Updated on May 21, 2021 - In this article, we have explained to you when you should change the engine oil for your car be it on the basis of kms or on the basis of the time interval.
Original Article - June 16, 2020; How often have you come across this thought that 'is it time for the service of your car'? Or Shall I skip it or it is just okay to top up the only the engine oil? Every car owner has this doubt about changing the cars oil or when should they go for the service schedule. Well, to start the topic, I would like to say it depends upon the person's daily usage and how they drive their car.
Now, different companies have a specific engine oil interval of say every 10000 km or 1 year or most German brands follow a routine of every 15000 km / 1 year. That is the idea given by the car companies on when the engine oil and regular service should be done. That does not mean that you obey the rulebook - you will understand the concept after this paragraph!
An engine is the heart of the car and the oil used acts as a fluid to help the functioning of the car. So oil is the most important aspect of running the car. One should change the engine oil of the car every 5000 to 6000 km range for the normal oil and every 8000 km for the synthetic oil. However, this rule does not always apply since the driving pattern of the driver might be different here.
If your car does a usable amount of kilometers in a day inside city limits then it is necessary to change the engine oil earlier. If not, then the oil will turn black and will only harm the engine in the future which will lead to problems like the engine being less efficient, and eventually, it can also lead to seizure of it. For people driving in traffic, the engine is more pressurized in that area as parts like the clutch are used more. So they can also change the engine oil interval to less than 5000 km, lets say at 4000 km. This will only help in lasting the engine for a few more years.
And for people who do not have an average run of not more than 10 km to 15 km then they can think of exceeding the kilometers duration by at least 1000 km. Such cases are usually seen in the smaller towns wherein city traffic is smooth and the engine doesn't take too much load. Also, it depends more on how you are driving your car.
Now, for the car enthusiasts who have gone for the remaps or upgradations that hamper the engines performance or give it an excess load, cut short the scheduled service schedule by 1500 - 2000 km. The 5000-6000 km rule is made for the standard car with a usual running pattern.
