All car owners know that to keep their engine in good shape they need to get regular oil changes. The problem, however, is knowing how often your car needs one. This post can help you figure it out.

How Your Car Tells You It's Time for an Oil Change

If you've finally been convinced that your car doesn't really need an oil change every 3,000 miles, you may be wondering how often it really does need one. The truth is there isn't a one size fits all rule for engines. To help you out, we've compiled this list of signs the indicate your care is ready for an oil change.

Look at Your Dashboard

If your check engine light recently lit up on your dashboard, you may be a bit confused as to what's going on under the hood. Although this doesn't always mean you have an oil related issue, if it's been a while since your last oil change, that might be the problem. Generally speaking, this is more applicable to older model cars because most newer model cars have a separate light that alerts you when your car is ready to get its oil changed. If either one of these lights up in your car, take a look at your oil to get a clearer picture of what's going on. If your oil is quite dirty, schedule your oil change appointment or gather your tools to do it yourself.

Listen to Your Engine

Whether your engine is super quiet or a bit noisy, at this point you probably know what its normal sound is. If it starts to make new noises or gets louder, you may have an oil related issue. Your motor oil acts as a lubricant that allows the moving parts in your engine to work efficiently without coming into contact with each other. When your oil is old and no longer able to perform well, these tiny metal parts can start to knock into each other, increasing friction and heat under the hood. Since they're left exposed, they can also cause damage to your engine. This is why you may start to hear knocking, grinding, or rumbling sounds that weren't there before. To get your engine back to normal, simply get an oil change. Now that you know what's causing all the noise under the hood, be sure to make your oil change a full synthetic oil change. There are many benefits of using a synthetic oil in your engine, including longer  intervals between changes. If you need help finding the perfect products for your oil change, contact AMSOIL Dealer, Dwight Smith at (702) 561-3706. Their professionals will be happy to recommend products like AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil which can outperform any conventional oil.

Examine Your Oil

An easy way to know if your oil is still good or ready to go is by looking at it. If it's your first time examining your oil, knowing what to look for will make this quite easy. You may have noticed that new oil is usually a light brown or amber color, but this color doesn't last long. If you see black oil in your car, don't worry! This change in color tends to happen within the first couple weeks of the oil circulating through your engine. What you should look out for are particles floating in your oil and the translucency of the liquid. Particles indicate that your oil filter is full and no longer able to trap contaminants. For this reason, it's very important that you get your oil filter changed every time you get your oil replaced. As oil gets older it tends to become thicker and less translucent than when it was new. Pull the dipstick out of the reservoir, clean it off, put it back in the reservoir, and pull it back out to see the condition of your oil. If you can't see the dipstick at all through the oil, it's time for an oil change. Still unsure how to examine your oil? For more help, click here.

How Much Oil Is Left?

Just like all the other fluids in your car, after a while of use, your oil will start to disappear. If it's disappearing quite fast, this may not mean you need an oil change but rather that you have a leak somewhere. If your oil level has dropped gradually, it may be due to it being consumed or it simply evaporating. Either way, this is probably because your oil hasn't been changed in some time. Your best bet is to replace it with new oil that will keep your engine protected.

Get a Synthetic Oil Change in Ann Arbor

Now that you know what to look out for, don't ignore these signs any longer and get a synthetic oil change as soon as your car needs it! To find the perfect synthetic oil for your engine, contact AMSOIL Dealer, Dwight Smith at (702) 561-3706. You can also shop their full range of ASMOIL Oil products by visiting their online shop.