You might not think that engine oil is all that complicated, but it has some serious jobs within your car’s engine. Understanding all that engine oil does can help you to understand why Louisville Automotive Shop recommends that you stay on a solid schedule for oil changes.
Engine Oil Picks up Dust and Dirt in the Engine
Because engine oil circulates through the entire engine, it’s uniquely capable of picking up dirt, dust, and debris like metal shavings from the farthest reaches of the engine. Then it circulates back through the oil filter, removing as much of that gunk as possible, before heading through the engine again to do it all again. Oil’s viscosity helps it to hold onto those particles until the oil filter catches them and hangs onto them. That’s why the oil filter needs to be changed with every single oil change.
Oil Helps to Keep the Engine Lubricated
The job that almost every car owner is familiar with regarding engine oil is keeping the engine parts lubricated. There’s a lot of friction involved in keeping your car’s engine running. Having clean oil lubricating those parts helps to reduce that friction and that in turn protects engine parts. When you aren’t getting the oil changed as often as you should, you’re going to see increased engine wear and tear. That eventually leads to bigger problems, like repairs and replacing parts.
Oil Also Works with the Cooling System
Something else that surprises a lot of car owners is how the engine oil and the cooling system work together to keep the car’s engine cooler. Just lubricating the parts in the engine goes a long way toward ensuring that the engine is cooler because friction gets reduced. Friction tends to lead to heat, so you want to reduce that as much as possible in an engine. The oil also just helps to draw heat out of the engine parts as the engine runs, much like the antifreeze does as it runs through the cooling system. Both pieces work together to help keep the engine as cool as possible.
If you need to get back on track with regular oil changes or have any other car maintenance needs, contact us today at Louisville Automotive Shop in Louisville, KY. We can help you with all of your preventative maintenance needs, including ensuring that your engine is protected and that your oil is changed regularly.