Winter Park Oil Change Services (2024)

FAQs

How long can you go without an oil change after it's due? ›

How Many Miles Can You Go Over an Overdue Oil Change? Many people go 5,000 to 10,000 miles between oil changes, provided that oil levels are at optimal levels. It also depends on whether you've followed the recommendations shown in your owner's manual up to this point.

Here are some of the potential consequences of delaying or skipping oil changes: Increased Friction and Wear — As engine oil breaks down over time, it loses its ability to provide effective lubrication. This leads to increased friction between moving parts, causing accelerated wear and tear.

Your Car Needs an Oil Change

An illuminated check engine light is the first warning sign that your vehicle needs an oil change. It can activate because the oil is too dirty or when there's not enough flowing throughout the engine.

In fact, if you wait too long for an oil change, your smooth and clean oil will turn into dirty sludge. When this happens, your engine must work harder to fight through the buildup of muck. It loses its lubrication, and decreases heat absorption. This means that your car will be susceptible to major issues.

Even if you do not ignore the oil to this extent, delaying an oil change by just a short while can still cause damage. A slightly delayed oil change can increase engine wear, and that increased wear can lead to more problems when the vehicle is older.

Due to this, cars can generally go 5,000 to 7,500 miles before needing an oil change. Furthermore, if your vehicle uses synthetic oil, you can drive 10,000 or even 15,000 miles between oil changes. However, keep in mind that these numbers are just general guidelines.

In general, a flashing oil light will turn into a serious problem after around 2 weeks or 500 miles of driving. However, once it reaches that stage, things can quickly deteriorate, resulting in catastrophic mechanical damage. As a result, schedule an appointment with a mechanic as soon as possible.

When it's illuminated (or an oil change related message is displayed), your car is sending you a specific message. Get your oil changed as soon as you can, and certainly do it within 100 miles of seeing the light or message. Don't depend solely on the indicator light or message, either.

If you delay an oil change for too long, the oil's viscosity can decrease, leading to increased friction and accelerated wear on critical engine components such as pistons, cylinders, and bearings. This wear and tear can ultimately result in costly engine damage and decreased performance.

If your oil light comes on, you should try to have your vehicle inspected by a professional mechanic as soon as possible. Note, though, that driving around a bit more won't destroy anything. Generally speaking, you have about 2 weeks or 500 miles of driving before a flashing oil light turns into a legitimate problem.

How long after an oil change will the check engine light go off? ›

In most cases, successfully repairing the issue that caused your light to come on will cause the check engine light to turn off automatically—but only after 10 to 20 “cycles”. A cycle, in this instance, refers to the process of turning the vehicle on, running it for some time, and turning it off again.

You can even go 1000 miles over without changing your oil. The problem is that every mile you drive your car after it's evident you need an oil change increases your chance of engine damage and decreases vehicle efficiency.

Topping off the oil in your car is one way to avoid a conventional oil change (or any other kind of oil change). There is only one time this is a good idea, and that's when your oil is very low and you need to get to your auto shop right away. Other than that, it's best not to cut this particular corner.

On the other hand, don't wait too long, regardless of advances in oil technology. Don't change oil only every two years, for example, even if you rarely drive your car. Most manufacturers don't recommend leaving the same oil in your engine for more than a year.

You may be getting the oil level back to where it should be, but you're really just adding oil to dirty oil and ending up with dirty oil overall. And you may experience negative side effects like broken piston rings and cylinder valve head guides, an overheated or even seized engine, and more.

Some synthetic oils claim lives of up to 10,000 miles (~16k km), but the light usually comes on around 5,000 miles since the last oil change. Depending on your oil, you might be fine even for thousands more kilometers. I wouldn't suggest driving thousands more, but like, some people never change their oil, so…

Even in a car that's rarely driven, oil doesn't enjoy an infinite lifespan. The rule of thumb is about six months—despite oil's typical shelf life of five years. This duration can vary based on numerous factors, such as the oil type, storage conditions, and environmental factors.

The presence of oil and its distribution is absolutely crucial to an engines continued operation. Engines can work without oil, but the effect is so damaging they are only capable of running for less than 30 minutes until failing - and in most cases, it's a lot quicker than that.