When Is the Right Time to Change Your Car Oil?

Regular oil changes are an essential habit to keep your beloved vehicle healthy and running smoothly. However, not everyone follows this practice or knows exactly when to change their car's engine oil. For this reason, the article below from Huynh Chau will provide you with the necessary information about oil change intervals and the benefits of performing this maintenance regularly.

Related Articles:

• 7 Simple Questions to Answer When Selecting and Using the Correct Car Engine Oil
• 9 Fuel-Saving Tips for Cars That Only Experienced Drivers Know

Regular engine oil changes are a necessary maintenance task

1. Oil Change Standards for Automobiles

Automobile engine oil must be changed regularly. Typically, when a new car has run 5,000 to 7,000 kilometers or after about 5 months, it requires an oil change. However, for luxury vehicles using premium engine oil, this interval may be extended.

Modern vehicles have more advanced standards, with oil change intervals of 12,000 to 16,000 kilometers or every 6 to 12 months. However, since engine oil gradually depletes over time, you should still change your oil every 2 years to ensure stable engine performance. That said, oil change intervals depend not only on kilometers driven but also on several other factors:

• It depends on the type of lubricant used for each vehicle: If you do not use the correct oil specifications recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, your car will not operate efficiently and may not follow the prescribed oil change schedule.

For example, using 5W30 oil for a Mazda CX-5 2.0 means the oil change interval is 8,000 kilometers, whereas using a different product would result in shorter intervals between changes.

• It depends on engine condition: For older, well-used vehicles, worn engine components create greater friction, requiring more frequent oil changes.
• It depends on operating conditions: If your vehicle travels on rough, flooded, or flood-prone roads, you will need to change the oil more frequently than vehicles driven on smooth, well-maintained roads.

Flooding requires more frequent oil changes

In addition to remembering the oil change schedule, you can also use the dipstick to check the engine oil level, which every vehicle is equipped with.

The dipstick has two marks: max and min. If the oil level falls between these two marks, your vehicle has sufficient