Frequently, car owner friends will ask:How often should engine oil be changed?When I asked the 4S store, the answer was that it should be replaced within 5,000 kilometers. But they felt that the frequency was too fast and they were worried about being cheated of money, so they came up with the idea of writing such an article.
● When using original engine oil, it must be replaced according to the instructions in the maintenance manual.
After buying a new car, the front is maintained at the 4S store, and the engine oil used for maintenance is also the so-called original engine oil. In this case, just follow the instructions in the car maintenance manual to change the oil.
For example, most Japanese cars are replaced every 5,000 kilometers or every six months, while most European and American cars are replaced every 7,500 kilometers or every six months. However, it is recommended that you do the first maintenance in advance, because the engine is in the first running-in period before the first maintenance, and more mechanical debris will appear in the engine. Performing maintenance early to "release" them will definitely be beneficial to the engine without any harm.
● Self-purchased engine oil has different replacement intervals according to different types.
If the maintenance is to replace the engine oil purchased by yourself, then the replacement cycle must be distinguished according to the different types of engine oil. As mentioned in the previous engine oil article, engine oil is divided into three categories: mineral oil, semi-synthetic oil, and fully synthetic oil. The replacement intervals of these three types of engine oil are also different.
Generally speaking, the replacement cycle of mineral oil is every half a year or 5,000 kilometers, the replacement cycle of semi-synthetic oil is every half a year or 7,500 kilometers, and the replacement cycle of fully synthetic oil is every half a year or 10,000 kilometers.
● Unconventional driving conditions also require shortening the replacement cycle
However, both the guidelines in the maintenance manual and the recommendations on self-purchased oil itself refer to replacement intervals under "normal driving" conditions. And "normal driving" refers to driving on the highway frequently and rarely stopping and going.
For example, in urban driving, traffic lights and traffic jams cause the car to idle for a long time or stop and go, often driving within a short distance of less than 8km, and driving to work, but the car is not hot yet when we arrive at work. These are extraordinary "wasteful driving". This kind of "weary driving" will cause a large amount of carbon deposits in the engine, thus affecting the life of the engine.
For this kind of "weary driving", we recommend shortening the oil change mileage by 20-30%. By shortening the replacement mileage, the carbon deposits in the engine are cleaned to ensure the normal operation of the engine. How much is the shortening? For example: if ordinary mineral oil is not changed every 3,500-4,000 kilometers in advance, semi-synthetic engine oil should be changed every 5,500-6,000 kilometers in advance; fully synthetic engine oil should be changed every 7,500-8,000 kilometers in advance.
● In harsh environments, the replacement cycle should be appropriately shortened
In addition to "weary driving" that will affect the oil change cycle, harsh driving conditions will also affect the oil change cycle. For example, when driving on dusty and gravel roads, the influx of a large amount of sand and dust will aggravate the clogging of the oil filter and the impurity content of the engine oil. In this case, it is difficult to guarantee the validity period of the engine oil on the original basis, so it needs to be replaced in advance.
Another example is driving across climatic zones due to long-distance driving, or driving in areas with temperatures below -20°C. Rapid changes in climate and too low temperatures will cause the deterioration of the engine oil, thereby greatly shortening the "life" of the engine oil. Like the above two situations, we also recommend shortening the oil replacement mileage by 20-30%.
● Teach you how to judge when it’s time to change the engine oil
The above mentioned are actually some hard data, but different environments, different driving habits and needs, and even different brands and types of engine oil make this data full of uncertainty. Here I will teach you two methods so that you can accurately judge whether the engine oil needs to be changed.
1. Observe through oil test paper
Take a small amount of engine oil from the oil dipstick and drop it on the oil test paper, then let it sit overnight until the oil on it is completely spread on the test paper. If the edges between the diffused oil ring, sedimentation ring, and diffusion ring are harder, the oil performance will degrade more severely. A colleague of ours once wrote an article. Friends who are interested can click to read: "Testing the Quality of Engine Oil for 1 Cent".
2. Judge based on the driving feeling after changing the oil.
The performance of engine oil has a "shelf life". At a certain period, when you feel that the power is "too heavy" and the acceleration is slow, it means that the "shelf life" of the engine oil has expired and it is time to change the oil.
In addition, when you change the engine oil and feel a significant increase in power, it means that the mileage of the last oil change was a bit too long. Next time, you can proceed 500 kilometers in advance, so that you can find a more accurate mileage for changing the oil in 1-2 times.
Finally, I would like to remind everyone that when changing the engine oil, it is best to replace the oil filter as well. The function of the oil filter is to intercept impurities in the engine oil. If not replaced in time, the accumulated impurities will cause blockage. At the least, it will cause insufficient engine oil pressure and poor lubrication of mechanical parts. In serious cases, it will cause excessive wear of the engine.
Summarize:Regarding the question of how often to change the engine oil, from the editor's point of view, under normal circumstances, it is enough to just follow the maintenance mileage recommended in the engine oil or maintenance manual. Under harsh driving conditions, develop the habit of regularly observing the condition of the engine oil and replace it promptly if any deterioration is found.
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