Your car won’t accelerate after oil change if you’ve put too much oil, used oil of the wrong viscosity, or left behind the old gasket.
You can fix the acceleration problem by using the right engine oil and the right fuel level for your car. We’ll share the common mistakes which cause this acceleration problem and guide you to fix them in detail.
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Car Won’t Accelerate After Oil Change [3 Easy Solutions]
Your car is supposed to run better after changing the engine oil. If that’s not the case, you’ve clearly done something wrong. Here are the most common mistakes that are preventing your car from running smoothly after an oil change:
1. Too Much Oil
It’s common knowledge that using too little oil can cause engine failure. But what most people don’t know is that using too much oil is equally dangerous.
Too much oil can damage your car’s engine. Overfilling your car with engine oil will result in reduced lubrication between the moving parts of your car. Excess oil can also reach your spark plugs and cause significant damage to them. Here are some common signs to look out for if your car’s engine has surplus oil:
- Oil is leaking from the car.
- The car’s engine is overheating.
- The burning smell of the engine oil.
- Blue or black smoke from the tailpipe.
- Abnormal noises coming from the car’s engine.
- Strange changes in the oil gauge.
What Is The Right Amount Of Oil?
Make sure your car is on a level surface when you’re checking the level of oil. Use the dipstick to find out how much oil is in the car’s engine. If the reading on your dipstick is between the “add” and “full” lines, you’re good. Check the manual of your car and see what’s the optimum amount of engine oil for your car.
Four to eight liters is usually the maximum amount of engine oil for most cars. There is 0.5-1 Liter between the “add” and “full” markings on the dipstick. If you’re low on oil, keep adding oil in increments of 100 ml and keep checking if you’re above the “add” line. This will make sure that you’re not overfilling oil.
Solution:
You have to drain the excess oil to make sure that your car runs smoothly. This may sound simple but you’d be surprised to see how many people get it wrong. The common mistake that most people make is that they drain the transmission fluid instead of the engine oil.
You might mix up the drain pipes of the transmission fluid and the engine fuel if you’re not careful. Transmission fluid is generally red in color if they’re not burned. Be on the lookout for that. Take your time to make sure that you’re draining the engine oil and not the transmission fluid.
Drain the excess oil and make sure that your engine oil is between the “add” and “full” lines. Remember that too much and too little oil are both harmful to your car’s engine.
Check the level of both the transmission fluid and drain pipe after you’re done. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth before checking to make sure that you get an accurate reading. Your problem of the car not accelerating because of too much oil is now solved.
2. Wrong Viscosity Oil
Your car won’t accelerate properly if use the wrong viscosity oil. Viscosity is the ratio of resistance and flow. The new oil you’ve used could be too thick for your engine.
Using thicker oil will damage your car’s engine. The wrong oil will make your car sluggish and cause your engine to stall.
Solution:
If you suspect that this is the case, you need to change your oil. The oil you’ve changed to isn’t suitable for your engine. So, pick the top-quality engine oil with right viscosity from the previous brand and change the oil. And your car loses power after the oil change is now solved.
3. Leaving The Old Gasket
The fuel filter of a car has to be changed to change the engine oil of your car. If you did it yourself and you’re new to this, chances are that you left the old gasket behind. It’s a thin rubber that looks like an O-Ring. Without taking it off, the new filter won’t fit properly and start to leak oil.
Solution:
Excessive oil leakage is a sign that you forgot to remove the gasket. You need to open the fuel filter and take off the gasket. Throw away the old gasket and gently tighten the fuel filter. Check that it fits properly and you’re all done.
FAQs:
What causes acceleration to slow down?
A clogged air filter is the most common reason to slow down the acceleration of your color. This problem may also be caused by faulty sensors, a rich mixture of oil and filter, and using the wrong engine oil.
How much do we need to change our engine oil?
You need to change your engine oil once your car reaches 5000 to 7500 miles.
How much extra oil is over the limit?
You need to be concerned about the engine oil limit if you filled it 0.3″ above the “full” line. That is when you need to start draining the excess oil.
What causes car engines to overheat?
When the engine oil fails to do its job, the car engine becomes overheated. If you’ve excess engine oil, drain it to the right amount to stop your car from overheating.
Will using old oil have a negative impact on my car’s acceleration?
Yes, using old engine oil will slow down your car’s acceleration. Engine oil is used to lubricate the different parts of the engine. The oil will become old and dirty as time passes and it won’t be able to do its job properly.
Conclusion
You have all the tips and tricks to fix your car that won’t accelerate after the oil change issue by now. Hopefully, you’ll be able to fix your car right away following our guide.
If this guide has helped you solve your problem, leave a comment. Let us know if you have any questions.
About John M
John contributed as a technical head at an automobile company just 2 years after his post-graduation in Automobile Engineering. He loves to lead a free life, so he left his job & started blogging. Now, he does research on every automotive problem, part & product and seeks a better solution & best products & shares his findings with his readers to help them as well as to minimize their struggle.