Motor oil keeps your car’s engine lubricated and clean, while also helping to prevent overheating. It’s unwise to miss even one scheduled oil change, which could lead to permanent and costly damage. If you value the performance and longevity of your engine, refresh your motor oil frequently and look out for warning signs of low or deteriorating oil. You can have your oil promptly changed at your local Mitsubishi dealership.
6 Signs Your Mitsubishi Needs an Oil Change
Grimy-Looking Oil
Check your motor oil frequently to ensure it’s always as fresh as possible. When new, motor oil is a translucent light yellow in color. If your oil appears dark or filled with particles, it may be too degraded to properly lubricate the engine. Have it changed right away.
Knocking Sounds
If your oil is too low or old, it won’t be able to fully lubricate the engine’s many moving parts. This results in rising friction where the parts rub roughly against each other, generating knocking or ticking sounds. These noises will likely become louder when you’re driving at higher speeds or idling.
Overheating Engine
Coolant plays the main role in keeping the engine cool, but motor oil helps. If your oil grows old, the coolant will struggle on its own to combat the rising heat from excess friction. You may see the engine temperature gauge on your dashboard rise, and your car will start to lose power.
Burning Smells
Overheating can create a burning smell. And if your motor oil leaks, you may also smell burning as the oil runs over superheated engine components.
Leaking Motor Oil
When an oil leak occurs, you’ll eventually notice it dripping under your car. Keep an eye out for puddles of dark brown liquid left on the driveway when you pull away from parking.
Smoke From the Tailpipe
Sometimes, motor oil can leak into the combustion chambers because of worn seals or piston rings. Once inside the chamber, the oil will quickly burn up, creating smoke that you’ll see mixing with the exhaust fumes behind you.
Book Biannual Oil Services at Your Mitsubishi Dealership
With routine oil services, you needn’t worry about forgetting to change your oil; we’ll remember for you.
For most drivers, it’s best to have motor oil refreshed twice a year. If you put your car and engine under additional strain by towing trailers, driving frequently in stop-and-go traffic, or taking regular short strips of under five miles, you may need to change your oil three or four times a year instead.
Schedule a convenient oil servicing plan today at Redondo Mitsubishi in Redondo Beach, CA. We offer great new and pre-owned cars and comprehensive maintenance services with a streamlined, zero-hassle customer experience.

