Engine Warm-Up
It takes about 20 kilometers from a cold start to fully warm up the engine oil and reduce the rate of contamination.
Engine Contaminants
Short trips can cause engine oils to become saturated with contaminants.If your vehicle isn't given adequate time to expel these contaminants, they will destroy the oil's ability to protect your engine.
Oil Thinning
Car trips less than 20 km increase fuel dilution and result in engine oil thinning. Fuel enters the oil on cold start-up and is not vapourised out as the engine has not had time to reach normal operating temperature.
Short Trips = Engine Wear & Tear
If you often take short trips on a day to day basis then your vehicle faces increased risk of engine wear and damage compared to those that travel long distances.Approximately 80% of vehicles fall into this category.
Oil Change Scheduling
Generally a vehicle that often travels less than 20km per trip should have an oil change every 5000 to 7000 km or every six months (whichever comes first).
Vehicle Oil Level
It is exetremely important to keep your vehicle's oil at the coorect level. Contaminants increase in concentration each time the oil level drops which accelarates engine wear.
Oil Change Frequency
Many modern engines have reduced oil sump capacities causing the oil to be placed under stress because of a lower cooling capacity.This makes combating acid formation and oil sludge more difficult.Frequent oil changes are therefore essential to minimize the negative effects on your engine associated with oil stress.
