3 months or 3000 miles, synthetic, dipstick, oil filter, air filter, 5 quarts… Even routine maintenance on your vehicle can be intimidating, confusing, easy to forget, and frankly, just a pain. But at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac, we can take the headache out of routine maintenance. In our GM certified service department, we’ll get to know you, your vehicle, and your driving habits to recommend the best service schedule to extend the life of your vehicle.
OK, let’s take it from the top. Oil changes: here’s the first thing you need to know. Go synthetic. Does it cost more? Yes. Does it last longer? Absolutely. Is it better for your vehicle? Indeed. Synthetic oils are also less harmful to the environment (though they’re not exactly Miracle-Gro either, so if you do change your own oil, don’t pour it into your backyard flowerbed — it still needs to be discarded responsibly). Your engine will run cleaner and it will not only extend the period of time between oil changes, but also extend the life of your motor.
Next, how do your driving habits impact the necessary frequency of your oil changes? Well, think about it this way: you boil water to clean it, right? Similarly, when motor oil gets to extreme temperatures, it has a similar cleansing effect on the lubricated mechanisms in your engine (boiling off condensation moisture). As a result, if you’re someone who drives fewer miles per trip (fewer than 10 on average), your oil will not heat up enough to diminish engine wear, thus you will need oil changes more frequently.
Now let’s get down to brass tacks… how often do you really need to change your oil? Conventional oil? Consistently take short trips? …3000 miles is appropriate. Synthetic oil? Commuter (travel ~20 miles to work each way each day)? …you can get away with closer to 8000 miles.
Bottom line: these are just general guidelines — each vehicle and driver will of course be slightly different. Such is why it’s important to get your routine maintenance done at the same place — the best place for vehicle service and oil changes in Kenosha, WI — Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac, where we’ll get to know your vehicle… and you!
