Basic Maintenance: Oil and Filter Change

OIL AND FILTER CHANGE

Many people ask us if we offer any mobile oil change service.  I’ve found that many of the mobile mechanics are having serious issues with quality control and I can understand that.  Quality control is a full-time job. A lube technician can do 100 oil changes without a mistake but one bad day or week and look out; guarantee there will be mistakes.  It is crucial to have a second set of eyes on all work done to a car. Vehicles are complex machines and all it takes is one lose bolt, filter or drain plug and serious damage can occur.  Unfortunately for the mobile mechanics this is occurring on a regular basis. When it comes to getting an oil and filter change, you want someone that has a system of checks and balances to ensure everything is done right every time.  

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY OIL?

Consensus is 3-4k miles or 3-4 months for conventional oil and 5-7k miles or 5-7 months for full synthetic oil.   However, dealerships are touting 10k miles on full synthetic oil which I believe is a costly mistake. I believe dealerships only plan on you keeping the vehicle for 100k miles and therefore plan for your engine burning out at around 100k miles.  Why I believe this is true is because in the last 5 years we have replaced about 15 engines due to damage caused from not changing oil enough. Your vehicle is a money pit and the least expensive way to manage this money pit is to take care of it and get 300k miles out of it.  On average, every year to go without a new car payment you save approximately $8k. If you can’t remember the last time you got your oil and filter changed call us right away and it is better to be safe than sorry.

WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURS WHEN I GET MY OIL CHANGED?

Most importantly is your vehicle gets inspected thoroughly looking for any signs of weak or broken parts.  When one part gets weak or fails, it causes all the surrounding parts it works with to strain and fail that much sooner. 

Oil Change Process

1. An oil change starts with draining and inspecting the oil and the drain plug.
2. Remove the oil filter and gasket then replace with a new quality oil filter.
3. Replace the drain plug and the oil based on dealer specs of how much oil it holds. 
4. Start the engine for 30 seconds to get the new oil to cycle through the new filter and engine. 
5. Check the dipstick and add more oil to get to the right measurement.
6. Hand tighten the oil cap and do visual inspection of the underside and top side of engine compartment.  Wipe down and off any oil splatter.