People commonly say that changing the oil is the single most important thing you can do to take care of your vehicle. However, procrastination is something commonly said amongst car owners as to why they do not get an oil change done sooner.
Oil is used to cut down on friction within your engine. When you have clean, high-quality oil, it allows the components of your engine to work well. Over time, oil can become contaminated, and it starts to lose its viscosity. This means essentially that the oil has become dirty. When this happens, your oil loses its ability to prevent friction-meaning the components of your engine will be wearing each other down, causing erosion and significant mechanical damage.
Common Signs You Have an Oil Leak
The most obvious way to see if you’ve gone too long without an oil change is that the oil is leaking from your engine. This can result in a common sign, which is a puddle of greasy-looking brown liquid under your car. This forms usually after your car has been parked for a while. However, a ton of vehicles today have shielding underneath, which ends up catching the oil before it hits the ground. This would hide the fact that your car has an oil leak. So when your low oil level light is on in your car, you may notice that it is a serious issue.
Another sign of an oil leak is if your engine is covered in oil. Make sure to open your hood every once in a while, to check the fluids of your vehicle. This allows you to not only check up on your vehicle’s other fluids but to also see if there is oil leaking from anywhere. Besides it is coating everything, when your car is running, it will start to burn, and you will be able to smell it.
What Causes a Leak?
Everyone has a different type of issue when it comes to oil leaks and their vehicles. Sometimes different components including engine gaskets and oil seals will erode over time. This usually is the causation of leaks, however, there could be several other issues as well.
Bad Valve Seals or Rings
Leaking valve seals or rings can also be contributing to your car’s oil loss. However, if there are no holes in your gaskets, the oil will not make it to the outside of the engine. This is not something you will most likely notice, as the combustion process will burn it up.
Incorrection Installation
It may be that one of your gaskets, which keeps the oil inside, is improperly installed. This happens when the oil valve cover or pan gasket is over-tightened. It also can happen when the tightness is not evenly distributed. Another reason could be that there is an improper attachment of the oil filter. The oil filter is where the engine’s oil flows continuously through, and if it’s loose, you can experience a leak as well.
Damaged Oil Pans or Gaskets
Your car’s oil gaskets and pans can become easily damaged by road debris since it is located at the bottom of the engine. Bumpy and rough roads can lead to a hole which will cause an oil pan leak. Normally the pan’s gasket usually suffers a ton of wear and tear and can become damaged. This also can cause a leak to happen.
Regardless of the specific cause of your oil leak, it is urgent that you get it fixed. Take your vehicle to us at Rowan Tire & Auto Service, and we will make sure your oil leak is taken care of by one of our professional technicians.
