Just because you love your car or truck does not mean that you know how to take care of it. Many car and truck owners do not know much about the best ways to keep it running at its best. Many first time car or truck owners know nothing about when to do an oil change, rotate the tires or how often they need to check on their tire alignment. Here is everything you need to know about doing an oil change for your vehicle.
- Get your car on an oil change schedule. Every make and model of car has its own needs when it comes to oil change services. You should talk to the car or truck dealer about when to get your oil change. This can vary from model to model and is very much impacted by how much and how fast you drive. If you cannot find out the specifics for your car or truck, checking the oil every four months or 5,000 miles is a good habit to get into. Also, most newer cars and trucks have a sensor that will tell when to get your oil changed. check your oil. Pay attention when your car or truck tells you to check the oil. Also, there is a reason you get a manual with your car. You should take some time to read it when you first get your car.
- You may need to “top off” your oil. Keep a good eye on the oil level in your car or truck. There are a lot of makes and models that need to just have a little oil added between full oil changes. You should plan to do this about every 30 days. If you have a monitor on your vehicle, that is great. If you do not have that, you can use the dip stick method to keep an eye on the oil level. If you are not sure how to check your oil, you can ask the technicians who work on your car to show you.
- Keep an eye on the color of your oil. The color of your oil tells you a lot about how well (or not) it is performing in your vehicle. If you are not sure what it is supposed to look like, talk to your dealer or the maintenance center where you take your car or truck to when it needs repairs or tune ups. You may also find key information from the owner’s manual or from the company that made your car. Your favorite auto repair service can give you a lot of information here.
- Get the right oil for your car. In the world are not equal. When you are looking to get new oil for your car or truck, you should start your search by reading the manual. Sometimes, salespeople like to “upsell” you. You may not need or benefit in any way from a more expensive oil. Many vehicles today list the weight of the preferred oil on the cap. If you are not sure from what is written on the vehicle or in the manual, check with a local dealer. They can give you more information about your car or truck — or they can find it out for you.
- Consider synthetic oil. Studies show that the synthetic oils that are out today can burn more efficiently. They also burn cleaner than traditional oil. It has been estimated that they can burn at least 65% cleaner than organic oil. The key is finding out if your car or truck was built to run better with synthetic oil. If you are not sure, read the owner’s manual or talk to a dealer. There are cars that never get hot enough to really benefit from using synthetic oil. Talk to your dealer or repair servicer about your specific driving habits. They may find that the way you use your car of truck makes it less likely that synthetic oil will be better for your vehicle.
The most important thing to remember when caring for your truck or car is really that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”