If you are only going to perform one form of car maintenance, make it an oil change.
What oil does for your engine:
Oil lubricates the metal engine parts so they’re not touching other metal parts.
Oil flows through your engine like blood in a body so it helps keep the engine cooler by carrying heat away from moving parts.
Oil contains detergent that suspends dirt so it can be captured by the oil filter. Without the detergent, dirt or crud would stay in place or settle at the bottom of the oil pan. Crud could eliminate the lubrication qualities of oil and cause parts to wear.
Oil contains anti friction additives that melt out of oil if metal parts do touch. This gives oil a self-healing quality.
Oil contains anti corrosives that prevent the corrosion of metal engine parts.
Oil contains anti foaming agents that prevent oil from bubbling up when whipped up by moving engine parts.
All these additives wear out. If they do, your engine parts are going to touch and grind on each other. Your engine is going to run hotter and less efficiently. Crud is going to build up and cause excess wear on engine parts and prevent your engine from operating at peak efficiency. Your oil filter will get clogged and lose its effectiveness. These problems will compound over time.
Not changing your oil will greatly reduce the life of your engine and damage your car’s performance. A mechanic can determine whether or not a car’s oil has been changed on a regular basis, so it will be more difficult to resell your car and you won’t receive as much money for it in a trade.
Comparing the cost of regular oil changes to the results of a poorly maintained engine – there’s no comparison. If you reach 100,000 miles on your car and change your oil every 3000 miles, it will cost you approximately $1200 (roughly 33 oil changes at $35 a piece). A new engine would cost at least twice that amount. Also, an improperly maintained engine won’t operate efficiently; gas mileage will suffer, costing you even more money.
This is why most car warranties include free oil changes. Because the number one cause of engine failure is old, worn out oil.
If you’re looking for a local and reliable mechanic to change your oil, check out Lament’s Wayne Auto Repair.