How often should you change the engine oil?

How often should you change the engine oil - what is the mileage or duration?

Every car requires attention and needs full care. Be sure to fill the engine with oil. Without this product, the unit will not be able to fully operate. If the driver takes care of his vehicle and fills in the right oil on time, then the car will last a long time.

During vehicle operation, all important functional components wear out. To protect the motor from the negative effects of external factors, it is enough to change the lubricant at a certain time. This is where the fun begins. I was faced with the fact that not everyone knows at what mileage and how often the oil should be changed. Let's talk about this.

How often does the engine oil need to be changed?

When manufacturing a new car, it is supplied with special documentation. In those. The passport describes in detail when it is necessary to change the engine oil, and when, you can completely do without it. If an unusual situation arises, oil consumption may increase, which means replacement will be required a little earlier.

Such circumstances include:

• increased ambient humidity;
• in case of severe frosts or constant changes in temperature;
• high level of dust, especially in large cities;
• in mountainous areas where there are frequent ups and downs.

Taking into account all the listed factors, it is difficult to determine when and after how long the oil composition will need to be changed. Here we can advise you to focus not on the mileage of the car, but on the time of use of transport. Be sure to take into account travel conditions and mode. For example, for cars that constantly operate under load, the oil should be changed every 2-3 thousand km. earlier than specified in the manufacturer's instructions.

Based on average indicators, we can say that it is worth changing the oil in car engines in the range of 10-15 thousand kilometers. More accurate data for each car must be additionally determined for each specific model.

What happens if you break the rules and change the oil later?

Drivers often ask what will happen if they break the rule and change the lubricant later than indicated in the instructions. Nothing bad will happen to the motor, but in the future it will be necessary to take this point into account and compensate for the overdue value.

This recommendation only applies to short delays. Manufacturers indicate not to exceed the period of delay by more than 10-20% of the recommended value. When the indicators are more than 4-5 thousand km, we will talk about expensive repairs. Without clean, high-quality oil, some engine parts may fail. The owner of the vehicle will have to take care of replacing damaged elements.

Is it worth adhering to the “recommended interval” rule for changing engine lubricant?

The automotive industry is constantly updated with new vehicle models. The manufacturer checks and tests new technologies and mechanisms. As a result of the evolution of technology, oil compositions also acquire new quality and capabilities. This moment also raises some questions among people. Drivers cannot always determine which oil to buy and pour into the engine.

By filling out the clause on when to change the oil composition, automakers want to help the driver. It is important that the owner knows what the maximum permissible service life of the car is without an oil change. Manufacturers understand that if the lubricant is not changed for a very long time, then the car’s spare parts will quickly become unusable. If such restrictions are not included in the instructions, the manufacturer will have to carry out repairs at its own expense, under warranty.

By drawing up the instructions, the manufacturer delegates to the motorist the responsibility for controlling the amount of lubricant in the engine. Without replacement, the unit will quickly become unusable, but using a quality product and timely maintenance of the engine will guarantee a longer period of engine operation.

There is no need to change the oil too often. This is also not a very correct decision, since the car will experience a kind of stress. It can get especially bad if different oil compositions are constantly being poured.

How can you determine on your own whether an oil change is needed?

The car has a special dipstick. It is this tool that is used to determine the lubricant level in the motor. Using a dipstick, you can check whether there is enough lubricant in the engine.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Open the hood of the car and remove the dipstick from the engine.
2. Wipe the instrument with a clean cloth.
3. Insert the dipstick back.
4. Remove the tool again and examine the end.

At the end of the metal plate there are two marks indicating the maximum and minimum oil level. If the actual indicator is in the middle between the marks, then everything is in order. All other options indicate that the actual amount of lubricant is not normal. In modern cars, such information is displayed on the control panel. Additionally, it is worth considering the color of the lubricant. You need to check the oil every thousand kilometers.

