There was a time when motorists thought nothing of driving thousands of miles past an oil change interval recommendation, but now with far more sophisticated engines requiring lubricants geared to an exact specification, this course of action can not only seriously reduce vehicle performance, but can also cause costly damage to the engine and other components such as turbochargers.

 

Champions says there many reasons why oil needs to be changed at recommended intervals and highlights three important factors for avoiding delay.

 

Firstly, no matter how good the initial quality of the oil may be, it will get contaminated over time. Even though modern lubricants contain additives that will keep an engine clean, a build up of mileage will lead to the development of certain impurities in the oil because of the combustion process within the engine. Soot particles, for example, can form deposits and clog a filter having a serious negative performance effect.  

 

Secondly, oil gets thicker with driving. When the additives in the oil diminish, the oil is no longer able to disperse soot or neutralize acids. As a result, the oil will become thicker, which means that it will no longer be able to reach all the different engine parts, or will take too much time to do so. Because of this, there will be more friction which means an engine gets damaged and can overheat.

 

Thirdly, exceeding a change interval means a serious and sometimes dangerous decrease in engine protection. Thanks to the latest innovative additive packages, oil contains chemical components that protect an engine against wear damage, such as anti-wear, corrosion inhibitors. When these elements break down the oil will no longer contribute to the protection of an engine and it will become more susceptible to corrosion and damage, which can prove very costly.  

 

The advice from Champion Lubricants is to always ensure engine oil is changed at the recommended interval and to always use the exact specification of oil required for the vehicle.