You need only step outside your door to know this summer isn’t messing around. We’re on track to set new records in Texas for the hottest summer in over ten years, so keeping your new Ford from Cecil Atkission properly maintained is important. What does extreme heat do to an engine? We’re glad you asked! Let’s go over the reasoning behind keeping your engine’s oil clean, and why it’s doubly important when the summer temperatures start to climb. Let’s get into it!
All internal combustion engines need lubrication to function properly. Your Ford’s engine has a large, heavy rotating crankshaft along with up to eight pistons moving up and down the cylinders at astonishing speeds. As your engine spins, these metal parts rub against each other creating friction and heat. Without lubrication, the heat created from this friction would cause your engine parts to get so hot that they would melt. Needless to say, your Ford’s engine won’t function for very long that way.
That’s where engine oil comes in. Your car’s engine has an oiling system inside it that keeps all the internal parts coated with a thin layer of oil at all times while the engine is running. Engine oil is specially designed to continue providing lubrication in hot or cold weather, so no matter how hard you work your engine, the oil stays attached to the moving parts and acts as a protective layer, reducing friction between the parts and, crucially, helping to dissipate heat.
Engine oil can only keep doing this job for so long before it becomes full of carbon deposits and loses its ability to lubricate components. This is why fresh engine oil resembles the color of cooking oil, and used engine oil is black and muddy. If you neglect regular maintenance and forget to change the engine oil, it will eventually turn to sludge and can cause serious damage to your engine.
During the hot summer months like we have in Del Rio, changing your oil regularly is key to keeping your engine healthy because the exterior temperatures increase the ambient temperature of the oil and decrease its usable lifespan. A good rule of thumb is to change your engine’s oil once every three months or once every 3,000 miles, whichever comes first, though this varies depending on the vehicle. Check your vehicle’s manual for the proper oil change interval and stick to it to avoid engine damage and costly repairs.
If you need further information or assistance with your vehicle maintenance, contact Cecil Del Rio’s Service Department. We can handle any and all maintenance for your vehicle, from oil changes to A/C repair. It is easy to schedule service appointments online. Check us out and you’ll see why when the product is the same, the dealer makes the difference!
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