AN OIL CHANGE IS YOUR CAR’S MOST IMPORTANT MAINTENANCE SERVICE
There’s no question that regular oil changes extend the life and reliability of your car, truck or SUV. If you’re in the area, take your vehicle into auto lab for an oil change in Libertyville.
How Often Should I Change My Oil?
If your car uses regular motor oil, changing it every 3,000 miles or every 3 months is a good plan. But if your vehicle requires synthetic oil, we recommend oil changes every 5,000 miles or every 6 months.
Your owner’s manual may recommend oil changes less frequently, especially if your engine uses synthetic oil. We do not recommend extending an oil change beyond 6,000 or 7,000 miles or that 6-month time frame. Here’s why we think it’s better to change the oil more often than to risk engine damage.
There are a lot of people who have different opinions on the matter, but in our expert view, the savings is not worth the potential wear and tear on your engine. More than one carmaker has had to shorten their recommended oil change interval because of excessive warranty claims on engines that went too many miles between oil changes.
If you have surpassed these milestones, come into Auto Lab for an oil change in Libertyville, IL.
Should I Use Synthetic Motor Oil?
We recommend synthetic oil if:
- Your engine requires it. More and more new cars are coming from the factory with synthetic oil. If that’s the case with your vehicle, you’ll need to continue to use synthetic oil. If you’re not sure, we’d be happy to look it up for you. The oil specifications can also be found in your owner’s manual and on the oil cap under the hood.
- You use your vehicle for heavy-duty purposes, such as towing, plowing and other reasons that involve extensive idling or stop-and-go driving.
- Your vehicle is part of a fleet. It can be an inconvenience to take a fleet vehicle out of service for an oil change. Switching to a synthetic oil will reduce the number of trips you need to make to Auto Lab for oil changes.
- You regularly miss your 3,000-mile oil change interval. If you find it too difficult or simply don’t like to deal with an oil change every few thousand miles, make the switch to synthetic oil. You can make it easier on yourself without risking engine damage.
Why Choose Auto Lab for an Oil Change Over a Quick Lube?
For starters, your oil will be changed by skilled, experienced technicians. Check out the credentials of our technical experts! In addition:
- We will inspect your vehicle for other repair and maintenance needs. You’ll gain peace of mind in having a thorough picture of your car’s “health.”
- We install a quality oil filter – not a bargain-basement variety that fills with sludge before you hit 3,000 miles.
- We don’t try to upsell you a new air filter every visit.
- If your car needs a repair or is due for other maintenance, we can take care of it for you then and there. Quick lubes only perform a limited number of services.
- If you need something more than an oil change, you can borrow one of our free loaner cars or take a ride in our courtesy shuttle.
What Else Should Be Done at the Same Time?
Services that are often done at the same time as an oil change include:
- Replacing the air filter
- Installing new wiper blades
- Adjusting the tire pressure – Always part of an Auto Lab oil change!
- Topping off the fluids – Also part of every Auto Lab oil change!
What Does This Oil Warning Light Mean?
If this low oil pressure warning light illuminates on your dashboard, pull over ASAP. (Just make sure you're in a safe place to pull over.)
One dashboard warning light most of us recognize is the old-fashioned oil can. And while automotive technology has made many advances, this light still carries the same meaning: If this light comes on or flickers on and off while you’re driving, get to a safe place and turn the engine off immediately.
It’s best to have your vehicle towed and let us figure out what is wrong before any damage is done.
Note: When you first turn your engine on, the low oil pressure warning light automatically lights up but then should go off within a couple of seconds.
If you have surpassed these milestones, come into Auto Lab for an oil change in Libertyville, IL.
