If your car has over 75,000 miles on it, then it's a high-mileage car. This means your engine is quite worn down already.
In light of this, you should buy the best possible oils for your old vehicle in order to extend its life for many years and miles to come. Some oils are rougher on old engines than others.
Motor oil that's perfectly fine with a brand-new car might not be the best oil for a car that's been around the block, so to speak. After all, seal and gasket breakage are to be expected as well as gaps forming between your motor components.
What to Look for in Engine Oils for High-Mileage Cars
- Oil Leakages and What to Do with Them: Your high-mileage engine is more susceptible to leaks because over time, your seals and gaskets will begin to break, leading to oil seepage out of them. You also have to watch out for oil sludge buildup that can cause your engine to malfunction in spectacular ways. Getting high-mileage oil is a great way to preserve a worn-down motor and prevent contamination or sludge risk.
- Changing Your High-Mileage Car's Motor Oil Regularly: Another way to preserve your car aside from picking a high-performance oil lubricant product for it is to change its motor oil regularly. After all, having 75,000 miles on a car makes it eligible for a trade-in already as far as most motorists are concerned. Many well-to-do drivers buy new cars when their old cars are already ten years old or more.
- When to Change Oil for High-Mileage Cars: It's recommended that high-mileage or used cars should have their oil changed every 3,000-5,000 miles. In terms of make and model, this can vary in accordance to manufacturer recommendations. However, as a rule of thumb you can't go wrong with the 3,000 to 5,000 mileage range. Don't wait for the sludge to form and for your car to start showing symptoms of damage.
- What to Look For In Oils: You should search for synthetic motor oils that have a formula to preserve high-mileage engines for the longest amount of time possible. These oils can even help prevent or stop leakages from happening through seal conditioners and the like. Some of these products even showcase resistance to high temperatures as well, thus improving fuel efficiency for even older cars.