Engine oils are getting more advanced. This make the market to be flooded with oils that are pricey. With adequate planning, one can cut down on the amount spent on doing scheduled oil changes.
Ways to cut down spending on oil changes
Cutting down spending on oil changes does not imply cutting corners that will affect the health of the engine.
It is simply arming oneself with knowledge that can save you some bucks and using that knowledge to one's advantage.
Below are the methods;
1. Use synthetic engine oils (if applicable).
If the car manufacturer recommends the use of synthetic motor oil, do follow the recommendation because synthetic oils have higher oil change intervals. Because of this higher oil change interval, the vehicle owner spends less on labor, oil filter and other miscellaneous like transportation. For example, instead of paying for labor on four oil changes, you might pay for labor on two oil changes only. With advancement in oil technology, there are advanced synthetic oils that can go as far as 15,000 miles to 20,000 miles before another oil replacement is needed.
2. Oil that is too advanced for a model of car should not be used.
Some people feel that using very expensive oils give the engine better protection but this can amount to huge waste of money if proper care and knowledge are not applied. For example, if a car manufacturer recommends the use of a semi-synthetic motor oil and OCI (oil change interval) of 5,000 miles. It will be a very huge waste of money to use a full synthetic oil that can offer a service of say 15,000 miles and then replace it at 5,000 miles. A good semi-synthetic oil that is replaced at 5,000 miles will give an engine that the manufacturer recommends a semi-synthetic oil a good level of protection.
3. Do not overfill the engine with engine oil.
Overfilling the engine will add little extra cost that will pile up over time if it is a regular practice. Aside the extra cost, it increases fuel consumption and also have dentrimental effects to the health of catalytic converters.
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