Tales from the Dark Side

Our cars need some tender loving care, especially when it comes to engine oil.  Engine oil is the lifeblood of your car, and when it is not replenished or replaced, bad things may happen to your favorite jalopy!  First saga: a car, purchased new, driven for 22,000 miles with no apparent oil change services, was towed in because it would not start. The car was totally out of oil, the engine locked up, and what could have been prevented with four or five $40 oil changes turned into a $5000+ engine replacement.  Second Saga: another car was driven for at least 40,000 miles without an oil change, and had less than ½ quart of oil remaining when it was brought in.  What was left was thick “sludge”, a result of accumulation of dirt, moisture,  & combustion gases, and the additives boiling off.  Resulting sludge will plug up the oil passageways in the cylinder head and block, leading to excess heat and friction. The moral of these stories…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!  Do yourself and your car a favor – change your oil regularly, and be sure to check your dipstick/oil level every other time you fill up on gas to keep that engine lubricated!  Depend on an experienced ASE technician to keep your car running safely.