8/3/2019 How to maintain your engine

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How to maintain your engine
Updated November 14, 2018 (simple.html)
Simple maintenance
Your engine is the heart of your car and one of the most expensive parts to replace. With checklist (simple.html)
your good care, it can last long. We have met many owners of high-mileage cars and trucks
with an engine that still runs like new. What is the secret?
Why are regular oil changes important?
(interior.html)
Your engine How to clean car
interior (interior.html)
has a lot of
moving and
rotating
parts. These
(bodymain.html)
parts need to How to keep your car
be well looking new
lubricated, (bodymain.html)
whether it's
freezing or
sweltering
outside.
That's the
(img/clean-vs-sludged-up.jpg) function of
Well-maintained vs. sludged-up engine inside. Click for larger photo
the engine
(img/clean-vs-sludged-up.jpg)
oil.

As you drive,
the oil degrades. It breaks down under high temperatures and loses its lubricating quality. As
a result, carbon deposits form on internal parts. See this photo of oil sludge (img/oil-
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 sludge.jpg)
8/3/2019 inside the engine. Through the engine ventilation system,
Howcarbon deposits
to maintain your enginespread

into the engine intake and build up inside the throttle body and on the intake valves causing
Check Engine light problems. The increased friction causes accelerated wear. Synthetic and
semi-synthetic oils can withstand higher temperatures and last longer, but they have their
limit too.

For as long as you keep up with your oil changes and keep the oil level topped up, your
engine remains well-lubricated and clean inside, like in the top photo.

What are the signs that your car needs an oil change? You can check the engine oil level and
condition with the dipstick. If it looks too dirty, have the oil change done. Read here on how
to check engine oil: Simple car maintenance checklist (simple.html).
Is there a warning light for low oil?
No, most cars don't have any warning light that will warn you if the oil level is low. There is
the low oil pressure warning light, but by the time it comes on, the level could be so low that
it's not even enough to keep the minimum oil pressure. The proper oil pressure, as well as
the level are vital for lubrication of all moving parts.

Many cars have an oil change reminder message, but it's based on the mileage driven or
time since the last oil change. The oil change reminder doesn't know the oil level.

Will the Check Engine light come on when the oil level is low? The low oil level could cause
the Check Engine light to come on, but again, the level might be already so low that it
caused more problems. For example, a timing chain may skip without proper tension. In
most cars, a timing chain tensioner is controlled by oil pressure. Another common problem is
when the low oil level causes problems with a variable valve timing (VVT) system that is also
controlled by oil pressure.
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8/3/2019 How to maintain your engine
How often should you check your oil?

The goal is to maintain the proper

level of oil. Car manufacturers
recommend checking the oil level on
a regular basis, some manufacturers
advise doing it every time you refuel.
Many modern cars consume some
amount of oil between oil changes. If
you check the level after 1,000 miles
and it is close to the "Low" mark,
check it more frequently and top up
as needed. Oil leaks are another
reason to check the level more often.

Check engine oil level Some cars barely use any oil
between oil changes. If you check
the level after 3,000 miles and it's
still close to full, then you know when you should check it the next time.
How to prevent the engine from overheating

Overheating is the
source of many
engine problems
and in worst cases,
it can result in
major engine
repairs or even
replacement. One
of the common
problems is when
the coolant level
drops due to leaks,
which causes the
engine to overheat.
Other reasons for
overheating include
https://www.samarins.com/maintenance/engmain.html 3/14
8/3/2019 a failed
How to maintain yourwater
engine

pump, radiator fan

or the thermostat.

How can you

prevent
overheating? Keep
the cooling system
topped up and
have the vehicle
checked if the
engine temperature
rises more than
normal. Read: Car
(img/overheating.jpg)
maintenance
Have the vehicle checked if the engine temperature rises more than
checklist: how to
normal
check the coolant
level (simple.html).

Watch out for coolant leaks and repair them before the coolant drops to dangerous levels.
Keep the front of the radiator clean from debris, as the coolant is cooled down by the air
flow passing through the radiator fins.
Is it worth it to switch to synthetic oil?

