Proper maintenance is vital to all modern automobiles. No aspect of maintenance is more important than engine oil. To ensure worry-free years of vehicle use, always have this service done by qualified and experienced technicians.
OLF?
When you come to our Gainesville auto repair shop for an oil change we use the acronym OLF. This stands for an Oil, Lube and Filter service. And it means much more than just new oil and a new filter.
Internal combustion engines have many moving parts. These parts have metal-to-metal contact surfaces that require clean oil for lubrication. Combustion produces carbon deposits. The engine oil absorbs this carbon and is eventually trapped by the oil filter.
Many modern car engines using variable valve timing. This makes using the correct factory recommended oil is more important than ever. We stock multiple oil types and weights for almost every car on the road.
The oil filter is just as important as the oil. We have had many vehicles come into our repair shop with the wrong oil filter installed. While the wrong filter might “fit” in the vehicle, it may be a slightly different size.
Size matters
Why would size matter? Let’s say a larger filter is installed where a shorter one should be. The extra space that the filter is now taking up may be empty for a reason.
For example, we had a customer come in for an air conditioning system check. When we tried to hook our A/C machine to the car, we discovered we couldn’t. A longer-than-standard oil filter prevented access to one of the A/C service fittings.
The client had just had an oil change a couple weeks earlier at a “quick” oil-change facility. They installed the wrong filter. As a result, we needed to take the time and change the filter in order to run our A/C test.
Inspection means safety
Another important aspect of OLF service is providing a courtesy vehicle inspection. And, no, this is not an attempt to find problems simply to increase the cost of the service (although it certainly seems so at some places). It is not the reason we do it. We inspect the vehicle purely to keep you and your passengers safe.
This inspection checks over 20 of the most important items that ensure your vehicle’s safety. These are items like the tire air pressure, wiper blades and working exterior lights. We check all under-hood fluids for proper level and condition. These include windshield washer, transmission, brake, power steering, coolant and differential fluid (if applicable).
Experience counts
The technicians at our shop all have decades of experience. While performing an oil change might sound simple, having an unqualified person perform the work can lead to many unintended consequences.
One example we have seen involved a “quick lube” facility draining the oil from a differential pan instead of the engine oil pan. This particular car was a Subaru, which has three oil pans instead of the usual two. One is for the engine oil. A small middle one is for the differential oil. A third, larger one is for the transmission.
In this situation, the quick-lube facility drained the differential oil instead of the engine oil. They then added new engine oil to the already-full engine oil pan. As a result, the customer drove off with a completely empty differential oil pan. The differential lived for about a week without oil before multiple bearing failures occurred. This resulted in an expensive overhaul.
Invest in quality, get years back in return
The next time your car needs engine oil service, keep these points in mind. Consider the importance of using qualified, experienced technicians and the factory recommended oil and filter. Spending a little more will help you get many years of reliable use from your vehicle.