You’d be surprised how much havoc a clogged oil filter can wreak on your car’s engine. This is one reason why it is so important that you have the oil changed every 3,000 miles. Keeping a clean oil filter in the engine keeps the oil clean as it circulates through the engine. Without clean oil, your engine will have the following problems. Unfortunately, the clogged filter can even damage the engine beyond repair.
Rotten Performance
Part of the reason why the oil cleans the engine as it runs through it is to keep the engine parts moving efficiently. If the engine parts cannot move well because they have a ton of grime on them, your engine performance is going to suffer. Unfortunately, this means that the clogged oil filter can make your engine performance lag and sputter while you are driving.
Rotten Fuel Mileage
Unfortunately, when the engine is running inefficiently, your fuel mileage becomes inefficient. You probably know where we are going with this. You are not going to get the mileage per gallon that you normally get and will have to fill the tank more often. This is not good news considering what gas prices are these days. In fact, it can be a huge chunk out of your household budget.
Reduced Oil Pressure
Unfortunately, the clogged oil filter is also going to reduce your oil pressure. This is the pressure at which the oil circulates through the engine. This pressure is critical to protecting the engine parts. As such, if the oil pressure is too low, your vehicle’s main computer chip will turn on the oil light on the dashboard. Never ignore oil problems.
Metallic/Grinding Sounds
The reason why is that the low oil pressure can reduce the amount of oil that is circulating through the engine. Consequently, you may start to hear metallic or grinding noises coming from the engine because there is not enough motor oil to protect the moving engine parts. This is why we said a clogged oil filter can damage your engine beyond repair. If the moving parts grind against each other, your engine may seize and die within 30 minutes or less.
Increased Hydrocarbons
Finally, because the motor oil is dirty your engine will become dirty. As such, you will end up with increased hydrocarbons in your vehicle’s exhaust. This is why you need to have your oil changed before you take an emissions test.
We would be happy to help, so call us today if your vehicle is overdue for an oil change.