the right oil change at the right time? Yes! Many manufacturers require you to maintain the proper maintenance listed in the contract and the oil change is one of them.
Therefore, to prevent losing your vehicle's warranty and to prevent paying thousands of dollars on unexpected repairs, you must never skip an oil change.
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Reduction in the resale value
Even if you are not planning to sell your vehicle now, thinking ahead is an important skill set to build as you own your vehicle for a longer time. Among the different factors that play a role in your vehicle’s resale value, maintaining the proper oil change is one of them.
Automotive experts often recommend keeping copies of all regular maintenance, including the oil change, to help inform the potential buyer that you've been taking good care of your vehicle. Thus, you won't have a problem asking for a good price when reselling your vehicle just by maintaining the oil change.
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Missing other inspections
Many drivers take advantage of the oil change as a quick reminder to inspect the other components. For example, when you perform regular oil changes, it helps you consider checking your vehicle for seasonality. In addition, your mechanic or the person who's doing the oil change can help detect some problems that you're not paying attention to and remind you to take care of these problems and a regular basis.
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Harming the environment
When the engine is not fully lubricated, there's a high chance that your vehicle emits many harmful gases that could harm the environment. Therefore, if you care about the environment and the people around you, you must maintain the proper ownership that appears evil and prevent any automotive pollution as much as possible.
Is it bad to delay oil change?
As you noticed in the previous section, delaying the oil change is never a good idea. While you might be able to continue driving your vehicle without major problems if you missed a couple of miles after the oil change due dates, your vehicle could lose its engine immediately when skipping or delaying the oil change for extended times.
Can I go a year without an oil change?
It depends. The oil change frequency is a function of the number of miles you drove the vehicle and the type of oil you decided to go with. Some synthetic oils can last for a good mileage, which could easily reach a full year.
On the other hand, if you rely on conventional oil, it is never a good idea to go without an oil change for a year. You will immediately notice some consequences starting with a reduction in performance, issues with the fuel economy, and to a point where your engine completely fails.
Should you change your oil every three months?
Not necessarily. Many jiffy might advise you to perform an oil change once every three months. However, that should not always be the case because it depends on the type of oil you choose and your vehicle's owner’s manuals recommendations.
And general, most manuals recommend changing your vehicle's oil once every 5000 miles to 7500 miles. Some specific warranties will not cover a more frequent oil change, even if those warranties are dedicated for regular maintenance like an oil change.
Therefore, to get an accurate idea about how frequently you should perform the oil change, you are recommended to refer to the vehicle's owner’s manual and follow the instructions there.
Does oil go bad sitting in an engine?
Yes, oil has an expiration date, and it will go bad even if you used it or not. However, many people think that by not running the engine, their oils lifespan should remain unchanged.
However, you'll notice that your mechanic will tell you the next oil change based on the number of miles you will drive or the number of months your oil has been in the engine, whichever comes first.
Therefore, it is always important to let your mechanic know about your driving frequencies and your intent to store the vehicle in case or you're planning to go on vacation. In addition, your mechanic should give you a good idea about when you must replace the engine oil and whether it can last for a longer time.
Conclusion
Oil changes are very critical regular maintenance that you should never skip. Unfortunately, many drivers take it easy and think that skipping an oil change a couple of times should not cause any problem. However, as we highlighted in this article, there are plenty of major consequences that could happen to your vehicle just by skipping an oil change.
For example, when you do not change your vehicle's oil, you are causing thermal breakdowns, introducing sludge buildup, damaging the vehicle's internal components due to overheating, missing other inspections, and more. In fact, one of the major consequences of skipping an oil change for a long time is a complete engine failure!
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