Conventional Oil Change Basics
The conventional motor oil in your vehicle is a vital fluid that circulates throughout your engine and helps keep your engine lubricated and cool. Conventional oil will eventually start breaking down because of its tough job being exposed to intense friction, extreme heat, and pressure. When your conventional oil starts to break down, it will start to lose its viscosity and become like sludge. When your engine oil is sludge, it will neither lubricate nor cool your engine and its vital parts. When your conventional motor oil becomes old, broken down, and sludgy, your engine and all of its vital component might be damaged. The worst possible outcome is when your engine overheats and seizes up because the oil just isn’t doing its job right. This all means one thing: a routine conventional oil change service at the recommended maintenance interval is one of the best ways to protect your engine and prolong its useful life.
Conventional Oil Breaks Down Over Time
Sometimes certain driving factors can cause your conventional oil to start breaking down faster. For example, if you drive a Tacoma or SUV model that does any heavy towing or hauling, it is possible that the intensity of the work will cause your conventional oil to start to break down quickly. If you drive your Toyota vehicle in much stop-and-go traffic, your conventional oil might be breaking down faster than the recommended service interval. Also if you have driven your Toyota vehicle throughout the summer in extremely hot temperatures, this can also cause your conventional oil to start breaking down faster too. Regardless of the reason why your conventional oil is losing its integrity, we always recommend being proactive with conventional oil change service to prevent engine overheating.
Signs that you need an oil change:
- You have driven your vehicle beyond the recommended oil life
- You keep having to top off engine oil because it is low
- The Change Engine Oil light is on
- Your engine oil is noticeably dark and/or gritty
- You hear a ‘knocking’ noise while running the engine
If you drive your Toyota car, truck, van, crossover, or SUV with these warning signs, you are risking costly future repairs or even being left stranded.