You rely on your Smart car to get you where you need to go. You can also rely on RB Auto Service for all of your Smart car’s service and repair needs. We are the best European auto service shop in Pinellas Park. One of the things that we can ensure is that you always have clean oil and a clean oil filter in the engine. This is crucial to protect the engine from unnecessary damage. If you cannot remember the last time that you had the oil changed, here are signs that your oil filter is clogged.
Sluggish Engine Performance
Your engine needs a new oil filter every 3,000 miles to ensure that you always have clean motor oil circulating through it. As the oil filter starts to get dirty, it gets the oil dirty. Consequently, when you have dirty motor oil circulating through the engine, your engine’s performance will lag in the engine temperature will rise.
Reduction in the Fuel Efficiency
As the engine struggles to produce power, it will burn more fuel. As such, the clogged oil filter will indirectly cause a reduction in your Smart car’s fuel efficiency. As you can imagine, it will be more expensive to fill your Smart car up more often than it is to have the oil changed when it needs it.
Reduction in the Oil Pressure
Another thing that is going to be reduced by the clogged oil filter is the oil pressure in your Smart car’s engine. This reduction in the oil pressure also affects the engine’s performance and temperature. There is not enough oil circulating through the engine to protect it properly and keep it cool. As such, your Smart car’s main computer chip is going to turn on the oil light on the dashboard.
Grinding/Metallic Engine Noises
We cannot stress enough how important it is that you stop driving your Smart car if the engine is making grinding, growling, or metallic noises. This is a sign that there is no oil circulating through the engine. If the oil filter is severely clogged, it can inhibit oil circulation. If you keep driving your Smart car without any oil in the engine, the engine will seize up and die in 30 minutes.
Finally, RB Auto Service in Pinellas Park, FL, advises that dirty motor oil increases the hydrocarbons that are found in your Smart car’s exhaust. If you live in a state that conducts emissions testing, your Smart car is going to fail the test.