It is something that many of us tend to neglect, yet it is quite possibly the most important part of keeping our car’s running well. Of course, we are talking about the oil change. The oil in your car is like the blood coursing through your veins. It is absolutely essential for every part of your engine to function and that means that when you are driving around with low oil, or with worn out and dirty oil, you are putting a lot of added stress on all of the components of your engine and may increase the likelihood of needing an auto repair for various components down the road.

The beauty of the oil change, however, is the fact that it is a relatively simple operation. With just a few hours of your time you can do it yourself and you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing that you just learned a new skill, plus the added glow that comes from maintaining your own vehicle. But, the oil change does have a few tricks that could mess you up in the process (full disclosure: you will probably get pretty messy regardless).

When you are changing your oil, keep in mind that you need to make sure you use the correct type of oil for your vehicle. If you don’t know what kind of oil your vehicle takes, you should consult your owner’s manual. If you have lost your owner’s manual, you should check on your car manufacturer’s website for more information. If you can’t figure out your car manufacturer’s website, you can either call them and likely spend an hour on hold or bring your vehicle in to Fort Collins Foreign Car Service for a professional oil change.

Oil type is primarily determined by viscosity. Viscosity is the thickness of a liquid. Oil types like 5w-40 tell you the viscosity of the oil in two situations: the low temperature (first number) and the high temperature (second number). In most cases, you should use the type prescribed by your manufacturer, but in certain cold weather or other extreme environments you may want to change this up.

Of course, if you don’t really feel like getting down and dirty, you can always bring your vehicle in for an oil change at Fort Collins Foreign Car Service. We will also do a diagnostic on your car and let you know if needs any kind of auto repair for free.