| Ask anyone about the oil in the car and they'll say | | | | The engine is essentially a mechanism of |
| what? Oh, it has to be changed every 3,000 miles! | | | | controlled explosions. The energy produced in the |
| In truth, this is really an inaccurate figure. The | | | | explosion propels metal parts. Oil sits between |
| 3,000 mile figure comes from a marketing pitch. | | | | those parts and cuts down on the wear and tear |
| Exact figures are more dependent on the type of | | | | caused by the back and forth movement. It is |
| driving style you have. Regardless, it is absolutely | | | | this lubrication that keeps the engine parts from |
| true that you need to change your oil every so | | | | heating up and melting into one block of metal |
| often to get the most out of your car. Most | | | | goop. |
| people don't know why though. In this article, we | | | | Oil is amazing, but even oil will begin to break |
| delve into the reasons. | | | | down after a while. If you break down the engine |
| Oil is a magical substance. For all the bashing that | | | | of a car that has not had its oil changed regularly, |
| it gets in the environmental debates, our lives | | | | you will see what essentially looks like a scorched |
| would be drastically different without it. Oil is used | | | | earth surface. Everything will be black, and there'll |
| in everything from plastics to fertilizers to fuel | | | | be balls of burnt oil everywhere. It's generally |
| and, of course, lubrication. When it comes to your | | | | known as gunk. Gunk kills cars. It makes it difficult |
| engine, oil is the key to making it last. Without | | | | for parts to work efficiently, but it also acts as an |
| lubrication, the metal parts would just grind | | | | insulator that causes the engine to heat up. Heat |
| together and seize up in a matter of minutes. | | | | kills engines. |
| That would make owning a car a perilous | | | | Modern car engine oil is particularly helpful to cars |
| investment. | | | | because it contains detergent. What does |
| So, what is it that oil specifically does for your | | | | detergent do? It breaks down the gunk found in |
| car? The first thing it does is keep the engine | | | | an engine. This means that you can effectively |
| cooler. It does this as a matter of design. By that, | | | | take an old car and "revitalize" the internal engine |
| I mean the design of the engine and the layout of | | | | parts by using modern oil. The oil will effectively |
| the oil system allows it to actually cool and draw | | | | clean up the gunk within the engine and help the |
| heat from the engine. It does this because the oil | | | | engine run cooler. A cooler running engine is an |
| collects in something called the oil pan. The oil pan | | | | engine that lasts longer. That means fewer repairs |
| is located at the bottom of the engine. As the car | | | | and less money spent. |
| is moving, air rushes by the oil pan. The cooled oil | | | | Oil is one area where you want to spend money |
| then circulates up through the engine and siphons | | | | to buy the best product on the market. It is |
| off some of the heat being produced. A car still | | | | critical to the maintenance of your engine. Quality |
| needs a coolant system, but oil definitely plays a | | | | oil will help your engine last hundreds of thousands |
| part in the process. | | | | of miles. These days, that is money well spent |
| A more important function of oil in your engine is | | | | since most of us aren't in a position to buy new |
| to cut down on friction. Oil is a lubricant. You only | | | | cars. |
| need to rub it between your fingers to know this. | | | | |