What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Oil?

Have you ever wondered what happens if you don’t get your oil changed? Over time, oil breaks down and becomes less effective at lubricating the parts in your engine. When oil breaks down, it creates friction, and friction creates heat, and heat in your engine can create a multitude of problems, leading to more serious issues over time. To prevent this from happening and to keep your oil and engine in peak condition, learn more about what happens if you don’t get your oil changed and other tips with Sid Dillon Buick of Lincoln. Then, visit our service center to get your oil changed, checked, or anything else that needs, so your vehicle can run its best on the Hickman roads for many more miles. 

What Is the Purpose of Motor Oil?

What exactly does motor oil do? Motor oil is responsible for lubricating all the parts in your engine so that they don’t create friction while your vehicle is on and running during your Beatrice commute. Here are some other important functions of motor oil: 

• Reduces wear and tear on all of the moving parts of your engine by preventing friction
• Cleans sludge and other debris from the engine
• Equipped with detergents to help clean varnish and other things from the engine
• Neutralizes acids that form fuels
• Improves piston ring seals
• Cools the engine by moving heat away from it

What happens if you don’t get your oil changed? Don’t find out the hard way, and schedule service with Sid Dillon Buick of Lincoln to get your oil changed when it needs to be changed. 

How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

If you don’t want to find out what happens if you don’t change your oil, then it’s important to know how often you should be changing your oil. The modern rule of thumb for oil change frequency is around 7,500 to 10,000 miles between each oil change. But, this number can change or vary depending on several factors like driving habits, environment, and more. To get a more accurate number of how often you should change your oil, consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual, or have our service center at Sid Dillon Buick of Lincoln near Hickman take a look. 

How to Change Your Oil

If it’s time for you to get your vehicle’s oil changed, but you aren’t ready to take it into a service center, then you’ll be pleased to know that the process to change your oil is pretty simple and can even be done from your own garage. Follow these steps to get your vehicle’s oil changed:

1. Lift up your car with jack stands or steel ramps.
2. Underneath your engine, locate the oil drain plug. It should be on the bottom of your oil pan.
3. Place your oil basin underneath the oil drain plug, and take off the plug so that the old oil can drain out of the engine. This process can take about 15 minutes.
4. After all of the old oil has drained out of the engine, replace the plug with a new one. 
5. Next, find your vehicle’s oil filter, and take it off with an oil filter wrench. It’s perfectly normal for excess oil to drain out while you’re taking off the filter.
6. Take your new oil filter, and rub a little bit of oil around the rubber seal to make sure that the filter is tight and fits in snug. 
7. Insert a new filter, and tighten it by hand until it feels adequately tight.
8. Next, take off the oil cap.
9. Once the oil cap is off, pour the specific amount of oil into the engine. If you’re unsure how much oil you need to pour into your engine, consult your owner’s manual.
10. Once the new oil is poured inside of the engine, replace the oil cap. 
11. Once everything is complete, be sure to use your dipstick and check the oil level. If your oil level is still low, then add a little bit of oil into the engine, wipe off the dipstick, and check the oil level again.
12. Once the oil level is at the appropriate marking, you’re in good shape to hit the road again!

If you would prefer to have our professionals change your oil, set up a time to visit our service center in Lincoln for an oil change and use our service specials to see how much you can save on your next visit. 

Get Your Oil Changed at Sid Dillon Buick of Lincoln

So, what happens if you don’t change your oil? By this point, it’s pretty clear that not changing your oil can have serious consequences on your engine and your vehicle. To avoid any engine issues or vehicle issues in the future, contact us to set up a time to get your vehicle’s oil changed.