How Long Has It Been Since Your Toyota Had an Oil Change?

Modern synthetic motor oil performs several vital functions, including lubricating moving engine parts, reducing friction and wear, cleaning out debris, dirt, contaminants, and deposits, keeping the temperature down, maintaining hydraulic pressure, and more. If you allow your oil to grow too old and degraded, you’re putting your engine at risk in multiple ways. With this in mind, let’s look at how often you should visit your local Toyota dealership for a routine oil change. 

Change Your Oil At Least Every Six Months 

For the average driver, synthetic motor oil will usually stay in good working condition for 5,000 to 7,500 miles. This usually works out to about six months of driving. If you’re on the road much more than most drivers, consider having your oil refreshed more frequently than this. 

Keep Your Warranty Valid By Changing Oil Often

If you have a valid powertrain warranty, it’s wise to change your oil as regularly as the warranty stipulates. This provides you with the reassurance that your engine is covered in the unlikely event of a serious malfunction. 

Consider the Severity of Your Driving Conditions

When a car’s engine and motor oil are put under excess pressure by tougher, more severe driving conditions, the oil wears down faster and needs to be replaced more frequently. Severe conditions might include regular short drives of under five miles; these short trips don’t give the oil enough time to properly warm up and lubricate, thereby causing additional wear and tear. 

Signs That You’ve Already Left It Too Long

If you’re unsure how long ago you last changed your oil, you can use the dipstick to check the condition of the oil’s condition. New motor oil is amber and translucent. As the oil ages, it becomes thicker and dirtier, so if you can’t see the dipstick through the oil, it’s probably time to have it changed.

A few more warning signs include strange scraping or knocking sounds from the engine as friction rises, dropping engine power, and dark smoke emitting from the tailpipe. Degraded oil is also likely to cause your dashboard’s check engine light to come on. 

Schedule Routine Servicing at Your Toyota Dealership

The best way to stay up-to-date with your oil servicing visits is to schedule them at your local dealership. The technicians can judge how severe your typical driving conditions are, set up a suitable schedule, and send you reminders whenever the arranged date is approaching. 

Visit Toyota of Kingsport today to have your oil refreshed by qualified professionals. We’re a local award-winning, family-owned dealership that’s been providing the drivers of greater Kingsport with top-notch vehicles and customer service since 1978. 

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