Oil Change
The Harm in Skipping An Oil Change
Some new vehicle manufacturers are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles or more. Following these recommendations is very important to avoid engine damage. When you go too long between oil changes, oil starts to turn to sludge. This causes small oil…
Read MoreSynthetic Oil
What is synthetic oil and should you use it? Regular oil, also called conventional oil, comes from dead dinosaurs. Conventional oil molecules are long hydrocarbon chains of various lengths. Imagine a bunch of pencils – some used and some brand new. Synthetic oil is often more highly refined petroleum-based oil. The molecules are shorter and closer to…
Read MoreSynthetic Oil
What is synthetic oil and should you use it? Regular oil, also called conventional oil, comes from dead dinosaurs. Conventional oil molecules are long hydrocarbon chains of various lengths. Imagine a bunch of pencils – some used and some brand new. Synthetic oil is often more highly refined petroleum-based oil. The molecules are shorter and closer to…
Read MoreOil Filter
What’s the job of the oil filter? As your engine runs, dirt gets into the oil. Oil sludge can also start to build up. Fortunately, motor oil contains detergents that clean the engine and gather up contaminates. The oil circulates through the oil filter where clumps of dirt and sludge are captured. An oil filter…
Read MoreMaking Your Vehicle Last With Regular Service
A lot of people have older vehicles. They’re good commuters, grocery-getters or toy-haulers. They enjoy that fact that they’re paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their vehicles for 200,000 miles or more – as long as it’s economical to do so. There are plenty of people whose vehicles are running…
Read MoreFuel Saving Tip: Dirty Oil
Drivers who are a couple quarts low on oil, don’t have enough oil to lubricate their engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy. Same goes for dirty oil. It doesn’t reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at the gas pump rolling higher and higher. The transmission also…
Read MoreChange Your Oil!
As engine technology advances, recommended oil change intervals have gotten longer. High quality oil in a well-engineered engine has led to extended intervals. Here’s the problem: With longer oil change intervals, it’s tough for vehicle owners to follow them closely. Back in the day of 3 months or 3,000 miles, if you went an extra month or…
Read MoreThe Maintenance Mindset
As responsible drivers residents, we know we need to take care of our cars, but it just seems really hard to remember to do it. We generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance, but just may have not applied it to our vehicles. For example, we water and mow the lawn every week. And…
Read MoreOil Change
An oil change at Douglas Automotive Repair: Sounds simple, but there’s some pretty important things to know about preventing oil sludge. Oil eventually starts to turn into jelly. Literally – petroleum jelly. Sludge clogs up oil passages and keeps oil from getting to some areas of the engine, causing parts to wear out prematurely. And that means expensive engine repairs.…
Read MoreWill Proper Auto Maintenance Really Save Gas?
Have you ever thought about all the little things we do to keep our lives running smoothly – like vacuuming? It makes a room feel fresher and more comfortable. We may not consider that we’re also prolonging the life of the carpet by keeping it clean. But car owners don’t always extend those good habits…
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