How Often Should You Change Your Oil?

An oil change is one of the most important maintenance services that your vehicle will need. However, many people don’t know when they need an oil change or what happens if they don’t get it done regularly.

That’s why our team here at Land Rover Albuquerque created this oil change guide for drivers like you in the Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and South Valley areas. We’ll give a brief explanation on what exactly engine oil does. We’ll also go over how often you should change your oil and some warnings signs to look out for. Read all about oil changes below and schedule your next oil change online.

The Purpose of Engine Oil

Engine oil is used to lubricate the many moving parts inside an engine. As the engine runs, its different parts rub against each other, which causes friction. The more friction that occurs, the more the engine heats up, which could greatly damage important components. The purpose of oil is to help keep the engine nice and cool and working properly, but this can only happen when the oil is clean, which is why it needs to be changed regularly.

How Often Should I Change My Oil?

The best way to know when your vehicle needs an oil change is to check the owner’s manual. However, a good rule of thumb is every 5,000 to 7,500 miles for an engine that’s in a regular passenger vehicle. If your car has a diesel engine or you regularly drive in “severe conditions,” that interval would change to every 3,000 miles or every six months, whichever comes first.

What are considered to be severe conditions?

That could be constantly driving on trips of less than five miles in normal temperatures or less than 10 miles in freezing temperatures. It could also be driving at speeds of less than 50 MPH on long-distance trips or traveling on roads that are dusty, muddy, or sandy.

Not only can your driving patterns affect oil change frequency, but the type of oil used in your car can, as well. In fact, if your vehicle uses synthetic oil, you could go as long as 10,000 miles before needing an oil change.

Regardless, if you can’t remember when you last had an oil change, then you can look out for the following warning signs…

Oil Change Warning Signs

There are several ways to figure out when exactly you need an oil change. Here are some of the most common warning signs…

• Changing color and consistency: Clean oil is typically an amber or honey brown color. Over time, it’ll turn black and get gritty from picking up lots of debris. When this happens, the oil won’t lubricate properly and will need to be replaced.
• Loud engine: As mentioned above, when the engine’s moving parts don’t get properly lubricated, it’ll cause lots of friction. This will result in rumbling and knocking sounds from the engine, which will get louder the longer you put off an oil change.
• Strange smell: If you begin to smell burnt oil inside the cabin, it means the engine is overheating or there’s a leak somewhere. Either way, it’ll be extremely dangerous to keep driving around. If you start to smell oil, get it changed as soon as possible.
• Warning light stays on: This is the most obvious sign that you need an oil change. If an oil change warning light pops up on your dashboard, it means there’s very little oil left in the vehicle. However, in some more severe instances, you could see your check engine light come on. This means the engine is at a very high risk of damage from the lack of fluid or damaged parts. If either light comes on, get an oil change right away.

How to Change Your Oil

You can change the engine oil yourself, if you wanted. To do so, you’d just follow these step-by-step instructions…

1. Park the car on a level surface and shut the engine off.
2. Place a drain pan underneath the car to catch the excess oil.
3. Open the hood, find the oil cap on top of the engine, and remove it.
4. Find the engine drain plug under the car and remove it to drain the oil.
5. Replace the old oil filter.
6. Add new oil at the fill hole (from step 3).

Replace the fill cap and start the engine. Make sure that the oil pressure light goes off after starting the car.

Where to Get an Oil Change

Even though you could perform an oil change yourself, we recommend letting a professional do it. At our state-of-the-art Land Rover service center, our technicians are experts on performing oil changes. Due to this, they can do the job quickly and efficiently to get you back on the road as soon as possible.

Plus, we’ll only use high-quality oil for the job. This way, your Land Rover will continue to run well for many years and miles.

Furthermore, we have various service specials for your convenience. Not only can they be for oil changes, but they can also be for services, such as wheel alignments and battery checks. These specials do change from time to time, so you’ll want to double-check what we’re offering before booking a service appointment.

Schedule an Oil Change Today

If you live near Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, or South Valley and need an oil change, then contact us at Land Rover Albuquerque. Our certified technicians will work hard to get your vehicle running in great shape again.

Don’t wait. Get your oil changed today!