Most modern cars

already require
synthetic oil, as it
offers better
protection for the
engine. Synthetic
oil can withstand
higher
temperatures, lasts
longer and provides
better lubrication at
below-zero
temperatures.
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8/3/2019 How to maintain your engine

Using synthetic oil

makes perfect
sense if you have a
low-mileage or
turbo engine or
often drive in
severe conditions
such as high
temperatures,
excessive load or
longer intervals
without an oil
change. However, if
(img/synthetic-oil.jpg)
your car doesn't
Synthetic oil
require synthetic,
switching to
synthetic oil at high mileage is not always worth the extra cost. A high-mileage engine is
more likely to develop leaks or run noisier with synthetic oil as it's "thinner."
How long can you go between oil changes with synthetic oil?

Synthetic oil does lasts longer, but what about products of wear? Rotating and moving parts
inside the engine will wear, whether you use regular or synthetic oil. If you drive longer
between oil changes, the tiny metal particles and other products of wear mix with oil,
reducing its lubricating ability. On top of this, they clog up the oil filter, restricting the oil
flow, which in turn, further increases friction. We recommend keeping oil change intervals
close to what is recommended by your car manufacturer regardless of type of oil used.
Do oil additives really help?

Most car manufacturers don't

recommend using any additives, but
you will find many people swear by
them. We had tried several products
in different engines. Some oil
additives didn't have much effect,
but others actually worked.

https://www.samarins.com/maintenance/engmain.html 5/14
8/3/2019 For example,Howthere wasyour
to maintain a four-year
engine

old Honda Accord that was

Car manufacturers advise against using oil additives
consuming more than 2 quarts of oil
between oil changes. Since the
engine overall was in a good shape,
we suspected that the oil rings were
stuck in their grooves due to carbon
build-up. We added an oil additive
that was said to "help free sticking
oil rings" and it worked. After this,
the oil level in this Honda stayed
almost the same between oil
changes.
Is your air filter clean?

An engine air filter

prevents dust and
other debris from
being sucked into
your engine. A
clogged-up air
filter restricts the
air flow, causing
lack of power when
passing or
(img/dirty-air-filter.jpg) accelerating. An
old air filter can
actually collapse or rip through, allowing sand and dust into the engine.

An air filter is typically replaced every 15,000-25,000 miles or more often if you drive on
unpaved roads. Replacing an air filter can cost from $30 to $50. Many DIY car enthusiasts
change an air filter at home; in most cars, it's actually not very difficult.
Does your engine need a tune-up?

An engine tune-up
needs to be done
every 60,000 to 90,000
https://www.samarins.com/maintenance/engmain.html 6/14
8/3/2019 Howmiles. In your
to maintain modern
engine cars,

a tune-up may include

changing spark plugs
and an air filter.
Iridium- or platinum-
tipped spark plugs last
longer, but we have
seen them getting
contaminated to the
point where they cause
an engine to misfire.
Read more about
(img/tune-up.jpg) spark plugs below. If
Common tune up items: spark plugs, spark plug wires, air filter and your car has spark plug
throttle body service wires and fuel filter,
they may also need to
be replaced.

In some cars, a PCV valve can fail causing increased oil consumption. It's another item to
check during a tune-up. Your mechanic may also suggest cleaning the throttle body. A very
dirty throttle body can cause too low or too high idle speed and the Check Engine light. See
how a dirty throttle body looks compared to new (img/throttle-body.jpg).

Often, problems with idle speed happen after a car battery has been replaced or
disconnected. When the battery is disconnected, an engine computer resets some learned
values, including the throttle angle. In many cars, the idle RPMs has to be re-learned after
disconnecting the battery.

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8/3/2019 How to maintain your engine

(../diagnose/img/carbon-buildup-on-valves.jpg)
Carbon buildup on the intake valve

In some high-mileage cars with direct fuel injection, carbon deposits, accumulated on the
intake valves (see the photo) can cause misfiring. If your car has a direct injection, your
mechanic may suggest cleaning intake valves during a tune-up.

There are several ways to clean intake valves. It can be done with a special solution that
sprays inside the intake while the engine is running or manually. Cleaning valves manually is
more effective, but it requires more labor. Check these Youtube videos
(https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=clean+intake+valves) for more info.
How do you know if your spark plugs need changing?

Some
cars have

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8/3/2019 How to maintain your engine

(img/conventional-spark-plugs.jpg)
Old conventional spark plugs have a larger electrode gap.

conventional spark plugs, some have long-lasting (Iridium/Platinum) spark plugs.

Conventional spark plus wear out with mileage and the electrode gap increases, see the
photo.

The larger gap requires higher voltage to produce a spark. This adds load on the ignition coil
and a spark plug wire. Eventually an ignition coil fails or a spark plug wire shorts out causing
the engine to misfire. Conventional spark plugs need to be replaced at lower mileage, before
60,000-80,000 miles.

