What’s The Best Time For An Oil Change?

One of the regular parts of maintenance that anyone with a Honda Fit in Los Angeles has to go through is getting a regular oil change. This isn’t the type of thing to neglect, though, as engine oil will not only help lubricate the engine’s moving parts, but it also generally cleans, cools, and protects said parts that help make the engine last longer. However, as time goes on, the oil will lose a lot of its properties as it becomes dirty. Generally, the car manual will give a recommendation on when the oil should be changed based on mileage, but a car owner will also want to take a close look at some other factors as well.

One major thing to do while doing a general dipstick check with the oil is looking at the color. In general, fresh oil will have a light brown color and a bit more of a transparent look. Over time, it becomes darker and eventually, thick and black. This shows that it needs to be changed, as it may lead to gunk forming in the engine. Another thing worth doing, if one doesn’t mind getting dirty, is checking the consistency of the oil. If there is grit or coarseness in the oil, this is a sign of contaminants and it will need to be changed.

In some cases, the car is going to help in terms of detecting whether or not an oil change is needed. Most modern cars have a dashboard light or some type of message that will help determine when to get an oil change, based on manufacturer’s specifications. Note that one doesn’t want to mix this up with the oil pressure dashboard light. That’s a much more serious indicator that there’s not enough oil in the engine, and risk potential permanent engine damage.

A similar example of a car potential warning that an oil change is needed is that the engine may start to get louder than usual. As mentioned before, the role of the engine oil is to keep parts lubricated. As it loses those properties, parts of the engine may begin to grind up against each other, causing noises.

While it may seem like a routine, and there may not necessarily be a change in an Honda Odyssey in Los Angeles, it’s essential to make sure to get the oil changed whenever it’s appropriate. After all, like many parts of the car, the engine isn’t going to be noticed until something goes wrong, and ideally, it shouldn’t get to that point.

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