Oil Changes

There are various complex moving parts in a car’s engine, and every moving component requires oil for lubrication to continue operating smoothly. As the oil moves around your engine, it can collect debris and contaminants over time, decreasing its lubricative and cooling properties. When the engine’s oil becomes unable to prevent friction in your motor properly, the parts will become too hot and start to warp, and eventually the engine will shut down or fail completely. Keeping up with your regularly scheduled oil changes will help keep your car running smoothly and save you money on repair costs in the long run.

How Often Should Oil Be Changed?

So, how do you know when you need an oil change? You can trust the team at Arvada Square Auto to tell you the truth about what your vehicle needs and when it needs it. For example, the old common myth about needing oil change service every 3,000 miles largely doesn’t apply to newer cars. Reference your car’s user manual for your oil change maintenance schedule. Many newer vehicles can wait between 5,000 and 7,500 miles, depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations and the kind of driving being done. If you do a lot of stop-and-go driving around town, you may need to change more frequently. Stop in to receive a fast, high-quality oil change as well as helpful advice from the team at Arvada Square Auto.

Types of Oil

Not all motor oil is made equal. From conventional and synthetic to oil weights, it’s important to understand the kind of oil your vehicle requires.

Conventional Oil

Conventional oil is derived from crude oil, the same base product used to make gasoline and diesel fuel. Conventional motor oil is becoming a thing of the past, but some older model vehicles still use it. Generally speaking, most cars and trucks nowadays will use either a synthetic blend or full synthetic motor oil.

Synthetic Blend

As the name describes, synthetic blend oils combine conventional motor oil and synthetics. Synthetic blend motor oils offer less protection than a full synthetic.

Full Synthetic

Typically used in high performance vehicles, diesel trucks, and European cars, full synthetic oil offers the most wear protection. It can handle extreme temperatures, long operating times, and the added stress brought on by turbocharging technology becoming commonplace. Full synthetic oil is more expensive than synthetic blends.

Oil Viscosity

Another component of motor oil is its viscosity rating, often referred to as its weight. This viscosity rating will appear on the oil bottle, and the requirements for your vehicle can be found on the owners manual. Oil weight ratings are printed like this: 5w30

What do the numbers mean?

Modern motor oils are typically multiweight, which means they have different viscosities depending on temperature. Let’s break down the above example!

5w:
The first number and letter of the rating reference the oils viscosity on cold start, or during winter (the W actually stands for winter!).

30:
The second number refers to the oil’s viscosity when the engine is at operating temperature.

Higher vs Lower Numbers in Oil Weight

Without getting too deep into engineering territory, these numbers reflect viscosity ratings set by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). What you need to know as a driver is this: The higher the number (for both winter and operating temperatures) the thicker and less viscous the oil is. Lower numbers mean thinner oil.

There are some tradeoffs between a low and high weight oil. Thinner oils will generally lead to better fuel economy, while thicker oils provide better engine protection long term.

What Oil Should I Use in My Car?

Following the manufacturer recommendations is generally best when it comes to oil type and viscosity. Luckily, the team at Arvada Square Auto will make sure your car is getting the oil it needs to run best!

Call or Schedule Now!

Arvada Square Auto offers high-quality oil change services. Inadequate or dirty oil leads to failure of many of these crucial parts, leading to significant damage to your vehicle’s engine. Our premier oil services include the removal of old oil and old filter, and the replacement of new oil and a new filter. There are many different brands of oil with different weights and quality, and our technicians would be happy to help you decide which oil is best for your vehicle. For an oil change service you can have peace of mind in, give us a call or schedule online to make an appointment!