Back-to-school maintenance: Get your oil changed
Having your oil and oil filter changed regularly not only improves your ride, it also protects your engine from needing to be replaced. Having your oil changed regularly keeps everything clean and running smoothly. In this blog post, you’ll learn more about what oil does, when to get an oil change, and about how much this service may cost.
What does oil do?
Engine oil – sometimes called “motor oil,” though it isn’t for motors – helps your engine in five ways:
- It lubricates the internal components of your engine, ensuring that hard surfaces don’t rub against each other and wear each other down.
- It helps cool your engine as it travels through the components and absorbs heat.
- It cleans your engine, removing any dust, debris, or dirt that’s made its way inside.
- It acts as a sealant for some of the parts.
- It cushions moving parts that may experience shock during engine operation.
As oil collects dirt from its hard work, its ability to perform those five tasks decreases, and damage to your engine can occur.
Replacing your engine costs thousands of dollars. Having your oil changed is considerably less expensive, so it pays to keep your oil clean.
When to get an oil change
The general rule of thumb is to change your vehicle’s oil every 8,000 km or six months. Your owner’s manual will give details more specific to your vehicle. However, because cars are tested in a laboratory instead of real life, these estimates may not be entirely accurate.
How do you find out if you need an oil change? You can ask your mechanic to check it if you already have your vehicle in for a different reason. Or you can use the dipstick under the hood of your vehicle and a lint-free cloth (an old t-shirt can work) to check it yourself. If the oil on the dipstick comes out opaque, cloudy, or in any other way dirty, it’s time for an oil change.
What kind of oil to use
When you get your oil changed at your local garage, your mechanic may give you the option of synthetic or conventional oil. As long as you pick an oil that matches your manual’s recommendation, the brand doesn’t matter.
Conventional oil
Conventional, or regular, oil is usually thinner and less expensive than synthetic oil and is best for cars manufactured before 1990. It uses petroleum as its base and can improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
However, when temperatures rise, conventional oils may become too thin to protect your engine. It also burns faster, so you’ll have to replenish it more often than synthetic oil.
That being said, synthetic oil in an older car, especially one with high mileage, can cause leaks that result in more oil being burned and lead you to have to replenish the oil more often.
Synthetic oil
Only trace amounts of the original petroleum base can be found in synthetic oils, because the manufacturing process alters the conventional oil’s chemical makeup.
Synthetic oils have a naturally higher viscosity than regular oils. They’re more expensive, but they offer many benefits:
- They protect your engine better.
- They handle extreme temperatures better.
- They offer more time between oil changes.
- They manage harsh driving conditions better (e.g., towing heavy loads).
If you drive a vehicle manufactured after 1990 or a diesel car, opt for synthetic oil.
Oil change pricing
If you shop around, you’ll find differences in the cost of an oil change. That’s because several factors come into play, including your location, vehicle, and type of oil. The standard labour rate can also vary between locations.
An average price for an oil change service using conventional oil in Ontario is between $35 and $75. For synthetic oil, this range goes up to $65 to $125. The final price will also depend on if you’re getting your oil filter changed, as well. Most vehicles will need the filter changed at every oil change or every other oil change.
You can get an oil change at any professional garage, including any NAPA AUTOPRO service centre.
Photo: iStock-184148872