At D Mac’s Auto Repair in Escondido, CA we do a lot of oil changes, and yet it can be surprising to hear that our customers are not quite sure what an oil change involves. In looking at their invoice, they might ask if the oil filter needed to be replaced, or why couldn’t we just leave it? This is a totally valid question, and as your trusted Escondido mechanic, we want you to understand why the oil filter is so important, and why it is one of the keys to a healthy engine.
The Reasons Your Car Has an Oil Filter
A secondary reason a car has an oil filter is to enable the engine to have oil available upon startup. When you run the car, oil circulates through a closed system, lubricating the engine. When you turn it off, the oil flows to the bottom of the engine, and the oil filter can capture enough to help keep the engine safe on its next restart. If we skipped the filter during an oil change, it would eventually gum up and allow inefficient or contaminated oil into the motor.
The main reason the oil filter is swapped out during an oil change is that it is the frontline of defense for the engine. Its purpose is holding debris, dirt or grit that has been captured by the oil as it circulates around the engine and all its moving parts. If the oil filter wasn’t there, it would allow a lot of “gunk” to clog up the engine and damage many of its parts.
As a good explanation of this, we use the coffee filter story. Try making coffee without the paper filter – it will be full of the coffee grounds and not enjoyable to drink. In fact, the coffee might not even reach the pot if the filter is full of grounds. This is true of the filter in the engine, and it keeps all the unpleasant and unwanted pieces from ruining the motor.
Contact Our Escondido Oil Change Experts Today
Is it time for your Escondido oil change? Book a visit by giving us a call at our Escondido, CA office at 760-746-0111. You can also use our online contact form and one of our staff will get back to you promptly.
