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From maintaining the cleanliness of your vehicle to ensuring that it's fueled up and ready to go, car owners have plenty of responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. Another big responsibility is regular maintenance, and one of the most important elements of vehicle maintenance is changing your oil. Your oil is imperative to the overall operation, safety, and performance of your vehicle, and failing to keep up with this crucial piece of maintenance can end up costing you.
If you're looking for a place to trust to get an oil change, Ralph Honda is the perfect dealership to partner with, especially when you want to take advantage of quality service, knowledgeable technicians, and a state-of-the-art facility. No matter what type of vehicle you drive, even if you didn't buy it from us, we want to help you maintain your car so that it continues to offer you a safe and reliable ride—and it all starts with simple services like oil changes.
An oil change is a quick and simple service that makes a huge impact on how your vehicle performs. Your engine oil plays a critical role beneath your hood, as it's a lubricant that'll keep all the moving components of your engine operating properly. This also helps your engine remain cool, offering you top-level performance and efficiency on the road.
Changing your oil is fairly straightforward, as your old oil is drained from your vehicle and your oil filter is removed. Your oil filter likewise plays a key role in how your engine performs, as it filters out dirt and debris from the road so that it doesn't end up in your engine oil.
Once the old components are removed from your vehicle, new oil is added, as well as a new filter. The oil level is then checked to ensure it's at the correct level and there are no leaks present—and then you're on your way! It's as simple as that. Although this process is simple, it doesn't mean that you should neglect it, as failing to change your oil regularly can result in some serious repercussions.
As we mentioned above, your oil acts as a lubricant for your engine's moving parts, and when it gets gunked up with dirt and debris from the road, it begins to lose its ability to do its job. This means that you'll most likely start to notice your vehicle's performance slipping, as well as fuel efficiency suffering. You may not be able to go as long between fill-ups, which can end up costing you more in gas. Likewise, when your engine's parts aren't lubricated correctly, your engine runs the risk of overheating; this can result in a very costly repair, and in worse-case scenarios, you may have to end up getting a whole new engine, which, as you can imagine, is not cheap.
Decades ago, oil changes were needed more frequently; however, today's vehicles can travel longer distances between oil changes. This is due to the improved quality of oil and advancements in vehicle performance. When it comes to how often you need to change your oil, there are various components to take into consideration.
If you're just looking at the type of oil in your vehicle without considering contributing factors, the frequency of your oil changes varies. For high-performance vehicles with synthetic oil, it's recommended to change the oil every six months or about 6,000 miles. Vehicles that take semi-synthetic oil, which tends to be lower in price, will want to change their oil about every five months or 5,000 miles. Finally, conventional oil—which is used in many older cars—usually requires an oil change every three months or 3,000 miles. This is just a general rule of thumb, and many cars these days can go 10,000-15,000 miles between oil changes; it just depends on your vehicle.
Now, how often do you actually need to change your oil? This answer isn't as cut and dry as you may think, and several factors go into determining this—one of which is your driving habits. For those who are regular commuters or find themselves traveling longer distances each day, you may require more frequent oil changes than your owner's manual suggests. Those who utilize their vehicle for hard work—towing massive equipment or moving heavy loads—will also need to change their oil more often. The same goes for those who frequently traverse uneven terrain or find themselves in inclement weather, which can affect how your vehicle operates and thus consumes oil.
On the other hand, those who don't drive quite as often may be able to get away with fewer trips to the service center for oil changes. The biggest tip we can give is to partner with a team that can help you determine the oil change intervals that work best for your unique driving needs. They will take into consideration how often you drive, how many miles you put on your car, and other contributing factors so that you can create a service plan that suits your needs.
When you choose to service at a dealership, you'll take advantage of many perks, one of which is enjoying high-quality products designed especially for your vehicle. At Ralph Honda, we offer our service customers only the best products for their vehicles because we know how important it is to travel safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. As a top dealership, we have a reputation to uphold, and we do this through five-star service, high-level training, and utilizing the best parts.
We also make scheduling service easy and hassle-free, with the ability to schedule online, take advantage of flexible hours, and find the time to bring your vehicle in that doesn't inconvenience you. We know you're busy, and we do our best to accommodate our customers so that service doesn't take too much time out of your hectic schedule.
We staff our service department with factory-trained techs who work diligently to ensure that the right parts are used in your vehicle. We make important services (like oil changes) easy to keep up with and affordable so you can drive off knowing that your vehicle will deliver the best ride possible.
When you want to ensure you're doing your part to maintain your vehicle so that it offers optimized performance, choosing Ralph Honda is a smart first step. Now that you know how important an oil change is, you'll want to find a team you can trust to service your vehicle—and you'll find that, with our highly trained technicians, exceptional service facility, and top-quality parts, your experience at Ralph Honda will be first-rate.
So, whether you'd like to chat with us over the phone or online, we invite you to schedule an oil change for your vehicle. You'll be satisfied with your experience here, allowing you to have ultimate peace of mind that your vehicle is delivering a safe and dependable ride. Let's get started on your vehicle's service needs here at Ralph Honda, where we prioritize your experience from the moment you step through our doors.
