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What does changing your engine oil do for your car?

October 28, 2020 3 Min read

What does it take for your car to become a “well-oiled machine”? A machine like this is anything that works effortlessly and impeccably, inspired by how car engines work best when “well-oiled.” And indeed, if your engine is well-oiled, your ride is at peak performance. Yet so many car owners neglect this task. So, what does changing your engine oil do and why is it important for your car?

How does engine oil help to run your car?

The engine of your car is what makes your car move. The engine transforms gasoline into energy that propels your vehicle forward, and this is not sorcery but hardworking mechanisms that require constant care and maintenance. Or, at least, the right amount of oil to ensure the efficiency of these hardworking parts. Engines have cylinders, pistons, shafts, and rods working together and into each other at high pressures.

How cars are powered

Cars that run on gasoline use a four-stroke internal combustion engine cycle, the strokes being intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. This process is what powers your car. The pistons move with each stroke, over and over again.

At the intake stroke, the piston moves down to push in the gas and air. Then the piston moves upward for the compression stroke. As the fuel mixes with compressed air from the cylinders, these spark small yet intense bursts of energy for the combustion stroke, forcing the pistons down again.

The excess air is then released during the exhaust stroke, moving out of the engine and ultimately through the muffler. There can be hundreds of these strokes per minute, so you can imagine how hardworking your engine must be and how much oil it will need to keep running continuously. See this video about how well-oiled bulletproof cars are able to escape an attack.

Engine oil protects car parts from damage

Changing your engine oil protects all these different parts from getting damaged. Aside from keeping things running smoothly, engine oil prevents the engine from overheating, as it is continuously lubricating the moving metal parts under conditions of intense heat and nonstop combustions.

This is why you need to change your engine oil regularly to protect it from damaging your vehicle. Similar to how Armormax protects the vehicle with the lightweight bulletproof solution. Changing your oil can increase the life of your vehicle. Oil’s viscosity increases, transforming from a free-flowing liquid to a denser sludge, making it less able to circulate between the engine’s moving parts. In cases that dirt has built up, the oil may even block fuel and airflow. After several thousand miles, the engine would have accumulated sediments from the roads it has traveled, and the oil becomes gooey.

Gooey oil does not work as efficiently as clean oil, and your engine will labor even more vigorously to keep going. This will harm your engine if it goes on long enough, as would anything or anyone suffering from overexertion. Parts will break, and you will have to either get your engine repaired or completely replace your whole car.

Remember that there are small intense combustions in the engine when it runs. Imagine if any of these pistons come apart – they would shoot through the engine due to extreme pressure. Horrific damage could occur.

Tips for improving your engine oil

Change your oil regularly

If you change your engine oil regularly, you keep your engine at its optimal level. You will also find that you’ll be getting better gas mileage. Engines made to toil harder because of sludgy oil will unnecessarily eat up more gasoline than you’d like. However, if your engine runs smoothly, it does not eat up your gasoline needlessly.

Your car will also ace all your emission tests if you change your engine oil regularly. Emissions are the by-product of the compressed air and fuel that leave the engine, and if the engine oil is dirty, the resulting waste air will be polluted. Clean up your engine by changing your oil and be kind to the environment.

So how regular is “regular”?

It would be best to check your car manual as the maker would make the best recommendation. That old cliche of changing your oil every three months or three thousand miles may work for some cars, but not all. Your mechanic can also advise you when you should be changing your engine oil, and you should discuss and maintain a regular schedule.

Having routine engine oil changes and preventive maintenance, in general, is advantageous for your car and will keep your ride smooth for a great many years to come.

What Does Engine Oil Do?

Engine oil protects your car from inevitable damage. To stop this from happening, it doesn’t even take much to oil your machine “well.” You only need to change your oil regularly. Changing your engine oil may seem like a tedious chore to some, but its importance is undeniable. As many have learned the hard way, not changing your oil on time can lead to disastrous results.

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