Conclusion

At the end of the review, the following conclusions can be presented:

1. According to standard rules, you need to change the oil in your car every 10-15 km.
2. When operating a vehicle in harsh conditions, it is worth changing the lubricant 2-3 thousand km earlier. When the engine is under load, it is worth calculating the oil change time based on the number of days the car has been in use.
3. When it is not possible to change the lubricant on time, no harm will be done to the engine, but you must remember that the delay should not exceed 10-20% of the total mileage.

How often should you change the engine oil?

Not all car owners know when to change the engine oil. And many of them do not trust the data provided by the manufacturer on lubricant change intervals. There is some logic in this, since replacing it after the recommended 15 thousand km is not always correct. It is necessary to look at the time worked by the engine and the speed of movement. In addition, you need to take into account operating conditions, mileage, and technical condition of the car. Additional factors that influence the frequency of lubricant changes include engine parameters and the date of the last change. In the review you will learn more about the mentioned factors, correctness and errors when replacing lubricant.

Why you need to change your engine oil regularly

What can happen if you do not change the lubricant in the power unit for a long time? To answer, you need to find out what role oil plays. It includes a base and a certain amount of additives that protect the surfaces of engine parts. While driving a car and even while parked, chemical additives gradually decompose. In motion, this process proceeds faster, natural deposits are created that settle on the walls of the crankcase. Some lubricant substances oxidize, acidity and viscosity change.

At high load and temperature, chemical processes occur with greater intensity. But modern production is becoming more advanced, technologies are being updated, as is the chemical composition of lubricants. Therefore, new lubricants can protect the engine for a long time, remaining clean even under extreme heat.

The control units of modern cars are programmed to control the frequency of engine oil changes. Such data are calculated using empirical dependencies. The actual parameters are used as the basis for this. This is the number of engine revolutions, speed, number of starts in cold weather, temperature conditions during operation. The firmware of the electronic unit takes into account technical tolerances and errors, so only the approximate replacement time is determined.

Today, many counterfeit engine lubricants are sold in retail outlets in Russia and abroad. In addition, the fuel is also of low quality, so you need to change the oil even more often. The recommended minimum mileage before replacement should be reduced by 30%. If, for example, the factory provides for this procedure after 15 thousand km, then it is better to reduce the mileage to 10,000. You will not go wrong if you change the oil annually, regardless of whether you drive a car or not.

Results of untimely replacement

We list the consequences of failure to replace the lubricant and their specific causes.

1. The appearance of deposits. The cause of the sediment is the decomposition of chemical additives and contamination of the lubricant with combustion products in the crankcase of the power unit. As a result, engine power decreases and exhaust gases become toxic and dark.
2. Increased wear of the piston group and other parts. Reasons - the lubricant does not fulfill its task due to a change in the chemical properties of the additives.
3. The oil becomes more viscous. The reasons also include changes in the quality of additives. For example, they begin to oxidize and their polymerization is disrupted. As a result, circulation becomes more difficult and engine parts wear out faster. Oil starvation of the engine often leads to difficulty starting it in winter, and sometimes even jamming occurs.
4. Displacement of connecting rod bearings. This defect occurs due to clogging of the lubrication channel with thick oil. The smaller the cross-section of the lubrication passages, the more the connecting rod bearings experience the load. As a result, they overheat and turn over.
5. Turbine failure. If the car is equipped with a turbocharging system, its rotor may become unusable. This occurs due to the high pressure of dirty oil on the bearings and compressor shaft. Therefore, scuffs and defects appear on them. In addition, used oil clogs the compressor passages, which can cause it to seize.

Note! Do not drive a car with thick and black oil - the engine will wear out quickly.

The problems considered are more relevant to city cars. Such conditions are difficult for the motor.

What determines the frequency of replacement?

Each car manufacturer gives detailed information in its manual about when to change the oil. But this information does not always correspond to real life. Usually in the documents you can see the mileage on average from 10 to 15 thousand km, depending on the brand of the car. But in reality, these numbers are influenced by various factors.

