Scheduling regular oil changes is vital to the life of any vehicle.

The oil filter keeps little bits of dust and other contaminants out of your engine, and helps ensure the oil runs smoothly, so you want to change that every time you change the oil.

Imagine how your body would react if your kidneys and liver shut down. The impurities in your blood would build up continually, and it would not take long for your body to completely break down.

Oil for your car can be likened to blood to your body. Your car needs clean oil to keep going. What would happen if you never changed your oil?

Well, you would be lucky to get 30,000 miles out of the car before your engine would collapse.

Say you only change your oil once a year. Your car seems to be running fine, so no harm done, right? Not so fast! Your engine has been flooded with contaminants. It will not be long till you find yourself coming to a standstill.

Regular oil changes are as important to your car as daily trips to the bathroom are to you. Now, we will not take the analogy too far, but you get the idea. This one scheduled maintenance may help your vehicle avoid mechanical failures.

I actually heard two mechanics say that they figured you could run a car forever if you had the oil changed every 2000 miles. That may seem excessive to some folks. But it kept my baby humming nicely!

Now if you see any hint of an oil leak on the driveway after the car is parked, get to a service station. This could be ultra bad news and you need to have your car checked out immediately. Ditto if you detect a burning smell or smoke coming from around the engine!

You may not feel 100 percent comfortable changing your oil, but you can check it easily. It is best to check the oil when your engine is cold. Unscrew the cap and pull out the dipstick. Wipe it with a clean tissue or paper towel. Reinsert the stick all the way. Then pull it back out and check the dipstick. You will see add and full lines clearly marked on it. If the oil film is between the add and full lines, you are good. If it is below the add line, you need a quart of oil. Make sure you use the kind recommended in your owners manual. After adding the oil, repeat all the steps.

See, that was not too hard, was it?

Make sure you take the time to check the oil levels in your car, and have it changed regularly. It literally means the difference between life and death for your vehicle!