Signs Your Car Needs an Oil Change

An oil change is one of the most important services that you can perform on your car. Focusing on preventative maintenance ensures you keep your car running efficiently. You can avoid a lot of expensive and inconvenient repairs simply by learning when it’s time to schedule an oil change.

At Coulter INFINITI, we have a comprehensive service center where we can perform oil changes and other services your vehicle may need.

Not sure if you need an oil change? We’re here to help.

7 Signs You Need Your Oil Changed

It’s Your Scheduled Time

Your owner’s manual will provide you with a recommendation on how often you should change your oil. Depending on the engine, it may be every 3 months/3,000 miles or even every 5 months/5,000 miles. Obviously, the more time you spend on the road, the more frequently you should be getting oil changes.

If you can’t remember the last time you got your oil change or the sticker from the last oil change shows that you’re overdue, you’ll want to get scheduled with a service center right away.

The Oil Level is Too Low

Oil levels should be maintained so that it can lubricate all the moving parts of your engine. If there’s not enough oil, it can lead to burning smells, grinding gears, and more.

The oil level is something that you can check on your own. Just pop the hood and use the dipstick inside of the oil reservoir. If the oil level is lower than what is indicated, it’s time to get an oil change.

The Oil Consistency is Off

Just as you can check the oil level with your dipstick, you can do the same to check the oil consistency. If it looks a bit too sludgy, it’s because you need an oil change. Often, as the oil is filtered again and again, your filter gets clogged – and that makes it hard to keep the oil at the proper consistency.

Once it becomes too much like sludge, it can end up clogging various systems and be ineffective at lubricating the various parts. As such, you’ll want an oil change so that your oil filter can be changed, and all the old oil can be drained out and replaced with new oil.

There’s Exhaust Smoke

Oil is meant to run through your vehicle smoothly. If it starts to get too thick or has too many contaminants inside, it can become unfit for the engine. When that happens, you’ll often see smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. You may even notice a burning smell.

The smoke is usually a tell-tale sign that you need an oil change.

There are Vibrations and/or Knocking Sounds

Oil is what lubricates the various parts so that everything runs smoothly. If you start to hear knocking sounds, it’s usually because there is insufficient lubrication. The vibrations in the steering wheel and the overall vehicle (especially when it’s idling) are because the engine is struggling without the lubricant.

A routine oil change will usually eliminate the vibrations and the knocking sounds.

Your “Check Engine” Light is On

Most cars today run diagnostics to help you avoid major problems with the engine. If your “check engine” light comes on, it’s usually because diagnostics have indicated that there’s a problem. You don’t want to ignore the light or clear the code without talking to a certified technician.

Often, the light comes on because your oil is not at the right consistency, it is too low, or it is creating too much exhaust smoke.

Fuel Efficiency Has Dropped

One of the top reasons to get an oil change is because it can help you to maximize your fuel efficiency. Gas is expensive, so you want to get as many miles on a tank as possible. If you start to notice that you’re not getting the same number of miles that you used to, it may be that your engine is having to work harder.

Routine oil changes help with engine performance. So, if your engine isn’t performing properly, it will impact fuel efficiency. Rather than wait to see if the fuel mileage improves naturally, get scheduled for an oil change.

Schedule Your Oil Change Today

When you buy a car, your goal should be to take care of it so that it goes on to last for as long as possible. Many engines can easily go 200,000 miles or more with the right amount of preventative maintenance.

Oil changes are easy to schedule at Coulter INFINITI. When you’re ready for your oil change, call us or schedule an appointment online.