1. Quality and type of fuel (diesel, gasoline, gas).
2. Engine displacement.
3. Type and class of oils used.
4. Brand of lubricant poured (mineral, synthetic, semi-synthetic).
5. Condition of the engine oil.
6. Full mileage.
7. Replacement method.
8. The quality of the purchased oil.
9. Mode and operating conditions.
10. Vehicle condition.

The plant’s recommendations are not taken into account in this list, since for them the frequency of replacement is a marketing ploy.

Engine size and type

A powerful motor can more easily withstand heavy loads and difficult working conditions. Therefore, the lubricant will not deteriorate too much. A car with a powerful power unit moving on the road at a speed of 120 km per hour does not put much stress on it.

Subcompact cars are usually equipped with a transmission with a low gear ratio for driving at low speeds and engine speeds. Therefore, in difficult conditions, their motors experience greater load compared to powerful engines. When the load increases, the piston group heats up more, and the volume of gases in the crankcase increases. This increases the temperature of the motor lubricant.

It’s especially difficult for “small cars” with forced 1.2-liter engines. In this case, the load is also added by the turbocharger.

Operating mode

First of all, the frequency of engine lubricant changes is affected by the operating mode of the vehicle. Without going into details of this process, there are two types of modes - urban and suburban. The question is, if the car drives around the city, its mileage will be less, and the load on the power unit will be greater. This is due to frequent downtime in traffic jams and at traffic lights with the engine running. There is not enough cooling.

If the car is used on country roads, the situation is completely different. The mileage is longer, and the engine is cooled much more efficiently. Therefore, the load on the motor and lubrication is also reduced.

It would be more correct to determine when to change the engine oil, taking into account the engine hours. This is done for agricultural and cargo equipment. For example, in a city a car will travel 10,000 km in about 400 engine hours, but the same distance outside the city will take only 100 engine hours. In addition, different operating modes must be taken into account.

It is not for nothing that driving in a big city is equated to rough terrain, as this has a detrimental effect on lubrication. The effect is especially noticeable when the oil level is below average or minimal. In addition, in hot weather there is more load on the oil due to the increased temperature of the air and the road surface.

Other factors

Additional conditions that affect the timing of engine lubricant replacement include high operating temperature. In addition, you need to take into account the characteristics of the oil, the contamination of the oil filter, the condition of the lubrication channels, compliance of the lubricant with the factory recommendations, its originality, and crankcase ventilation.

In addition, the type of oil plays an important role - synthetic, semi-synthetic, mineral water.

How often should you change the engine oil?

Car enthusiasts have different approaches to when it comes to changing the lubricant in a car engine. Basic control can be done using an oil dipstick. It shows the level, which should be between the minimum and maximum marks. Also, darkening of the oil is noticeable on the dipstick due to contamination with combustion products. Therefore, after some time the lubricating fluid needs to be changed.

How to treat factory recommendations

In the usual version, the operating manual contains information about how long it takes to change the oil in the car. Most often, mileage is indicated there from 13 to 15 thousand km.

These data are valid for ideal operating conditions:

1. Clean engine.
2. No overheating.
3. Low speed.

The ideal mode can be at a speed of at least 50 km per hour, which is typical for country driving over long distances.

In many cases it is necessary to deviate from the manufacturer's requirements. Let's consider a list of severe conditions for motor oil, due to which the replacement procedure should be carried out more often.

1. Traveling through mountainous areas.
2. Frequent towing.
3. Increased dust content in the air.
4. Sudden temperature changes, severe frosts.
5. High air humidity.

Given these conditions, it is recommended to take a supply of motor oil with you on a long trip.

What do experts recommend?

During the entire service life of the oil, it is in three states, which are divided into groups. They are used to determine when to change the oil.

1. Clean (mileage up to 7.5 thousand km) – maintains the ideal condition of the power unit.
2. Working (mileage from 8 to 15 thousand km) is a dirty liquid that negatively affects the operation of the engine.
3. Emergency (more than 15 thousand km) - the lubrication system is clogged, extreme wear of parts is observed.

