While many modern Toyota's have a maintenance reminder on the dashboard when it's time for an oil change, the most surefire way to know if you need an oil change is by pulling the dipstick. It's advised to check your engine oil when the engine is off and has been for at least 20 minutes. After pulling the dipstick, wipe it off and slide it all the way back into the tube. When you pull it out again, look for the two dots marking full and low at the bottom of the dipstick. If the oil is at least halfway between the dots, you can keep driving! If it's at the low marking or the dipstick is dry, come on down for an oil change. This is the best way to make sure your oil is clean and doing its job.

This could be one of the most common oil change questions. The simplest answer is that engine oil lubricates the engine's internals. Getting more technical, think about all the moving parts inside your engine. You have the pistons, valves, crankshafts, and more. As these parts move in perfect synchrony, they create a lot of friction, causing the engine to reach temperatures of over 200 degrees, and that's the average operating temperature! Without good engine oil, this temperature can get much, much higher. This is because the oil is circulated through the engine, lubricating the moving parts, keeping their temperature under control, and preventing them from grinding. While this is the primary function, clean oil is also essential to maintaining a clean engine and maximum gas mileage.

Over time, the oil inside your engine will start to break down; that's inevitable. It loses its lubricating properties as it gets contaminated with moisture, dirt, and debris as it breaks down. When this happens, you may notice increased exhaust fumes, decreased acceleration, decreased gas mileage, rough idling, and abnormal engine noise. If you go even longer without an oil change, even if the car is just sitting, the oil in your engine can start turning into "sludge". Sludge is a black, gelatin-like substance full of old oil, water, metal shavings from the engine internals, and dirt. Colder temperatures are a contributing factor to the production of sludge. If your car will be sitting during the next few months, we advise that you run your engine once a week for 15-20 minutes to keep the oil circulating and prevent sludge buildup.

A lot goes into an oil change, but the experienced technicians in the Pearson Toyota service center want to take the confusion out of it. We hope that you've had any questions you might have had answered by now. To get more information or set up an oil change appointment, please reach out to our service center and speak with any team member. We look forward to serving you!