When To Change An Oil Filter
Changing an oil filter can be, depending on who you are, a relatively simple task that you’re confident to carry out, something you aspire to learn to do, or—as is most likely—something you wouldn’t even consider undertaking.
But no matter what category you fall into, understanding when this needs to be carried out is really important to the healthy running of your car. However… it seems that the regularity of such a task is often open to interpretation, depending on who you talk to.
So in order to dispel all doubt about exactly how often it should be done, here’s the definitive guide, in conjunction with the wealth of experience of Jiffy Lube, as to how often an oil filter should really be changed.
Oh no! There’s a warning light on the dash
Now, while there might be a lot of reasons one of these has lit up, the appearance of the service engine light ahead of schedule could well be down to your oil filter. This is quite a common cause and thankfully is an easy and inexpensive fix. The crucial thing to understand is that when this light comes on it’s a signal that something isn’t running as it should within the engine. This, in turn can lead to an increased amount of dirt being circulated around, and therefore clogging up the oil filter.
You drive in tough conditions
For example, severities of temperature (both hot and cold), frequent stopping and starting (Amazon delivery person, anyone?), or using your car to tow heavy loads, such as a horse trailer or a caravan. These activities cause the engine to work much harder than, say, long freeway drives. If your engine is under such regular stresses it’s going to need a little more TLC and more frequent oil and filter changes than usual.
It’s time for an oil change
Oil manufacturers recommend that it’s necessary to change the filter every time you change the oil. And, when you think about it, this makes perfect sense. The filter
itself removes all the grime, grit, and dirt from the oil as it moves into the engine to lubricate and keep everything running smoothly. When you change the oil, the last thing you want is a grubby filter that’s unable to keep the new oil fresh and clean.
So how often should this be carried out? And is there an oil change facility near me? Well, there’s no hard and fast rule as to the regularity of an oil change, and it’ll be necessary to check your car owner’s manual as to what’s recommended for your particular model. In general, this tends to be around the 7,500-mile mark.
Mechanics at one of the many Jiffy Lube service stations will be happy to advise and carry out the oil and filter change at a location near to you. After all, it’s their specialty and it makes sense to go to the experts. And of course, with Jiffy Lube, you can rest assured that when they change your oil, they also change your oil filter, leaving you with the peace of mind that your engine will continue to function at the optimum level for many miles to come.
