The Importance of Maintaining Your Car’s Oil Level

Car fluids play a vital role in making sure that your vehicle runs on an optimal level. Sometimes, after parking your car in a spot for a while, you may notice liquid spots underneath your vehicle. This is an indicator that some type of car fluid is leaking. This blog will mainly discuss the most common type of fluid leak; engine oil leak.

The engine is the most important part of your car and it plays the key role of keeping your car in motion. The engine has many components which are usually working simultaneously when your car is in motion. Due to the motion of all the engine components, there is usually a lot of friction in this part of your car. Engine oil usually acts as a lubricant reducing friction among all the components hence ensuring that your car runs smoothly while at the same time enhancing the lifespan of all parts of the engine.

To keep all engine parts moving as they should you need to ensure that you have high-quality engine oil at all times. This means that you should change your oil periodically. We recommend that you do this at least every 3 months or after every 3000 kilometers. Failure to change your oil will lead to excessive friction which will in turn cause corrosion within your engine.

Should you fail to change your engine oil as recommended, the oil may lose its viscosity and lubricating ability. In the auto maintenance industry, experts call this ‘becoming dirty’.

Irregular engine oil changes often manifest itself as an oil leak. For a parked car that has an oil leak, you may notice a puddle of brown liquid that has a greasy texture underneath the front of your car. It is however worth noting that some cars today have a cover underneath the engine which makes it harder to spot an engine oil leak. To understand if you have an oil leak, you may need to do a more thorough inspection by opening the bonnet of your car and checking if your engine is covered with oil or if there are small puddles that have collected around your engine.

If you have an engine oil leak, it may have been predicted by several factors such as:

1. Worn Out Gaskets and Oil Pans

The oil that you add to your engine for lubrication purposes is usually held in place then pumped by a pan and gaskets that are usually located at the bottom of the engine. If you drive often on rough roads with a lot of loose gravel and other debris, they can cause damage to the pan and gaskets causing the oil within to leak slowly.

2. Improperly Installed Engine Oil Components

Your engine oil may leak if:

• The oil pan and gaskets are fitted too tight. Normally, when fitting the pan and gaskets, the tightness should be evenly distributed
• The oil filter is fitted loosely causing the oil to leak as it flows into the engine

3. Defective Valve Seals and Rings

If the valve seals and rings in your engine oil system are damaged, they can lead to small oil leaks.

Always remember that engine oil leaks do not just happen when your car is parked. Sometimes they can occur when your car is in motion. Should that happen, the heat from your engine will burn up the leaking oil producing a noticeable odor.

An oil leak can cause a lot of damage to your engine components. If it goes undetected for some time, you may even have to end up overhauling your entire engine. The best way to avoid the problems that follow an oil leak and other car fluid leaks? Take your car for regular inspection, get your oil changed as regularly as you can, and ensure your car gets serviced often.