Oil change

What an oil change does

Oil keeps the moving parts inside the engine from grinding against each other, and it carries heat away. Over time it breaks down and picks up dirt, so it needs replacing on a schedule.

The oil filter catches that dirt as the oil circulates. It is changed along with the oil, because a full filter lets dirt pass.

Oil that has gone too long gets thick and dirty and protects less. It does not usually fail all at once. The engine just wears faster than it should, which is why staying on schedule matters more than any one change.

What the visit includes

• The old oil drained.
• A new oil filter.
• New oil of the type and amount your car calls for.
• The oil level checked once the engine has run.
• The oil-life reminder reset, if your car has one.
• A look at your tires and their pressure while the car is here.

We change oil on cars, SUVs, light trucks and work vans.

Conventional, synthetic blend or full synthetic

We carry all three.

• Conventional: refined from crude oil. Fine for engines whose manual calls for it.
• Full synthetic: made from engineered base oils. It holds up better in heat and cold, and it costs more.
• Synthetic blend: a mix of the two. There is no standard ratio, so blends vary.

The right oil is whatever your owner's manual specifies: the viscosity, such as 5W-30, and the standard the oil has to meet. The viscosity is often printed on the oil cap too. Some engines require full synthetic, and the manual says so.

You can switch between conventional and synthetic without hurting the engine. Switching to synthetic does not by itself stretch the interval your manual sets.

How often to change it

Go by the owner's manual and the car's oil-life reminder. Many cars track how they are driven and tell you when the oil is due. If yours has a reminder, the manual usually says to follow it.

The old 3,000-mile rule

Changing oil every 3,000 miles was common advice for older engines and older oils, and a lot of people still go by it. Today most carmakers point drivers to the owner's manual and the oil-life monitor instead, and for many cars that number is longer. Changing early does not hurt the engine. It just means paying for oil changes you did not need.

Manuals often list a second, shorter schedule for severe use, such as lots of short trips, stop and go traffic, towing or heat. Check whether your driving fits it.

Signs you are overdue

• The oil-life reminder or the sticker on your windshield says it is past due.
• The oil light comes on. Pull over when it is safe and check the level before you drive further.
• The oil on the dipstick is dark and gritty, or low.
• The engine sounds louder than it used to.
• You smell burning oil.

What happens when you come in

1. Walk in any day we are open. No appointment.
2. Tell us the year, make and model, so we know what oil and filter the car calls for.
3. We tell you what it needs and the price before any work starts. No surprise fees.
4. We change the oil and filter and reset the reminder.
5. Add a tire rotation or a filter swap on the same visit if you want.

Because we are a tire shop, the tires get a look on every visit. If something there needs attention, we tell you. If nothing does, we tell you that.

Related services and tires

Tire rotation

Air and cabin filters

Used tires for cars, SUVs and light trucks