Is a cheap oil change really worth it?

In times such as these many people are looking for ways to save money and reduce their outgoings. In these circumstances it's tempting to consider a cheap oil change when buying new engine oil. It's common to save cash by purchasing cheaper alternatives instead of the goods and services we might normally use when we have a little more money. This is often a good idea and I’ve done it many times myself. But some things are too important to compromise on. In fact doing so can often be a false economy which leads to greater expense in the future. Engine oil is one of these items.

To the novice understanding the role of oil in a car’s engine, and more importantly, what you need to do to make sure your engine functions as efficiently and for as long as possible can be a complicated and often intimidating subject. But it doesn’t have to be. Armed with some fairly simple knowledge you will be able to appreciate how important oil is and navigate your way through the jungle are different motor oil products. This article will give you that knowledge. Also, if you don't find what you need nere check out the oil pressure gauge blog for a lot of information about car maintenance.

To begin let’s consider the purpose of oil. First it provides lubrication. Inside the engine there are many moving parts oil is used to create a cushion between these parts which prevents them coming into direct contact with each other. In these moving parts were to touch each other under the extreme conditions in the engine then they would quickly cause damage to each other irrespective of the materials they were made from. So in this case oil prevents them from damaging each other.

Secondly oil cools the engine. As the oils is circulated around the engine it collects in the oil pan, also known as, the oil sump. The sump is underneath the engine and therefore the flow of air underneath the engine as the car moves forward helps to cool the oil in the sump before it is re-circulated by the oil pump. However, useful though this calling may be it is not enough to cool the engine completely. Therefore, cars have separate water based cooling systems and some even have additional oil coolers, particularly high performance cars.

Finally, the motor oil helps to clean the engine and prevent a buildup of sludge forming. Sludge is bad news because it restricts the flow of oil and therefore prevents the oil from doing its job as efficiently as possible. It is also worth mentioning motor oil prevents corrosion by covering the metal in the engine in oil and reducing its exposure to the oxygen in the air which causes metals to oxidize and therefore corrode.
Because oil is so critical to the engine any failure in its ability to do its job can result in rapid deterioration of the engine, with moving parts being friction welding together, damaging the engine beyond repair.

Now we know what oil does let’s consider how it does it. Just having oil in the engine next to moving parts doesn’t do the job. If the oil has space to move into when it is pushed or compressed by the moving parts then it would just be wiped away and would not stop the components from striking each other. That is why oil is pressurized and pumped around the engine. When the oil is under pressure it can “push back” against the moving parts, resisting their force, and therefore keeps them away from each other. That is why oil pressure is so critical and you have an oil pressure gauge on your dashboard.
 
A quality oil is able to operate at high and low temperatures without being too thick (therefore reducing oil pressure) or thin too properly lubricate. It will contain detergents to help clean the engine and prevent the buildup of sludge. It will also contain additives to improve some of its chemical properties with regards to inhibiting corrosion and reducing wear.

You’re reading this page I hope you’ll agree there is no such thing as a cheap oil change as oil is just too important to the well-being of your car’s engine to compromise on. Always make sure you choose an oil that fits the specification of your car and is manufactured by a reputable oil company. Cheap motor oil can cost you a lot more in the long run, financially, it's just not worth the compromise.

One way to save money on your oil change is to find some oil coupons from one of the major manufacturers. This is quite easy to do if you search on their own website or on Google. Jiffy Lube frequently has special offers.