Changing Engine Oil

It has been raining since the beginning of this week. Although it is still summer, the sun is hiding behind thick clouds and it has been a bit cold with the temperature around 25 degrees Celsius. The sudden change in the temperature might be blamed for our staff having colds and taking sick days. Look after yourself, please.

Today, I went to an auction instead of the staff member who usually goes there. Maybe because everyone’s summer holiday has finished, or maybe from the influence of the end of the financial year coming next month, there seemed more cars listed at all the auction places this week. There are lots of cars I wanted to check but as you know, I cannot spend all day doing so; I tried to ignore the urge and started checking cars our customers had ordered. When we check cars, there are many bits we should be looking at but the engine is one of the most important parts; we carefully check for the existence of any unusual noise, stability of idling, wobbling, acceleration, oil leakage, etc. Fortunately today I did not find anything serious enough to worry about before bidding. However, this is a very important process because the engine can decide the total value of the car. As you know, most engine troubles come from not changing the oil as often as it should have been. Then, how often we should be changing it?

At most car dealers and gas stations, they recommend it every 3000 to 5000Km. For drivers who do not know much about cars, I think this is a good advice.

What the makers say about it? The data is as follows:
(Toyota, Mazda & Honda)
Standard petrol cars: every 15,000Km or annually
Petrol car with turbo engine: every 5,000Km or six-monthly
Diesel car: every 5,000 to 20,000Km or 6 month – yearly
However under severe conditions (when a car is used in rather rough conditions)
Standard petrol car: every 7,500Km or 6 monthly
Petrol car with turbo engine: every 2,500Km or 3 monthly
Diesel car: every 2,500 to 10,000Km or every 3 to 12 months
(Nissan)
All cars: every 5,000Km or 6 monthly
Mitsubishi does not have any recommended time for this

How about engine oil makers? Most of them say every 3,000 to 5,000Km or yearly but some say every 5,000Km or 6 month. Isn’t it confusing?

So here is what I think:
Non-turbo petrol car: every 15,000Km or yearly change should be OK
Petrol car with turbo engine & used under severe conditions: every 2,500Km or 3 monthly

When they say they recommend an oil change every 3000Km, it does not mean it is always dangerous if you do not do it at 3,000Km but means it is safe if you do it every 3,000Km. Thinking about your car’s condition and the condition of use, it would be the best to decide how often you are going to change the oil beforehand.

Before I finish, there is a more important thing than changing engine oil: oil level. If you drive a car, even if you do not know much about cars, you have to know how to check the oil level. Even if you completely forget to change oil and run 20,000Km, it does not mean the engine will get damaged but it you forget to check the oil level and run under the recommended level, the engine will surely be damaged.

Once it is done, it will not be fixed simply. Either getting a new engine or overhaul, it is going to cost more than \\100,000. You might have to buy a new car if you are unlucky. Check the manual about how to check the oil level and make sure you know it. It is not difficult to do it yourself.

When the oil gets too low, the engine sound changes. When it sounds noisier than usual, or is making an unusual noise, be warned. Check the oil level straight away. Keep an eye on the oil spot in your usual parking space right down where the engine should be. If there is any leak, be careful. Make sure the oil level is OK. After rain, it is easy to spot oil leakage. Look for the cause and fix the problem. If you leave it too late, your engine will definitely break. (￣∇￣|||) Bang!


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(Editor)
JPC TRADE CO.,LTD.
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Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporters Association (JUMVEA)
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