Considering the operating conditions of the machine, the engine oil needs to be changed:

1. After 5-7 thousand km, if most of the time the car drives in traffic jams and the average speed does not exceed 30 km per hour.
2. After 13-15 thousand km, if the car is operated up to 80% of the time on country roads.
3. Regardless of the distance traveled, the lubricant in the engine must be changed annually as it ages.

How to properly change engine oil

The procedure is as follows:

1. Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes.
2. Place a container under the drain plug to drain the liquid.
3. Unscrew the filler neck.
4. Drain the oil, wait until it drains completely and replace the plug.
5. Replace the oil filter. Don't forget to lubricate the rubber gasket by dripping grease onto it.
6. Pour fresh oil through the filler neck using a funnel.
7. Close the filler cap and run the engine for a few minutes.
8. After 10 minutes, measure the lubricant level with a dipstick and add if necessary.

If the engine oil is always changed on time and high-quality fuel is used, then flushing the system is not required. Otherwise, you can wash it with special means.

Replacement errors

Many drivers do not see the difficulties and subtleties in replacing the lubricating fluid in a car engine. But sometimes they are wrong, as will be discussed below.

1. Mixing oils with different properties. Inexperienced drivers buy popular brands, but they can damage the engine. Not all oils can be mixed. You must first drain the used fluid and then fill in new fluid. Incompatible additives may enter into chemical reactions.
2. Incorrect level determination. The first measurements are inaccurate as the level changes over time. It would be more correct to check it after a few days, or after driving a few kilometers.
3. Insufficient tightening of the filter, filler neck and drain plug. Oil may leak through these elements.
4. Using oil without taking into account the operating mode. A lubricant that is suitable for use abroad may not be suitable in Russia.
5. Some car owners suck out old oil through the dipstick hole. This leaves sediment in the oil pan.

Taking into account common mistakes will extend the life of the motor. Each car owner determines when to change the oil, depending on the factors affecting it.

Determining when to change the oil in your engine

Today, the timing of engine oil changes is dictated by service regulations. It says that the optimal interval is 10-15 thousand kilometers. Many car owners sometimes very blindly trust the regulations, forgetting that they contain only approximate figures. In fact, it all depends on many factors that must be taken into account.

What affects the oil change interval?

Typically, there are five main factors:

1. Age and technical condition of the vehicle.
2. Features of car operation.
3. Fuel quality.
4. Type of motor oil.
5. Recommendations from oil manufacturers.

Let's look at each factor in more detail.

Technical condition of the car

In a new car, oil will, of course, be used much more economically than in an old one. With age, a car of any brand inevitably begins to burn it, and this does not at all depend on the conditions of its operation. This means that owners of older cars need to spend more time checking the engine fluid level. The optimal check interval is several hundred kilometers.

Features of car operation

1. City or highway.
   The operating conditions of the machine are one of the most important factors that will influence the interval between changing fuel and lubricants.
   Many car owners, unfortunately, understand by “operating conditions” only the intensity of use of the car, that is, its mileage. However, changing fuel and lubricants in a car based only on the number of kilometers traveled is wrong! To understand how often you need to change consumables, you need to take into account even the most insignificant features of the car’s operation, because a certain number of thousands of kilometers in the city and on the highway are two huge differences! For example, the usual interval is 15 thousand kilometers. Under such conditions, in the city the oil can work for about 700 hours, but on the highway - only 200, if not less.
2. Motor load.
   In the city and on the highway, the load on the car’s engine can be completely different. In modern cars, the level of load on the engine at speeds of up to 100-130 km/h is usually below average or completely minimal. This means that the load on the working fluids is quite light, so they will not need to be changed so often. If the driving speed is higher, this will entail additional consumption of fuel and lubricants.
3. Climatic conditions.
   If the machine is used in extreme climatic conditions - hot or extreme cold, then the replacement interval for consumables will be significantly reduced.
   Recommendations for operating a car in hot weather:
   

Recommendations for operating a car in winter:

Driving conditions.
High speeds, driving through mud and potholes - all this will also significantly reduce the life of engine oil.

