Why is my oil change light always on?

An oil change is a necessary part of routine vehicle maintenance. However, do you feel that your car always tells you you need another oil change? While you might be tempted to attribute this to a faulty sensor and ignore the indicator on the dashboard, it could be a sign of a serious but easily fixable engine problem. Learn more from Chapel Hill Tire technicians. 

Why does my oil change light stay on?

Most vehicles require an oil change every 3,000 miles or 6 months (whichever comes first). There are several potential sources of oil depletion, but one of the main culprits is dirty piston rings. To understand this problem, let's take a look at how your engine works: 

• The combustion chamber is where your fuel mixes with your car's air pressure and electricity to power your engine. 
• Piston rings are designed to seal your engine's combustion chamber. However, when your piston rings get dirty, they become loose and eventually destroy that seal. 
• Oil circulates continuously in the combustion chamber and can enter this system through loose piston rings. This burns out quickly and depletes the engine oil.

How does this affect the performance of the car?

When your piston rings become dirty, blocked or ineffective, they no longer seal and protect the combustion chamber. This has several combined effects on your engine performance:

• Lower combustion pressure—Your engine uses carefully distributed hydraulic pressure to circulate oil, fuel, air, and other motor fluids. The combustion process also requires careful air pressure. Loose piston rings can reduce the internal pressure in your combustion chamber, hindering this important process.
• Oil contamination—As your oil passes through dirty piston rings, it becomes contaminated with dirt and soot. This negatively affects the composition of your engine oil.
• Oil oxidation—The combustion process is created by a mixture of air and fuel. When your oil mixes with combustion air escaping through loose piston rings, it can thicken and oxidize.
• Burning oil -Loose piston rings also allow engine oil to enter the combustion chamber and out through the exhaust. Without the oil your engine needs to run properly, your engine's performance will suffer. 

So how do you stop excessive oil consumption?

The key to stopping oil burning is to eliminate dirty piston rings. While piston rings can be expensive to replace, they are fairly easy to clean. This is done using the Engine Health Recovery (EPR) service. EPR cleans piston rings and hydraulic passages of dirt, debris and deposits that cause oil leakage. It can stop excessive oil consumption, improve your vehicle's performance, save money on fuel, oil and subsequent repairs, and improve energy efficiency. You can read our complete guide to engine performance restoration here.

Other signs of loose piston rings

If your engine oil runs out quickly, you may also have an oil leak or other problem with your car. So how do you know if your piston rings are damaged? Here are a few more signs of dirty piston rings: 

• Loss of Vehicle Power: Poor combustion pressure results in a noticeable loss of vehicle power and performance. 
• Thick exhaust: The combustion of oil during the combustion process results in thick clouds of exhaust gases, often with distinct gray, white, or blue hues.
• Poor acceleration: Loss of pressure in your engine will also mean your car will have a hard time accelerating.

If you are still unsure if you have a piston ring problem, take your vehicle to a professional mechanic for an in-depth vehicle diagnosis. Once an expert has identified the source of your vehicle's problems, they can develop and implement a repair plan with you.

Chapel Hill Tire: Car Service near me

If you need to restore engine performance or perform any other maintenance, contact Chapel Hill Tire. We offer transparent prices, coupons, offers, discounts and promotions to make your local car services as affordable as possible. Chapel Hill Tire also supports our community by providing convenient services, including car pickup/delivery, roadside service, text updates, transfers, pay by text, and other customer-centric services supported by our values. You can make an appointment here online to get started! You can also call one of our nine Triangle area offices in Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Carrborough and Chapel Hill to find out more today!

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