Car Care Basics: The Ins and Outs of Oil Changes | Auto Dealer

An oil change is one of the most fundamental and essential parts of proper car maintenance, whether you do it yourself or let a professional handle it for you. It’s something that is absolutely essential and relatively simple—all things considered—making it a great entryway for new drivers who want to keep their vehicles in the best shape possible. Whether you are looking to get an oil change near Greece in the next couple of days or you want to know some of the basics about why it’s so important, we’re here to help. Let’s go over what’s involved with an oil change, how often you should take care of it, and some of the benefits of having an expert handle it compared to tackling this job yourself.

For the rest of this to make sense, it’s important that we’re on the same page about what’s involved with an oil change. First of all, we’re talking about the motor oil in your vehicle’s engine, which is there to lubricate all of its moving parts. This keeps everything gliding along smoothly without damaging other parts and keeps extra heat to a minimum—the regular function of your engine produces enough heat that it doesn’t need anymore. Over time, however, the engine oil will get dirty and thick, even sludgy, which causes it to no longer lubricate parts as well as it did when it was fresh.

An oil change is exactly what it sounds like––draining out the old oil that’s become dirty and replacing it with clean, fresh oil. This new oil does a great job of keeping your engine running smoothly while you drive around Greece, though it will also start to break down and get dirty eventually. The solution, then, is to routinely change your oil on a regular basis, ensuring the oil never gets too dirty and that you stay ahead of any problems.

This is a great question and one you can probably find many different answers to—we know plenty of people who all have their own thoughts and opinions on this. Most of us were told, as new drivers, a certain number of miles and frequency for changing our oil and that we needed to follow it to the letter of the law. In reality, it depends on numerous factors, including the make and model you own, how you drive it, the type of oil you use, and more. For example, two people with the same vehicle might need new oil at different times because one person only uses their vehicle for their commute while the other drives their car as part of their job every day.

If you’re looking for a general rule and have a Honda, then it’s a good idea to change your engine oil once yearly. We also like to stick to about every 7,500 miles for an oil change if that occurs before a year is up; as we said, someone who drives more will need to change their oil sooner than someone putting fewer miles on their vehicle. Other factors can also affect this, however, like if you tend to take your vehicle off-road or drive on a lot of dirt roads around Greece since this puts more demands on your engine. It’s also a good idea to change your engine’s oil filter (it helps keep your oil clean longer) every time you change the oil.

To make this even simpler, Honda provides you with an in-vehicle Maintenance Minder system that you can access. This essentially provides you with an estimated life span for things like your vehicle’s engine oil that you can view on your driver information screen, providing you with a sense of when you’ll need to replace it. As your engine oil reaches the end of its run, you’ll get a reminder message telling you that you need to change it soon or immediately if you’ve gone beyond when you should’ve changed it. This makes it easier to keep track of when an oil change is due and handle it based on your actual driving habits rather than a number that might not reflect what your engine goes through.

One of the biggest questions many drivers consider is whether they should tackle an oil change themselves or pay someone else to do it. Let’s take a look at each of these options. If you let an expert, like someone here at Ralph Honda, handle things for you, you don’t have to get your hands dirty and can be confident that it’s done right. Our technicians can also help you keep track of when you need to change your oil so you don’t always have to keep track of it yourself.

Since we’re a certified Honda service center, you know we know Honda models inside and out, plus our work will maintain the integrity of any warranty coverage your vehicle has. We can also take care of other work during your oil change, so if you need to have your brakes inspected, your tires rotated, your oil changed, and your battery life checked, then we can handle it all in a single visit. We’ll also handle the old oil from your vehicle for you, so you have one less thing to worry about, and you can focus on the things that matter most.

If you have the know-how and equipment to change your own oil, then we’ll admit there’s definitely a sense of satisfaction that can come from tackling this kind of task yourself. You also get to save money since an oil change does have a price tag on it—we don’t charge much for an oil change, but nothing is cheaper than free. You can also have the confidence of knowing something was done properly since you were the one who did it, again, assuming you have the know-how for this task.

One of the biggest drawbacks to changing your own oil is that you have to do it yourself, which means taking the time to do it, and many of us have better uses for that time. You also have to make sure you dispose of the old oil from your vehicle properly; you should never dump it down a drain or even throw it in the trash. If you prefer to change your own oil, then be sure to take it to a shop that can recycle it and handle it correctly to keep it from entering groundwater or soil. Finally, you need to make sure you do the work properly and keep track of when you change your oil to protect the warranty coverage on your vehicle. While changing your own oil doesn’t void your warranty, it could prevent a later repair from being covered if it’s determined an improper oil change performed by the owner caused the issue.

We know that car maintenance can be a hassle, which is why we are committed to making it as quick and stress-free as possible. With one of our service experts handling everything, you can sit back and relax in our comfortable customer lounge, knowing that your vehicle is in great hands. That way, you can get back on the road and back to living your life as quickly as possible with a fantastic vehicle in great shape. The most important thing to us is that you enjoy everything your car, truck, or SUV has to offer; proper service is one of the best ways to ensure that. Whether you have a Honda or not, we’re happy to assist you with oil changes and similar types of maintenance so you can focus on the things and people in your life that matter most.