Why Your Cheap Oil Change Might Be a Mistake

Everyone loves a good bargain. It’s the goal of many shoppers to find that one deal that will save them money without sacrificing quality. Unfortunately, when it comes to car maintenance, this is not always the case. A cheap oil change might seem like an attractive option at first glance but can actually be a costly mistake in the long run for your vehicle. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why you should avoid going with the cheapest oil change and what other options are available to get your car back on track!

So what happened to the $19.95 oil change? First of all, manufacturers are more and more complicated engines. Consumers are demanding more power AND better efficiency today, so to get that manufacturers building smaller engines with more power. Turbocharging an engine is one of the ways to generate more power with fewer cylinders. They build these engines with tighter tolerances which require specialized lubricants. Also, engines run hotter to help eliminate emissions, so you are seeing more and different “weights” of oil in today’s engines. No more 5W-30 or 10W-40 in almost every car as it was years ago. The cost of having so many different oils increases the cost. Also, many engines now require, or at least recommend, some type of synthetic oil, another contributor to increased costs.

But here is the good news. These newer engines using higher quality oils have also increased the mileage intervals between oil changes. Therefore, if your oil changes cost twice as much as you like, you only have to change it half as much. So, your maintenance cost really hasn’t increased at all. Plus, you have half the trips to the dealership or service center to keep your car maintained. You are ahead in the long run.

Finally, getting your vehicle serviced by a factory-trained technician is a good idea today. They know your car best and also know the most about YOUR brand of vehicle. If anything else ever pops up, you have a brand-knowledgeable technician that can handle it on the spot.

Today, we are still highly dependent on our automobiles to serve our work and family needs. Regular maintenance is not something for which you should do bargain shopping. And with longer service intervals, you don’t need to.