While many people have stopped driving as frequently as they used to in the past year, there have always been those who own a car but do not drive very often. Nonetheless, given the events of the last year, which have caused many individuals to stay at home and not drive as frequently as they did in normal times, more worries about car maintenance have arisen. If you haven’t driven as much since your last oil change, chances are you haven’t reached the mileage barrier that necessitates another oil change. If you don’t drive much, do you still require oil changes? Yes. Why should I change the oil even if I don’t drive much? There’s a good reason for it.
Why Do Cars Need Oil Changes?
Clean oil is critical because it lubricates and cools hundreds of moving engine parts, which reduces friction and wear. It closes gaps in order to limit contamination to a minimum. It also safeguards your engine by preventing dirt and pollutants from accumulating, as well as damage caused by moisture or acids.
Again, a lot of the problems individuals have with their cars can be solved by simply driving for at least 20 minutes a week. However, if you haven’t gotten your oil changed since the outbreak, now is the time.
Why do you need oil changes if you don’t drive much?
Getting an oil change is generally recommended after 3,000, 5,000, or even 10,000 miles have passed since your last one (always consult your car owner’s manual for precise mileage recommendations, which vary by vehicle). But what if months pass and you still haven’t reached those mileage goals? Even so, you should get your oil changed.
Even if you haven’t driven the thousands of miles that are generally advised, it is recommended that you get your oil changed at least twice a year. Oil, like anything else, degrades with time, and having oil degrade in your engine for months on end isn’t good for your vehicle. If it’s been more than six months since you’ve had your oil changed, schedule an appointment right away.
When a car isn’t driven for a long time, does the motor oil go bad?
If you did well in high school science, you might have observed a pattern that will help you better grasp the answer to the question, “How often should I replace the oil in my car when it isn’t being driven?”
Almost everything in the universe is on its way to decay. Everything starts to go apart. It’s known as entropy.
In other words, after a given length of time, everything dies has a half-life or is set to not work. This is based on biological, physics, and chemistry scientific laws.
Oil, in common words, isn’t supposed to last forever. It’s not possible.
Even oil that never makes it into an automobile engine has a five-year expiration date. When it comes to the auto parts store or garage in that branded plastic container, the oil does not appear the same as it does when it comes out of the ground.
Motor oil that has been processed, whether synthetic or organic, has a shelf life. How is it possible?
Oil is a liquid that changes colour and temperature when exposed to light (and pressure). Temperature, light, and pressure exposure, as well as entropy, modify the chemical’s composition over time. Additives can diminish or lengthen the life of the oil, but they will not last indefinitely.
As a result, it’s evident that the motor oil in an automobile engine would go bad as well – and probably even faster!
In other words, a driver might be concerned about the oil in the engine going bad or expiring. The answer is simple: assuming the oil was in good condition at the time of storage, six months is usually sufficient. A year is excessively long.
Although detailed solutions to this subject are difficult to come by, the general view among many mechanics and automobile enthusiasts is that oil changes should be performed on a frequent basis while the vehicle is in use.
They feel that the car should not be stored for more than a year. Many people would be hesitant to leave the oil in an unused car for longer than six months.
For more information about how to take care of your Hyundai iLoad engine, please visit here.