When it comes to routine maintenance, changing your oil is one of the more inexpensive services. Despite its relatively low cost, oil plays a vital, multifaceted role in your engine, and spending a little money on routine oil changes can help prevent you from forking over large sums of cash down the road.

What if I Don’t Change My Oil?
In short, it’s not pretty. One of the problems is that there will begin to be buildup in the cooler parts of the engine, like the crankcase and around the camshafts and valves. This can lead to carbon deposits, or sludge, coming out of the old oil. That could require an expensive engine cleaning or force you to replace worn-out piston rings. It can get worse. The pistons could eventually seize or the camshafts could be damaged. Getting a bill for either one of these repairs would make even a few high-quality oil changes look like pocket change. Consider regular oil changes to be like really cheap insurance for your engine.