Routine care is vital no matter the sedan, crossover, SUV, or truck you drive near Gastonia, Charlotte, and Lincolnton. When it comes to such procedures as an oil change, our Mazda of Gastonia Service Center always receives this same question: “How can I tell when I need an oil change?”
It’s a good question, too. Knowing when your oil needs to be changed will help you stay up to date with this vital component of automotive care. The following is a breakdown of the oil change process and a few ways to tell when you need your oil swapped out!
The easiest way to keep up with necessary oil changes is to follow the universal rule of thumb for this service: receive an oil change every 5,000 miles. The 5,000-mile mark isn’t perfect, but it’s an accurate and reliable way to keep the many pieces under your hood lubricated with fresh motor oil.
There are occasions where you may want to switch the oil out more frequently, though. For example, if you have a heavy-duty truck which you use each week to tow thousands of pounds of cargo, swapping out the motor oil with more frequency is a good idea. The same goes for high-performance vehicles. Anytime you’re placing strain on the engine, you’re going to wear down the motor oil more quickly.
While swapping out your oil every 5,000 miles is the easiest way to keep up with this process, there will be symptoms your car displays suggesting an oil change is needed if you haven’t swapped in fresh oil recently.
First, if you have a modern vehicle, there’s a good likelihood your dashboard has an oil change light. When the light comes on, you know it’s time to go to the shop. The second option is to inspect the oil yourself. Fresh motor oil is fluid, while typically being golden-brown in color. If you check your own oil and find it’s black, mucky, and almost solid rather than flowing smoothly, it’s time to make a change.
As you’re moving along local streets, your car may begin to act up if the motor oil is wearing down. Grinding noises may begin to sound from under the hood, for example. It’s also possible that your model sees a noticeable downtick in performance traits such as acceleration, top-end speed, and especially the fuel economy. You know your model better than anyone, so if it begins to act up in an abnormal way, a visit to the shop is smart!
At the Mazda of Gastonia Service Center, an oil change will be knocked out quickly and efficiently. You merely need to book your visit online and then stop over! Also, if you have more questions related to automotive care for your vehicle near Gastonia, Charlotte, or Lincolnton, reach out to our staff!
