Smells That Indicate Your Volkswagen Needs an Oil Change

Oil changes are a very common process with your Volkswagen; however, there are numerous ways to know that you need this service. Other than the check engine/low oil light, you can use your noise to determine whether you need an oil change, and we'll show drivers like you in the Turnersville, Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel area the smells that indicate your Volkswagen needs an oil change.

Burning Smells

Burning smells from your Volkswagen are never a good sign, but sometimes, the answer is simple. Smelling oil is an obvious indicator that you need to have your oil changed. You can also smell oil burning, which is usually due to the fact that your oil is old and not properly doing its job.

When your oil is changed, the new oil that goes into your car has a honey brown appearance. Old oil will look like black sludge. When your oil looks like the latter, it will start to give off a burning scent. If this happens, then you should schedule an oil change sooner than later.

Your car will also give off a burning smell if your Volkswagen is low on oil. When your Volkswagen is running with low oil, your engine can overheat. Oil lubricates the moving parts in your car so they can function properly. If the oil is low, and it fails to lubricate, these moving metal parts will grind with each other. This will cause friction, and with friction, a burning smell will soon follow.

If you recently changed your oil and you can still smell it, it should be a big problem. This could just be a little spillage. Most parts of your engine run hot while the car is on, so any liquid that drips on them will give off a strong burning smell. To be safe, you should still get this checked out by a certified technician to make sure it's not a serious problem.

Other Signs That You Need an Oil Change

Smell is an obvious factor when it comes time to change your oil, but there are other signs to be on the lookout for. If you notice that your Volkswagen is having trouble kicking over, or starting, then your oil could be the reason. Another sign, although very obvious, is the engine oil dashboard light. This will pop on if your oil is dirty or running low.

Lastly, another sign to let you know that you need an oil change is sound. If you hear your engine running really loud, with a combination of metallic grinding noises, then you need to schedule an oil change. This will happen when there isn't enough oil or if it's too dirty to properly lubricate the moving parts in your engine.

Schedule an Oil Change at Prestige Volkswagen

Knowing these smells and signs is a great way to stay ahead of your Volkswagen's maintenance. For drivers in the Turnersville, Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel area that notice any of the smells and signs with their Volkswagen, you can schedule an oil change with us at Prestige Volkswagen.