Fuel quality

The quality of fuel has a very strong influence on the interval between replacing old oil in a car with new one. Experts especially recommend paying attention to the sulfur content. If gasoline has more than 50 ppm of sulfur, then it is better not to use it for a passenger car. The thing is that such fuel, when burned in an engine, can form sulfur oxides, which are then converted into sulfuric acid. This acid enters the car oil and oxidizes it. The more acid, the worse the properties of the liquid will become.

Type of motor oil

The modern automotive market can offer hundreds of different types of consumables. They will differ in their composition, brand, manufacturer and, of course, each of them will have its own replacement interval. Let's look at the types of oils and their optimal service life.

Semi-synthetics

Today, real mineral fuels and lubricants for cars are practically not found. They have been replaced by semi-synthetic ones, which have a high level of additives. Among such motor oils one cannot find “long-lived” ones, and their breakdown products quickly pollute the car’s engine. This means that these working fluids need to be changed quite often - approximately once every 10 thousand kilometers.

Hydrocracking

Many experts consider this product better than semi-synthetics, but not by much. The only positive differences are the ability to control additives and some stability in viscosity. As for the question of when it is necessary to change such oil, today experts cannot give a definite answer. But, as practice shows, it can work up to thirty thousand kilometers! In this case, much will depend on the quality of the fuel and the car’s engine.

Oils based on polyalphaolefins

This motor oil is an important component of consumables used for racing cars. The cost of such a product is much higher than the previous ones, but this is easily explained by its high characteristics. Firstly, this consumable material has improved fluidity, and secondly, it can be used at very low temperatures. Taking this into account, we can say with confidence that the service life of such a product will be quite long. As a rule, its change interval exceeds 400 standard operating hours.

These oils are not used very often in practice, as they are expensive. However, they are considered one of the best in many respects. This motor oil has low boiling point, durable film, low friction coefficient and good cleaning properties. It is very difficult to answer the main question - when it is necessary to change such oil, because many experts have different points of view here. Purely theoretically, the service life of this product is very long, but given the characteristics of real operating conditions and the low content of additives in the composition, it cannot be used even for the standard 15 thousand kilometers.

Polyglycol

These consumables are considered the most progressive. They have a low coefficient of friction, excellent additive stability and are gentle on rubber parts. Thanks to these qualities, the service life of the working fluid is significantly higher than standard values. However, unfortunately, it is very difficult to find oils of this type on the modern market, and their price is not the lowest.

Having analyzed all of the above, we can summarize that motor oils can differ very significantly from each other.
Different types of fuels and lubricants have different sets of additives, distinctive characteristics and capabilities. That is why each of them needs to be changed in due time. Standard drain intervals are calculated only for semi-synthetic and synthetic oils with hydrocracked base oils. When a car uses a different type of fluid, the interval recommended by the service regulations may increase.

Manufacturers' recommendations

Each manufacturer of automobile oil provides a number of comprehensive recommendations on the use of its product in its instructions. In the instructions, you can also find the answer to the question: how often should you change your car oil? These recommendations are, of course, just advice, because when determining the optimal interval for replacing working fluids in a machine, many different criteria should be taken into account at once. However, manufacturers’ advice should definitely be taken into account when making calculations.

Advice from the professionals

It is difficult to judge the condition of the oil based on mileage, since engines operate under different conditions and under different loads.
There is one simple and reliable way to check the quality of engine oil, by which you can judge whether it is time to change the oil or not. It's called the "oil slick method." You need to take an oil sample on a hot engine and make a drop on a regular sheet of paper. Then compare it with this picture.

How often should you change engine oil?

In the first part of the article, we tried to talk about why the quality of motor oil is so important, what happens to it in the bowels of the engine and what factors influence its aging. It remains to talk about how these factors are related to oil change intervals and how often the oils will have to be changed during actual operation.

