Whether you manage a fleet of vehicles or have a few trucks, oil is important. Changing your oil regularly is something companies and experts like those of Shell Oil distributors recognize as being an imperative part of maintaining good engine health. This is valid no matter how specialized or normal your equipment may be. Changing the oil should ALWAYS be a component of a maintenance routine.
Key Function of Oil
Oil plays a multi-faceted and key role in the performance of your engine. It has three key functions to fulfill:
- It ensures all components of your engine function together in a smooth and comprehensive fashion – lubricates them
- It acts as a coolant drawing away a buildup of heat from the engine
- It prevents the accumulation of various contaminants and toxic substances in the engine
These three features alone emphasize the importance of oil. They also clearly indicate why you need to change the lubricant on a regular basis.
How Regular Is Regular?
Shell Oil distributors understand the importance of changing your oil as part of an ongoing maintenance schedule. According to the experts in this field, the term “regular” is defined in accordance with the mileage of a vehicle. The actual length of time a vehicle is on the road can also factor in. In fact, some state it is important to change the oil at an interval of either three months or when the odometer reads 3,000 miles. However, professionals tend to say the emphasis should be on the mileage and not the calendar.
The rationale behind this is simple. For some cars, this may be applicable. They may sit in their driveways for most of the period and only make a small commute to work or to visit clients. It may actually take them three months to build up any significant mileage.
For a fleet of trucks the opposite may be valid. Driving a truck for a month can rapidly accumulate the stated amount of mileage. If an oil change is let for three months, it can create a negative effect upon the engine and, therefore the performance of the truck overall.
Failure to Change
The result of not caging the oil with regularity can be abysmal. It can include buildup of undesirable contaminants on the crankcase. It will also affect the ability of the camshafts and valves to operate optimally. This may also affect the condition of the piston rings, wearing them out.
Continuing to ignore the problem and not change the oil may eventually result in the seizing to the pistons or damage to the camshafts. Engine overhauls and replacement of components can prove to be expensive. This is why, Shell Oil distributors and other professional suppliers recommend you adopt the right course, rely the importance of oil for the optimal functioning of your engine and replace it accordingly.