While you may not know much about your vehicle or how it’s engine operates, you do know one thing; it needs an oil change.

You know this because your mechanic charges you for it each time that you bring your car to them.

If you have ever wondered why your mechanic keeps changing your oil, keep reading to find out.

The best place to start is with a basic understand of how your engine works.

To break it down, your engine is made up of a number of metal parts. Each of these parts moves and interacts with each other as your engine operates.

As these metal parts slide up against each other, the begin to create friction. This friction is bad for two reasons.

• The first is that it causes your engine to overheat, leading to constant breakdowns and engine wear.
• The second is because it causes serious damage to each part. This translates to more visits to the mechanic, expensive part replacement, and a reduced engine life.

To prevent this damage, a product called…you guessed it…engine oil is used! Engine oil runs through your engine and coats each of the parts with a thin yet powerful barrier. This barrier allows each engine part to glide smoothly and interact without friction, leading to a serious reduction in engine damage and an extension of your engine life.

But Why Does It Keep Getting Changed?

Like most things in life, it doesn’t last forever. Depending on the type of engine oil the mechanic puts in your engine, there are a few reasons why they keep replacing it.

The first is general wear. Nothing lasts forever, and after time, the chemicals inside the il begin to break down, and the oil is no longer able to provide friction free operation.

The other is sheer wear. Engine oil takes quite a beating inside your engine, and after a number of miles, it starts to break down.

When either of these occurs, your engine is at serious risk of extensive and costly repairs and part replacement.

As you can see, after gas, motor oil is the most important fluid which makes your vehicle go. While there isn’t much you can do about having your oil changed; there are options to extend the time between changes. Look through the Groupon Coupons page for Autozone or speak with your mechanic about switching to a longer life synthetic engine oil.