If there’s one vehicle service you wouldn’t want to miss, it’s changing the oil. Even slight degradation in motor oil diminishes its ability to lubricate, clean, and protect your car’s engine. This means permanent wear and tear to the engine’s internal components, which hinders the power, performance, and longevity of your car. If you notice the following indications of engine trouble, head to your local Ford dealer right away for an oil change.
Your Indicator Light
Every modern vehicle has a dashboard indicator light that lets you know when it’s time to get your oil serviced. For most vehicles, it appears every 10,000 miles or so, but this can vary widely depending on the individual vehicle’s make or model. If you see the oil change indicator light (which looks like an oil can), get in for service.
Knocking Sounds
The primary job of motor oil is to keep the many moving parts fully lubricated. But as oil ages and fills with contaminants, it starts to thicken and turn into sludge, compromising its viscosity and losing its lubricating properties.
This causes the pistons, rods, shafts, pushrods, and valves to rub and knock against each other, generating friction and knocking noises. If you hear tapping, banging, or knocking coming from your car’s engine compartment, pull over and check the oil; it may need to be changed at once.
Strange Vibrations
When an unlubricated engine starts to struggle, you’ll feel the car vibrating strangely. These excess vibrations are likely to be more noticeable when you’re idling.
Smell of Burning
If your motor oil leaks, you may smell it burning as it drips onto heated engine parts. Low or degraded oil can cause overheating as well, which may also generate a burning smell.
Overheating Engine
The motor oil aids the coolant in controlling the engine’s temperature. Therefore, if your oil reduces, leaks, or deteriorates, your car is more likely to overheat. This will cause the engine power to plummet and the dashboard’s engine temperature gauge to shoot up. You might also hear loud ticking sounds and see white vapor rising from under the hood.
Blue Exhaust Smoke
Sometimes, oxidized oil can leak past the valve seals or piston rings into the combustion chambers. Therein, it burns alongside the fuel, potentially causing strange bluish smoke to escape from the tailpipe.
Thick, Grimy Oil
It’s wise to periodically inspect your motor oil. If the oil is darkened and grimy, clearly filled with dirt and particles, have it refreshed. Motor oil continually collects contaminants from the engine, sweeping all debris into the oil filter. This filter needs to be changed before it fills up; otherwise, the collected debris will reenter the oil, leading to rapid degradation.
Change Oil Twice a Year at Your Ford Dealer
Even the most diligent drivers might occasionally forget to change their oil during a busy period. We can help you avoid this risk. When you schedule oil servicing with us, we can remind you whenever your next servicing call is approaching. Visit Auffenberg Ford, Inc. in Belleville, IL, for prompt, courteous vehicle maintenance and repairs. We offer a one-stop shop for all your Ford-related needs, whatever they are.
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