When the mechanic opened the engine…
His jaw hit the floor!
That is the story of Claire’s car when she came in because her car died and how she learned a valuable lesson… the hard way.
When her mechanic opened the engine head, his jaw hit the floor.
The entire cam shaft was covered in oil sludge. Camshafts are considered the cleanest area of an engine, so if that was so clogged, just imagine the condition of the oil pan underneath.
Imagine being an athlete and having to run in mucky mud. Would you be able to run fast?
Well, that’s what it’s like when you don’t change your oil regularly.
Just like you have to put extra force to overcome the resistance of the mud, similarly, your engine also has to work extra to overcome the resistance of the used oil.
Oil is a form of lubrication for an abrasive system like an engine.
When engine parts collide together, they experience wear and tear that significantly reduces their lifespan and pose danger. To overcome this, we use lubrication like oil.
But as it happens, after about 3000 miles or so, your engine starts to accumulate micro metal shavings. These shavings are from the engine parts rubbing and grinding against one another.
These shavings are also the reason why your oil changes color from light to dark.
The micro shavings block the light, hence the darker color.
These micro shavings are responsible for creating resistance in your engine, hence more fuel is required to overcome the force, and so your fuel efficiency also goes down.
Some people like to put expensive and thick oils in their engines, believing that it will last them forever.
Trust me when I say, NO OIL CAN LAST FOREVER!
According to expert mechanics, the quality of oil is not as important as the frequency of oil changes.
You can put the cheapest quality oil you can find, but if you change the oil regularly or after early intervals, then the engine keeps getting refreshed—it’s kind of like the engine is getting a bath earlier than the designated time.
Hence, the engine keeps running well.
I come from a third-world country, so I know firsthand how engines can last more than 500,000 km or 300,000 miles just because of regular oil maintenance.
And as it happens, even though the oil is non-bottled and non-branded, these engines keep lasting a long time just because of the high frequency of oil change.
So make sure you change your oil regularly.
Your trusty 4 wheel companion deserves it!