What can happen if I don't change the oil in my car by the suggested date?

2001 olds alero with 109k milesWhat can happen if I don't change the oil in my car by the suggested date?
A lot of bad things can happen. In short, the leading causes of catastrophic engine failure are lack of cooling and lack of lubrication. Everyone knows oil lubricates, but it also does quite a bit of cooling (the antifreeze/water mixture does the rest of the cooling).





So what is a catastrophic engine failure? Well, big bucks lost out of your wallet. Consider yourself lucky if a catastrophic failure is less than $1,000. Some examples of catastrophic failures: blown headgasket(s), cracked head(s), cracked block, thrown connecting rod, engine seizing, ruined bearings, and many others.





Change your oil, it's cheap insurance.What can happen if I don't change the oil in my car by the suggested date?
Probably nothing, but missing oil changes over time will cause more wear on your engine. Since your car is starting to get up there in miles, it is really important to change the oil to preserve your engine's future. Basically, old oil loses it's viscosity which means it's not lubricating your engine as well as it should. If you do mostly highway driving in warm weather, you can let it slide a bit. If you do a lot of short drives in cold weather, then you should change it more often.
The older the oil gets, the dirtier and thicker it gets, to the point that it cannot lubricate the engine as it needs to. Don't wait too long after the recommended date, especially if you do a lot of stop-and-go driving.
In all reality its the miles that count not ';the date'; its normally suggested to change every 3,000 mi


but keep in mind that as the car gets older you should pay a Lil xtra attention to the oil changes.
If you miss it by a few days, or a few hundred miles, no problem.





If you ignore it for months, you'll create sludge and wear.
If you aren't the one changing the oil, you may get a tongue lashing from your mechanic.





If you are the one changing the oil, you will just be a little behind on the maintenance schedule. You鈥檒l be taking a chance on slowly ruining you vehicle.





Less maintenance, more cost to you in the end. More maintenance, your vehicle will last a lifetime. I choose more maintenance.