How many kilometers does a car travel before it needs an oil change?

Lubricating oil plays an important role in the operation of engines, machines, and equipment. Basically, its main functions are lubricating surfaces, cleaning the surfaces of parts, cooling some parts, and preventing rust and oxidation of metal parts. So when is the right time to change the oil for your car and the basic things you need to know when changing the oil for your car.

When to change oil?

Normally, a new car should change its oil every 3,000 to 5,000 km or 3 months. However, some luxury car models use high-quality engine oil, which has a longer operating time and longer mileage. However, thanks to technical advances, car manufacturers have extended the oil change interval to 12,000 - 16,000 km or 6 - 12 months, saving up to 5.5 million VND. However, because the oil will dry out over time, users still need to change it periodically twice a year to ensure engine performance and longevity.

In addition to the above calculation, you can rely on the oil dipstick in the engine that any car is equipped with. Normally, the oil dipstick has a yellow handle, located on the engine, when opening the car hood, it will be easy to find.

On all dipsticks there are two notches max and min, the oil must be within this level to ensure the engine operates properly. If it is outside, below the min level, it means the engine is lacking lubricating oil, higher than the max level means there is too much oil. Both cases are not good for the vehicle's operation.

According to the experience of long-time car users, the best way to check is when the engine is cold, the oil should not be lower than min and when the engine is hot, the oil should not be higher than max.

Looking at the color of the oil on the dipstick, you can know whether to change the oil or not. Accordingly, if the color of the oil is black, it is time to change the oil, while if the oil on the dipstick is orange, the oil is still good and should not be changed.

Cars that are not used for a long time still need to change engine oil

The oil itself is not consumed much, but the oil contains many types of additives that perform different functions such as cleaning, anti-wear, anti-rust, anti-oxidation, anti-foaming; and when performing these functions, these additives are gradually consumed, causing the oil to deteriorate and need to be replaced.

Therefore, even if the car runs little, the oil stored in the engine for a long time will also degrade over time. Therefore, in addition to the number of kilometers, the car manufacturer also stipulates the time of oil use, usually 1 year. If after 1 year the car has not reached the specified number of kilometers, the engine oil still needs to be changed.

Black oil proved to work effectively.

The oil turns black, that is its operating principle. In the combustion section up to hundreds of degrees, it will cause discoloration. During the movement, it also washes the engine, at that time you do not need to change the oil.

In fact, oil not changing color does not mean good oil, in addition to cooling effect, it also has the effect of lubricating the engine, so turning black is normal, but how black is it? If it is too black, it is not good, it could be the residue of rust filtered from friction.

Not the thicker the oil the better.

The old concept of drivers is that the thicker the oil, the better the lubrication. However, that is a single-grade oil, which only ensures the viscosity at high temperatures enough to lubricate the engine; whereas today's oil is a multi-grade type, which ensures the viscosity at high temperatures, and also helps the vehicle start easily at low temperatures because it is not too thick.

What type of oil should I change to?

Depending on the vehicle model and the characteristics of the engine equipped on the vehicle, the lubricant used for each type of vehicle is also different. It is best to consult the manufacturer, or change the oil at authorized dealers of the vehicle brand you are using, or at reputable garages, ensuring that you change the correct type of oil needed for your vehicle's engine.