How to Find Out if it’s Time for An Oil Change

How to Find Out if it’s Time for An Oil Change

Changing oil is a pain-free process, but people delay it because they consider mileage as the only parameter. Several factors that indicate there is a need for an oil change are;


Oil Light Blinking


When the light starts blinking it is considered that the oil tank is empty. It may be true many times, but when you have oil in the tank and it still blinks it shows an alarming situation. It can be because of the lubrication issue in parts or in the worst case the dirty oil is clogging the engine. If not considered on an urgent basis, it will cost a lot to replace the damage of the part.


Engine Making Noise

Oil is the protective layer between different parts of the engine that helps it to function well. As metal to metal brushing can lead to wearing out of the part, the engine starts making noise and a knocking sound is produced.

Dark Dirty Oil

The engine oil is amber in color and is slightly translucent. With time it collects particles from the engine and starts turning darker. In the beginning, the change is not that visible but slowly, and gradually the texture completely changes to dark and dense. You should be careful and check engine oil at least once a month. The best way is to remove the dipstick and clean it before returning to the oil tank. Now take out the dipstick again and if you cannot see through oil, it means you should get the oil changed.

The smell of Oil inside Car

At times when you have gone for car maintenance quiet some time before, you can smell gas or exhaust fumes even when you have not to drive for long. As this happens when the car overheats, that might be an indication of oil leakage. It indicates the time to go for an oil change.

Excessive Smoke from Exhaust

Smoke might occasionally come out from exhaust while driving, as translucent vapors are produced in-car tailpipe. But if it frequently comes out this is the time to get the engine checked for faulty part or oil leakage.

After Certain Mileage

It is highly recommended that you have an oil change scheduled as mentioned in the manual. Some say that oil should be changed every 3000 miles. But at times you can feel the problem in oil, make sure that you have it checked. The oil change need varies from vehicle to vehicle but having a close check will prevent huge monetary loss.

Misfit Oil and Engine

The quality of oil also determines the frequency of oil change. So make sure that you use oil that is recommended for your car and its engine. The low octane fuel has fast combustion, so it should be placed in a low-performance engine where engine pressure is low. If you put low octane fuel in the high-performance engine it can lead to engine knocking that brings permanent issues in performance and fuel consumption.

That is the reason many people recommend using an appropriate oil type.


Do have your car checked and have the oil changed on time to have a trouble-free drive.

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