You’ve probably seen that little oil light blink on in your car as you have been driving. Maybe you have a sticker in the upper left corner of your windshield telling you when you need to get your next oil change. But perhaps you are too busy, or don’t want to spend the money on such a mundane expense. However, oil to an engine is like blood to your body. If it isn’t replenished, it is a guarantee that your car will eventually die. Oil is a lubricant which allows the metal in your engine to press against other metals without causing any significant damage.

It lubricates the pistons as they move up and down within the cylinders, and functions to help other aspects of your complicated engine operate. If you don’t have oil in your vehicle, chances are that it isn’t going to operate. In fact, your car may cease working automatically if you run out of oil. This could mean coming to a dead stop on a busy freeway, or breaking down in the center of an intersection. Often when men and women want to stall or create a barrier for another person, they drain the oil in that car so that it will not budge. While it may be a great tactic to stall a criminal, you don’t want to try the risks of driving with no oil on your own.

What if you have plenty of oil in your car, but don’t want to change it? You may think that as long as the engine has oil, there is no need to refresh it. Doing this will cause lots of dirt and dust particles to accumulate in the oil, and the filter will eventually fail to clean this out. Once the oil filter is clogged, the thick and coarse oil will cause wear on your engine, which could result in an unplanned breakdown. As well, additives like rust-fighters, dispersants, detergents, and friction reducers which are put in car oil will eventually wear out. Even if the oil is left, these necessary chemicals will eventually vanish, causing wear on your engine.

Eventually, the oil will get dirtier, more abrasive, and less helpful for your car. You will end up with a failed engine if you don’t take action, and there’s no guarantee that the engine will stop while in your driveway. People have ended up in horrible accidents because of an engine that malfunctioned while they were on a congested freeway or on a high-speed road. If you fail to change your oil after the recommended 3,000 miles, you will probably be all right. You would have to drive a thousand miles or more over your recommended oil change mileage before you ran into any serious engine trouble.

Still, you are always better safe than sorry, and it is wise to make sure that you keep your car up to avoid dangerous stalls out on the road. If you are a do-it-yourself type, you can try doing your own oil change. You will need a variety of tools, including a ratchet, oil filter wrench, oil catch, funnel, new oil filter, and a clean rag. You will also need to purchase new oil, which can often be obtained at any automotive store. You have to drain the oil out of your car before adding the fresh stuff in, so you will want to pull out the drain plug located under your car. Your engine oil can be as hot as 250 degrees, so wait 2 hours after you have turned off the engine before attempting this act. You also need to remove the old oil filter and replace it with the new one, and refill the oil through the hood of your car by using a funnel. Whether you want to try it yourself or take it to an automobile shop, make sure to change your oil frequently to avoid the potential for a dangerous stall out on the road!