How You Can Tell Your Car Needs an Oil Change

An oil change is the most regular form of maintenance a car must undergo. Without regular oil changes, performance drops and permanent engine damage can occur. It’s important that you follow the manufacturer recommendation and maintain consistent intervals.

If you’re not on a maintenance schedule or you aren’t sure whether your car needs service, it can be helpful to know the common signs that your car is due to have its oil changed. Anyone can observe these signals if you know what to look for.

How to Tell Your Car Needs an Oil Change

The oil Is dirty

The surest way to know you need an oil change is to pop the hood and check your oil. Fresh, functional oil is a translucent golden color. Old, degraded oil is dark and has particles floating in it. If you have the latter, you know it’s time to visit the service center.

Check the oil level while you’re at it. If it’s below the mark, you need to have that oil replaced.

The dashboard signal is on

Newer cars come equipped with sensors that can let you know it’s oil change time. They may also have their maintenance schedule built into the car’s onboard system to remind you.

There are also more traditional warning signals like the check engine light and the oil pressure light. If you see any kind of oil-related warning light, you should bring your car in for service sooner rather than later. You might just need an oil change, or there could be a bigger problem that needs to be addressed.

The engine is acting up

As oil gets older, you might notice your engine isn’t performing like it usually does. It could take longer to start, or you might hear clunking noises while driving. As oil gets older, it gets worse at its job — lubricating the moving parts of your engine. When those moving parts are having such a hard time going through the motions that you can hear them, that is a big sign that you’ve waited too long to get an oil change.

Schedule an Oil Change in West Palm Beach, FL

Once you’ve determined you need an oil change, bring your car to someone you trust. The service team at your local Schumacher Automotive dealership will not only get your oil changed quickly, but we can also get you back on your regular preventative maintenance schedule. You don’t need to have any doubts about when your next appointment is.

Make sure you take a look at our auto service coupons to see if you can save on your next visit. Our dealership group is proud to offer friendly and effective auto service in West Palm Beach, Florida.