Many modern cars have long-lasting platinum- or iridium-tipped plugs. The electrode gap
stays the same longer, but spark plugs can get contaminated. We have seen iridium-tipped
spark plugs
last for over
160,000 miles.
However, we
https://www.samarins.com/maintenance/engmain.html 9/14
8/3/2019 have
How to maintain your also
engine

seen many
cars where
contaminated
spark plugs
were causing
ignition coils
to fail much
earlier.

The
symptoms of
worn-out or
contaminated
spark plugs
include rough
idle,
occasional
misfiring at
start up and
acceleration.
Often,
(img/iridium-spark-plugs.jpg)
however,
New vs. old Iridium-tipped spark plugs.
there is no
symptoms
until an ignition coil fails. Read more about ignition coils problems, when to replace and
repair costs (../glossary/ignition_coil.html).

Does your car have long-lasting spark plugs? One way is to check the maintenance schedule
for your car. If it says replace at 120,000 miles, it's probably long-lasting ones. You also can
check in the Specifications section of your owner's manual, it will say it's iridium or platinum-
tipped or it will give you the part number. Google the part number and it will tell you what
kind of spark plugs you have. Long-lasting spark plugs are more expensive, around $25-$40
apiece. Conventional spark plugs go for $8-$16 each.
Should you wash a car engine?

https://www.samarins.com/maintenance/engmain.html 10/14
8/3/2019 There
How to maintain is no
your engine

reason to wash
the engine
other than for
appearance.
There are many
components in
the engine bay
that are not
designed for
presence of
water. For
(img/engine-shampoo.jpg)
example, in
older cars,
Engine shampoo
water often
shorts out the
components of
the ignition system. We also have seen bearings in the alternators or belt tensioners
becoming noisier after the engine shampoo.

Some electrical connectors can corrode if water penetrates inside. In many cars, the engine
computer is installed in the engine bay, and this is not the part you want to get wet.

If you do want to shampoo your engine compartment, have it done at the shop. A mechanic
or detailer can dry the engine compartment well with compressed air and polluted water will
go through the proper recycling.
When to replace a timing and serpentine belt?
Not all cars have a timing belt. Many
modern cars have a timing chain
instead of a belt. You can check your
maintenance schedule, it usually
mentions when a timing belt must
be replaced or at least inspected. A
timing chain doesn't need regular
replacement. In most cars, timing
belt replacement intervals vary
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8/3/2019
Timing belt
replace, noises (../glossary/serpentine_belt.html).
Do turbo engines require more maintenance?
Chevrolet Cruze 1.4L turbo engine.
uphill climb, towing or driving hard, don't shut the engine off right away. Let it idle for a
while to cool down the turbocharger.
https://www.samarins.com/maintenance/engmain.html
between 60,000 and 105,000
How to maintain miles
your engine
(96,000-168,000 km). Read more
about the timing belt
(../glossary/timing_belt.html).
All gasoline- or Diesel-powered cars
have at least one serpentine belt. An
old serpentine belt can break, which
means your car will have to be
towed in. If a serpentine belt shows
signs of wear or is found to be
soaked in oil it must be replaced.
Read more: Serpentine Belt:
problems, signs of wear, when to
A turbocharger turbine is spun by
exhaust gases that are extremely
hot, but the turbine shaft is
lubricated by engine oil. This means
that engine oil in a turbo engine
must be capable of withstanding
much higher temperature. For this
reason, many turbocharged cars
require special synthetic oil.
If your turbocharged engine requires
mineral oil, make sure to have the oil
changes done regularly, as mineral
oil carbonizes much faster in a
turbocharged engine. When you
stop a turbocharged car after a long
12/14
8/3/2019 How to maintain your engine
Read More:
Car maintenance checklist with photos (simple.html)
What causes an engine to misfire (../diagnose/p0301.html)
Serpentine belt: problems, signs of wear, when to replace, noises
(../glossary/serpentine_belt.html)
Timing belt: when to replace, what happens if a timing belt breaks, replacement cost
(../glossary/timing_belt.html)
Check Engine light: what to check, common problems, repair options
(../diagnose/checkengine.html)
Why a car won't start troubleshooting tips (../diagnose/)
How to clean car interior (interior.html)
How to keep your car looking new (bodymain.html)
Car dictionary: automotive parts explained (../glossary/)

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