What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Oil?

Adding oil to engine

When life in Louisville gets hectic, it can be difficult to keep up with your vehicle’s regularly scheduled maintenance. At the Toyota of Louisville service center, we sometimes hear from customers who want to know what happens if you don’t change your oil. Over time, motor oil breaks down and will become less effective at lubricating your engine’s moving parts. This causes an increase in friction, which can lead to an increase in temperature. When your engine gets too hot, serious damage can occur, like excess wear and tear and even warped components. Check out the rest of this guide to learn more about the importance of regular oil changes and what happens if you don’t get your oil changed consistently.

Service Center Schedule an Oil Change

What Does Motor Oil Do?

Motor oil is a lubricant for your engine. More precisely, oil has the following important roles in Elizabethtown cars:

  • The main role of motor oil is to reduce wear and tear on moving parts due to friction.
  • Motor oil with dispersants is designed to clean sludge from the engine.
  • Detergents in motor oil help clean varnish from the engine as well.
  • When changed regularly, motor oil can help neutralize acids that form from fuels, improve piston ring seals, and cool the engine by moving heat away

Considering that the engine is the heart of your car and how much engine oil does for it, you don’t want to discover what happens if you don’t get your oil changed while you’re on the road!

How Often Should I Change My Vehicle’s Oil?

It used to be said that you should have an oil change every 3,000 miles, but these days, most drivers can go 7,500 to 10,000 miles between oil change services. However, every driver has different habits and every vehicle is different. If you drive long distances every day, for instance, you may need an oil change more frequently.

Problems That Arise from Not Changing Your Oil

Take our word for it! You don’t want to find out first-hand what happens if you don’t change your oil for too long. Here’s a breakdown of the problems that can arise — most of which are time-consuming and expensive to rectify: 

  • Weakened Performance: As it deteriorates, oil leaves behind carbon deposits that can clog the positive crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation valves. This leads to sluggish engine performance. 
  • Loss of Fuel Efficiency: This occurs when the oil wears down so thin that it slides past seals and rings and gets burned up in the combustion chamber. This increases fuel usage and causes smoke to seep out from the exhaust. 
  • Engine Overheating: The oil loses viscosity and fails to regulate the temperature of the engine. This can lead to overheating, and eventually, total engine failure. 
  • And more 

Turn to Toyota of Louisville for Oil Change Service and More

Now that you know what happens if you don’t get your oil changed regularly, you’ll be better equipped to care for your vehicle. Changing your oil at home in Lexington can be daunting, so if you’d like to leave it to a professional, simply schedule an appointment at our Louisville service center! Have lingering questions or want to learn more about our service specials? Contact our service team or call us at 502-935-1433, and we’ll be happy to help.