Keeping up with oil changes can feel impossible when there’s a lot of other stuff going on in your life. But if you’re not getting oil changes when you should, Fountain City Auto Clinic wants you to know that has consequences for your car’s engine.
You’ve Traveled the Recommended Number of Miles Since the Last One
The very easiest way to know it’s time for an oil change is to track how many miles you’ve driven since the last oil change. If you’re not sure how often that should be, a great source of information is your car’s owner’s manual. That lays out exactly when you should get oil changes for optimal results.
You’re Hearing Strange Sounds from the Engine
If you’re waiting a little too long between oil changes, that impacts how the engine works. And that is something that you can feel and hear when the engine is running. You might feel the engine running roughly through vibrations in the steering wheel, but it’ll be more obvious through knocks and pings in the engine as it’s running.
The Car Has Terrible Gas Mileage
When your car’s engine isn’t running efficiently, it’s not doing anything efficiently. And that’s something you can directly see in your car’s gas mileage. If you’re filling up a little more often than you used to, it’s likely due to an oil issue.
You’re Seeing Oil Under the Car
Oil underneath your car is not a good sign. It means that there’s a leak somewhere. That leak might be due to a clogged oil filter or because of a gap somewhere that should be sealed. Regardless, it’s important to have an oil change done to spot where the leak is coming from.
The Oil Light or the Check Engine Light Are On
Wait way too long for an oil change and you’re likely to see one or more dashboard warning lights. You might only see the oil light at first or depending on how bad the situation is you might get both the oil light and the check engine light. These warning lights are your indication that you do need to take some sort of action.
Need your car’s oil changed? Give us a call at Fountain City Auto Clinic in Knoxville, TN today. We can set up an appointment for you to bring your car in and if it’s been a while since the last oil change, we’ll make sure your car’s engine isn’t worse for the wear, too.