What Parts of a Car Are Most at Risk When You Neglect an Oil Change

Regrettably, delaying necessary car maintenance can have disastrous effects on both you and your vehicle. You certainly aren’t the only one who neglects their cars during hectic times in life; many individuals put off recommended oil changes, noisy motors, noisy brake pads, or overheating engines simply because they have too much on their plates. But do you realize the risks you’re taking?f

The most frequently overlooked auto maintenance for owners is oil changes. It’s simple to put them off when you have a ton of other obligations to take care of since when they’re routinely scheduled, they don’t appear urgent or difficult. The bad news is that skipping oil changes can cause your engine’s friction and buildup to worsen. At best, you risk wasting fuel and experiencing decreased fuel economy; at worst, your engine will be seriously damaged by overheating, friction, and obstruction.

Risks

• Cause Damage and Wear to the Vehicle’s Engine

The worst possible outcome is significant engine damage if an oil change is neglected. The lubricant, oil, prevents the engine’s moving elements from rubbing against one another, which might wear out components and generate too much heat. The oil itself degrades over time and must be replaced in order to function properly. 

Your car’s engine may seize up or encounter other major issues if you put off an oil change for too long. If this occurs, you could have to rebuild the engine, swap it out for a new one, or buy a new vehicle.

Even if you don’t completely disregard the oil, even a brief delay in changing the oil can be harmful. A minor delay in changing the oil can result in an increase in engine wear, and as a vehicle ages, this additional wear can cause more issues. In other words, postponing oil changes might always shorten the lifespan of the engine in your car.

• Lower future resale value as a result

Your car will be worth less when you want to sell it or trade it in whether the engine is fully ruined or just a little bit more worn down than necessary. An engine that has been rebuilt or replaced will have a significantly lower fair-market value, and one that is worn out and noisy may put potential buyers off.

• Void any existing vehicle warranties

Expect the warranty coverage to be void if you neglect an oil change if you drive a new or certified pre-owned car that is covered by a manufacturer’s or dealer’s warranty. Because they are so important, regular oil changes can eventually cause a vehicle’s warranty to be voided.

• Impact the performance of the engine in several ways

The performance of the engine is adversely affected by oil breakdown in numerous ways. These modifications affect your car’s performance in the real world even though you might not notice them right away because they take place gradually. 

First, if the oil in your engine is too old, it will sound louder and run rougher. The increased noise is caused by the engine’s components rubbing against one another more, and this noise is not good for the engine or enjoyable to listen to. 

The engine won’t be able to generate the same level of power, which is the second issue. The friction and heat created by the rubbing of the engine’s components are energy that would otherwise be converted into horsepower and torque. However, because of the excessive friction, all that dissipates is heat and has no useful purpose. 

Thirdly, your engine will become a little bit slower due to the decreased horsepower and torque. When the engine is running on fresh oil, the car can accelerate more quickly.

• Reduce your highway and city fuel efficiency

Additionally, the fuel efficiency of your car will decrease, increasing your gasoline costs for both city and highway driving. You’ll fill up at the gas station more frequently as a result of this, which will result in higher gasoline costs than necessary. 

We provide a lot more than just the standard oil change at Master Muffler in South Ogden. By providing a signature service oil change that includes other preventative maintenance procedures, we go even farther. These actions are intended to replace, check, examine, fill, flush, and clean each and every component of your car’s oil system.