Lube, Oil & Filter Change

Auto Service in Fredericksburg, Virginia and Brodhead, Wisconsin

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Oil Change Services

Motor oil is an essential lubricant. Its main function is to lubricate the moving parts in your engine. It also cleans, inhibits corrosion, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from those moving parts. The most important thing you can do to keep your vehicle running for a long time is to change your oil on schedule. With a full service oil change, your other fluids are checked and topped off so you don’t run into problems from low fluids.

Preventing Oil Sludge

Over time, oil can break down as a result of the operating temperatures of today’s smaller, higher-revving engines and eventually starts to turn into jelly. Literally – petroleum jelly. When this occurs, the oil becomes less effective and friction may increase, resulting in excessive and premature wear. Dirt and other contaminants may build up in both the oil and oil filter as well, creating sludge. 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. From a safety standpoint, failing to change your oil isn’t likely to pose a problem for you or other motorists. From an environmental point of view, maintaining your vehicle according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and your current driving conditions will result in a vehicle that runs better, with lower exhaust emissions and a smaller carbon footprint.

Recommendations

Change the oil and oil filter on schedule – to get the old oil out before it turns to sludge. For years, the accepted interval for oil replacement and filter service has been every three months or 3000 miles. Improvements in oil chemistry and engine design technology have allowed for longer oil change intervals; typically it’s anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 miles for most vehicles, depending on the specific oil type (full synthetic vs. synthetic blend). Your manufacturer will have a recommendation for how many miles you can go between oil changes, or months. That’s because the detergents and other additives in the oil break down over time. Your owner’s manual will have a recommendation for time and mileage, but you need to remember that it’s based on using the recommended weight of oil. And if your vehicle came from the factory with synthetic oil, the recommended intervals assume you continue to use synthetic. Also how you drive can have a big affect. Most owner’s manuals will have a list of driving conditions that are harder on your vehicle. Things like stop and go driving, short trips, driving in very hot or very cold weather, heavy loads, and towing. If some of your driving fits this, you may need to change your oil and do other maintenance on a shorter schedule. If any of the steering or suspension parts can be lubed when you stop at SysTech Automotive for an oil change, your technician will take care of that with a lube, oil and filter service!