City and highway

It must be said that changing the oil “by mileage” will almost always be suboptimal. The same mileage on the highway and in city mode means a more than fourfold difference in engine hours and a huge difference in terms of oil degradation. For example, with a standard replacement interval of 15 thousand kilometers, in traffic jams the oil will work for all 700 hours, and on the highway - even less than 200.

For the quality of oil performance, this more than threefold difference is colossal, because even when operating at low load, the thermal effect on the oil is very high. In modern engines, the situation is aggravated by high temperature control, poor crankcase ventilation and lack of crankcase cooling when the car is stuck in traffic jams, which causes a sharp decrease in its service life.

On the track, the load can also be very different. At speeds up to 100-130 kilometers per hour, for most cars the engine load is below average, the temperatures are low, and the crankcase ventilation works well. With powerful engines, the load is completely minimal, which means the load on the oil is very light.

At higher speeds, as the load on the engine increases, the load on the oil also increases. On small engines with a “short” transmission, the engine and oil may already have a very hard time. On more powerful motors the load will increase more smoothly.

Along with the increase in load on the engine, the operating conditions of the oil also worsen: the temperature of the pistons increases, and the flow of destructive crankcase gases begins to increase. Thus, the optimal operating mode for both the oil and the engine is an average speed of half the maximum and a short idle time after warming up.

When calculating engine hours, it turns out that a typical oil change interval of 15 thousand kilometers in engine hours ranges from 200 to 700, depending on the driving mode. Judging by the operation of the scheduled mileage counters on BMW and the oil change intervals on equipment for which the replacement period is indicated precisely in engine hours, during typical operation it can be kept in the range from 200 to 400 hours for different operating modes, with the exception of constant operation in maximum power mode .

Cases of obvious excess when using standard semi-synthetic oils and hydrocracking-based synthetics are fraught with “complications” for the engine in the form of coking and reduced mobility of the piston rings.

Oddly enough, 400 engine hours at typical city speeds of 20-25 km/h is exactly the same 8-10 thousand kilometers on one portion of oil. And 400 engine hours at a speed of 80 km/h is already a seemingly unrealistic 32 thousand kilometers, although it is hardly worth striving for such an indicator.

Well, few of us can boast that we drive cars in the extra-urban cycle at a constant speed. So what to do if the runs are mostly urban, and the engine is also forced? For example, some 1.2 TSI? Obviously, the oil needs to be changed more often.

However, the replacement interval depends not only on the driving mode. It is also important what kind of oil is poured into the engine.

Types of motor oils

The choice of oils in stores is very wide, if not huge. Some of them are not far removed from Soviet mineral oils, some look like a spaceship next to a cart in comparison.

First of all, you need to understand one important thesis: any oil consists of a base and a package of additives. The base can be mineral, semi-synthetic and completely synthetic, in many variations.

Semi-synthetics

Examples: Esso Ultron 2000.

Oil change period: after how many km or months it needs to be changed in the engine

Many people believe that vehicle inspections are carried out exclusively during maintenance. You can’t argue with this, but what to do during the period of post-warranty service. When to carry out such an important procedure as changing the lubricant in the engine? On this score, you can hear different answers among car enthusiasts. From the usual seasonal ones in the form of “I’ll replace them when summer or winter comes,” to the classic “I’ll wait for the required odometer reading.”

Official answer: after how many kilometers should you change the oil in a car engine?

Factory recommendation

In the classic version, the operating book prescribes at what mileage to change the oil in a car engine. Typically this figure varies between 13,000-15,000 km. It is worth noting that the value was chosen for ideal load conditions:

1. Clean motor.
2. Average speed.
3. Work without overheating.

This mode is achieved at an average speed of at least 50 km/h, which is ensured when driving on country roads over long distances.

Is it worth deviating from the manufacturer's requirements?

