When To Change Car Oil

There are many comforts that having a car offers us, such as moving to any distant point without having to depend on public transport (that is, on your own schedule), the possibility of doing activities such as traveling in the car and we could say even that, for many, the car is their second home.

Of course, not everything can always be perfect, and cars are no exception, they need constant care, just as if it were a kind of child-machine that we own. Likewise, we will apply criteria such as those we commonly use with ourselves, for example, we will not buy a product of very poor or dubious quality to prevent it from being damaged or not working properly.

Surely several elements that we normally have to buy for the car such as coolant/ antifreeze, windshield wipers and of course… oil will have come to mind.

They are products that have a high variability in the market and that tend to be of different quality, especially if we compare the most expensive with the cheapest. Now, have you wondered what is the oil for? Let’s see it.

In general, car oil fulfills the following 4 functions:

1. Lubricate the different parts of the engine: this is because it creates a kind of film that considerably reduces the friction that exists between the parts, which means greater durability.
2. The oil is also in charge of making the engine temperature drop, helping to cool the pistons.
3. Likewise, it plays a fundamental role in the combustion process: it is the one that seals the space that exists between the rings and the pistons.
4. And, perhaps the function that you know the least about is the one that is in charge of cleaning the engine, eliminating any type of carbon trace or residue that may be present in it.

In this guide we will teach you how to detect when you should change the oil in your car and we will give you explanations about why there are so many variables when it comes to finding brands and types of oil.

What do I need to know to take my car in for an oil change?

You should know that there is more than one type of oil and that this also depends on the engine of your car: there is one type of oil for diesel engines and another type for gasoline ones.

In this way, you should know that there are two organizations that are in charge of classifying the oils and, thanks to this, determining their quality. First, we have the classification made by the API (acronym for American Petroleum Institute or American Institute of Petroleum), this classification appears on all containers.

This classification consists of two letters: As we explained before, it will depend on whether your engine is gasoline or diesel, if it is gasoline the first letter will be an “S”, if it is diesel it will be a “C”.

The second letter will determine the quality of the oil you are buying, currently the highest letter is “J” in gasoline engines while in diesel it is “H”. This means the following:

• If you want to buy the highest quality oil for your gasoline-powered car, you should look for an oil with the acronym “SJ”.
• If you want to buy the best quality oil for your diesel engine car, you should look for an oil with the following “CH”.

We remind you that the car’s instruction manual specifies the quality of oil that your car can carry. *Remember: you can use a higher quality oil in your car while you can not use a lower quality oil as it can cause damage.

But you should also know that there is another classification, which is made according to the viscosity of the oil and is determined by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).  The SAE recognizes two types of oil:

• Monogrades: they work at a specific temperature (or a specific range) and not several.
• Multigrades: they work at a much greater range, that is, at various temperatures. They achieve this thanks to the presence of additives that do not allow the oil to lose its properties.

This is why there are the classic classifications such as 20-50 or that type of “name” that we generally hear when we go to a workshop or we ourselves use when we buy oil for our car. Therefore, you should know that the classification is made according to the climate:

• SAE 5W-50: Generally hot climate, with quite moderate winters (not very cold).
• SAE 15W-40: It is for temperate climates, which we could well associate with the Mediterranean climate, hot summers and cold winters (not extreme), with a certain amount of rainfall.
• SAE 20W-50: These are the most extreme climates, ideal for areas such as mainland Spain (more towards the center and mountain areas), that is, the one that suffers the most from the continental phenomenon. Places where the thermal amplitude is great, where summer can be up to 30-35 degrees and winter temperatures below zero degrees.

There are also two types of oil: mineral and synthetic. The difference is that there are more and more new cars that use the synthetic or semi-synthetic that are obtained directly from oil and minerals are added additives, the good thing about the latter is that they are the ones with the “greatest compatibility”, for put it like that, they have.

When and how should I change the oil in my car? step by step guide

Having this knowledge, you should know that the oil change should be done  approximately every 5000 km. Although thanks to new methods, synthetic oils can hold up to 20,000 km of travel.

We could do this little relationship:

• Old cars (and those that use mineral oil): every 5,000 km approximately.
• Cars not so old (10-15 years): every 7,000 km or 10,000 km.
• Modern cars (with synthetic oils): up to 20,000 km.

Of course, never let more than 25,000 or 30,000 km pass without changing the oil in your car. The fact that your car does not have an oil that is fully fulfilling its functions can cause serious damage such as it begins to wear out prematurely, so problems will start everywhere.

One of the biggest questions is how the oil change should be done: if you do it in winter (in places where winter affects the most) you must start the car so that the oil can flow correctly and remember that the technique (if suction or by the crankcase) will depend on the shape and design of the crankcase.

You can make the change yourself, but we recommend that you see the two options that we recommend:

Take your car to a workshop

1. It is the easiest way and the most recommended, especially if you do not know much about cars.
2. Choose a workshop that is authorized by the brand or a trusted one. Don’t take this lightly. Also remember to change the oil filter, which is not always recommended but is also very important.
3. You have two options: one is cheaper, which is to bring the oil yourself and be able to choose or use the recommendation of the mechanic or the brand.

Once this is done, wait for the mechanics to make the change and that’s it, yes, remember to write down on a piece of paper the mileage that your car has at the time of the change, in order to keep track.

Do it yourself

It is the most complicated way and it is not recommended, although it is cheaper. And always remember to respect the environment and not improperly dump your waste.

You will need the following:

• An adjustable wrench.
• Several fixed keys.
• Plastic drums, at least two, to pour the old oil.
• A funnel and new oil.
• If you prefer (it is always recommended) change the filter as well.

Having this, follow the steps below:

1. You must first remove the “caps” or covers from the bottom of the car. This if the change will not be made by aspiration.
2. The oil change plug is located at the rear, at the bottom of the engine. You must first remove the filter with the help of a key and by now one of the drums must be positioned to pour the old oil.
3. Empty the filter and remove the lower plug so that the oil that was not in the filter also begins to fall. Leave it for a few minutes and wait for everything to empty.
4. Begin to pour the new oil and do not forget to do it with the help of the funnel.
5. Remember to always check the level with the dipstick and, at the end of the process, replace the cover or protective cover on the bottom of the car. You have just changed the oil in your car!

Wait: don’t leave without these tips!

• The best thing you can do if you don’t know which oil to choose is to go to a car shop or a trusted mechanic or workshop and ask for a neutral criteria that fits your needs.
• Never forget to check the oil level from time to time with the dipstick, this will help you to know if your car needs an oil change or not and if there are anomalies or excessive oil costs.
• IF you decide to do the oil change yourself, you should always take the environment into consideration and take the old oil to be reused or recycled, there are clean points in many Spanish Autonomous Communities where you can take waste so that it can be treated properly .
• Of course… Never leave your car instruction manual aside, as it is a kind of Bible for your car, so don’t invent without knowing!

To conclude, we hope you liked this article and that it has been very helpful… Does your car need a change?