Oil. It is that smelly, greasy fluid that is the life-blood of your vehicle’s internal mechanisms and causes your vehicle to run smoothly and efficiently, as well as cooling it down to prevent it from over-heating. It is easy for people to neglect their vehicle’s oil and take it for granted, but it is very important to make sure that the oil in your vehicle is kept fresh by going in for frequent Oil Change services Davenport IA. Your vehicle’s owners’ manual should give you guidelines for how often you should change your oil, but sometimes vehicles can be unpredictable and they may need more frequent service than recommended – especially if they are older vehicles. That is why you are your vehicle’s first line of defense whether you like it or not and you should learn how to recognize the main signs that your vehicle needs an oil change.
One of the first things that you should know is that your vehicle’s oil should be fairly light – much like fresh, dark honey. If it is very dark or black, then it is old and needs to be changed by an Oil Change Davenport IA. Dark or black oil means that it has degraded and is no longer healthy for your vehicle, so you shouldn’t waste any time getting your oil changed if you want your vehicle to continue to run smoothly.
Another sign that your vehicle needs an oil change is if your oil level is very low when you check it. As your vehicle uses oil to run and operate smoothly, a small amount of that oil is burned up over time. This means that your oil level will slowly drop over time, and if you don’t check it often and make sure that it is kept at a good level, the health of your vehicle could be at stake. Most of the time you should be able to top off your oil on your own just fine until it is time to take your vehicle in for a scheduled oil change, but if you notice that your vehicle is burning oil quicker than it should be, then you should take it to an Oil Change Davenport IA shop to find out if there is a problem that needs to be repaired.
And of course, if your engine oil light or check engine light comes on, then you may have an oil problem that you should have addressed immediately. The oil light normally comes on if your engine oil is too sluggish or dirty, but you should change your oil often enough that this is not likely to happen. If your oil light or your check engine light does come on, then you should waste no time taking your vehicle to an Oil Change Davenport IA shop to have it serviced.