Oil Change near Freehold NJ

An oil change is one of the most basic and most important parts of your routine maintenance. Having one done on a regular basis is key to keeping your car or SUV in good condition. If you’re in need of an oil change near Freehold, NJ, schedule a service appointment at Toms River Volkswagen.

How often do you need one, though? Why is it so important to stick to your maintenance schedule? Our service technicians weigh in, so you’ll know why regular changes can keep your car on the road for a long time.

What Does Motor Oil Do?

Oil lubricates all the parts of your engine and keeps them cool. It’s a necessary fluid to keep your engine healthy and running. That’s because it takes a lot of moving parts to power your car or SUV. When that kind of machinery is constantly at work, heat can build up under the hood.

Anytime your engine is on, there are a lot of parts in motion. All that heat can cause friction to build up between them. That friction can cause problems with your parts. Oil eliminates that friction by both cooling the parts down and lubricating them, so they run smoothly.

Why Does My Car Need an Oil Change?

After a while, the oil in your engine will start to break down. A few thousand miles of working its way through your engine changes both its color and consistency. The result is that it stops being an effective lubricant and needs to be replaced with fresh oil.

Think of it like working out when you’re dehydrated. Without enough water, your muscles will cramp up and you won’t be able to run, jump, or lift as well as you usually could. The same is true with oil and your engine.

When to Get an Oil Change?

So, how often will your vehicle need one anyway? That depends on what you drive and what kind of oil it takes. Check your owner’s manual or talk to a service technician to find out what works best in your car and what its recommended maintenance schedule is.

Some older vehicles take conventional oil. It’s derived from crude oil and usually needs to be changed every six months or 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Most vehicles on the road today take synthetic oil though.

It’s designed to last longer and stand up to more extreme temperatures. Usually, vehicles that run on synthetic oil—like the VW Jetta or VW Tiguan—only need an oil change once a year or every 10,000 miles.

Signs You Need an Oil Change

It’s all right if you’re not sure how long it’s been since your last oil change. Your car or SUV is designed to remind you. Some of the signs you should look, listen, and sniff around for include:

• Dashboard light—Most vehicles have a dashboard light that looks like an oil can. This will turn on when you’re overdue. If this light looks yellow, it means that the oil pressure is low. You can usually keep driving, but get it fixed as soon as possible. When the same logo pops up in red, it means that your vehicle doesn’t detect any oil pressure. Continuing to drive can cause serious problems for your engine, so get your oil changed immediately.
• Engine sounds—When your engine only has old, overworked oil running through it, you may hear a loud knocking sound. That’s because your parts can’t run smoothly and function properly like they used to.
• Dark oil—If you pop the hood and pull the dipstick out, you can see what condition your oil is in. When oil is new or healthy, it has golden brown color and flows freely, like water. Old, overworked oil moves like molasses and looks like a thick, black sludge.

How to Check Your Oil

Pulling the dipstick out is the fastest and easiest way to see how your oil is doing. It’s the simplest way to look at the color or your oil. If the oil looks like it’s in good condition, your next step should be to check your oil levels.

To see where you stand, just wipe the dipstick off, put it back in, then pull it out again. Then, look closely at the end of the dipstick. It should have some markings that indicate when your vehicle is full or low on oil.

Schedule an Oil Change

When you’re in need of a check-up near Freehold, NJ, schedule service with Toms River VW. We have a team of experienced technicians in our service center who can take care of all your routine maintenance and keep your vehicle in great shape.