In most cases, yes. Here is a list of severe operating conditions for motor lubrication that require routine maintenance more often:

• Driving on mountain roads.
• Traveling in dusty areas.
• Frequent trailer towing.
• Increased ambient humidity.
• Severe frosts and constant temperature changes.

For these reasons, preparing a car for a long trip involves completing the accessories with a canister of oil.

Real numbers or how long does it take to change the engine oil?

Recently, there has been more and more talk about the dangers of such a regime as moving in traffic jams. With such operation, the emulsion in the crankcase quickly deteriorates. This occurs as a result of contact of the composition with unburned fuel and crankcase gases.

Let’s add here the lack of proper cooling of the container and we get optimal conditions for lubricant oxidation. This is an undesirable phenomenon that directly causes the aging process. In addition, at low speeds the lubrication conditions for the CPG worsen. This means that all wear products will soon end up in the crankcase area.

General recommendations from experts

During the entire period of use, car oil goes through several states. They can be conveniently configured into three groups. On this basis, it is convenient to note how long it takes to change the engine oil in order to preserve its factory service life during mixed city/highway operation:

• Clean (up to 7,500 km) – ensures that the engine remains in perfect condition.
• Working (8-15 thousand km) - contaminated liquid, which has naturally aged and lost a number of its properties (undesirable status - negatively affects the power plant).
• Emergency (over 15 thousand km) - guaranteed clogging of the oil system, emergency friction mode and, as a result, extreme wear of components.

"Traffic" cars

For each machine, the period for changing the lubricant is selected individually. This is absolutely logical and directly depends on the conditions in which the car is used. For example, with a weekend car everything is clear. It is used mainly over long distances. Engine performance is close to optimal - no questions asked. Change it in accordance with the service book and there will be no problems.

Important! Even if the car just sat for a year with a new emulsion or drove, say, a couple of thousand kilometers in 12 months, the lubricant must be changed without reservation. Oil is a chemical, and chemical compounds degrade due to stagnation.

The situation with the city employee's car looks much more complicated. The vehicle travels no more than 20-30 km per day. Average speed – 20 km/h. The main feature is that the power plant operates uninterruptedly for several hours, black carbon deposits form on the spark plugs and in the combustion chamber. Agree, in 3-4 hours you can travel much more on the autobahn than in traffic jams.

The concept of motor resource

All conversations translated into mileage terms are approximate. The most accurate answer in this matter is given by engine hours. Based on the total operating time of a diesel or gasoline engine, it is impossible to miscalculate the timing of routine maintenance on the engine.

Determining the red limit is simple: just estimate how long it will take the car to cover the official 15,000 km at an average speed of 50 km/h. The answer is immediate – 300 hours. We take this figure as the change point. At the same time, do not forget about the mileage - it is strictly not recommended to exceed 15,000 km.

Technically, solving the problem of measuring the operating hours of a power unit is not difficult. It is enough to purchase an engine hour meter: either electronic or electromechanical. It cuts into any operating circuit that is activated by the ignition switch. All that remains is to secure the device in a convenient place and the installation is complete. There is no need to be afraid to disconnect the battery – the gadget’s memory is non-volatile.

Theoretical option

An alternative to the odometer and engine hours is the amount of fuel burned. We calculate how many liters will be consumed per 15,000 km at individual average consumption, which is shown by the BC. So, the answer to the question, after how many liters of burnt fuel should you change the oil in a small car engine, is this - every 1,000 liters. However, you will have to work hard to ensure that all fuel receipts are collected and processed.

Short tips

The lubricant in the engine should be changed based on the operating conditions of the vehicle:

• 5-7 thousand km: 95% of the time – driving through traffic jams in a cramped metropolis at an average speed of no more than 20-30 km/h.
• 13-15 thousand km: 70-80% of the time – driving on the highway.
• Every year, regardless of mileage: the oil begins to age after the plug is opened.

The most accurate method for determining the time for routine maintenance is to record engine hours using a meter. The red limit is 300 units. An alternative technology is to count the number of liters of fuel burned.