OIL CHANGE

It is time to change the oil in the cars. Oil is a necessary component in keeping an engine running optimally. The main function of oil in an engine is for lubrication. It keeps friction at a minimum. It also keeps the motor from overheating and has other functions within the engine. In other words, without oil in the engine there would be a horrendous sound from the friction within the moving parts and the engine would burn up.

Over a period of time and mileage, oil begins to break down and to accumulate waste. It becomes less effective in performing its vital function. It is therefore necessary to replace your oil at regular intervals. Most of the lube express businesses will put a sticker in your window and tell you to replace your oil every 3,000 miles or every three months, whichever comes first. According to a recent report, this may be a waste. Most oils today are of a better quality and can go for more miles than just 3,000.

I have religiously replaced my oil every 3,000 miles. I own two cars each with about 135,000 miles. What begins to happen when cars accumulate high mileage is that they tend to develop oil leaks and are subject to oil burn off. What this means is that your engine is not going to be as protected as it should when you have a high mileage vehicle. There is a service that lube express businesses offer that help with this problem. It costs more than the standard oil change will but if it helps to keep your oil doing its job, the extra money will pay for itself in the long run.

When you are not in debt, you have more options. One of those options is to upgrade service when necessary. When your budget is so limited that it allows for no options, you are skating on financial thin ice. When your only option is to purchase whatever is the cheapest without considering the quality, then you are in financial trouble. It is always wise to consider the quality of the product or service you are purchasing. If you pay for the cheap, then the quality will also be cheap.

In our present world, a car is a necessity. Therefore, its maintenance is vital. Keeping it running in good condition requires thinking ahead. It should be forever etched in your mind to have your oil replaced at regular intervals. If every 3,000 miles works for you, then do it. Cars can be expensive, especially if they are a new purchase. Being frugal teaches us that we should do our best to maintain our assets in good working condition.

When choosing a lube express place for service, there are a few things to consider. If you go to Wal-Mart, the earlier that you get in the shorter time that you will have to wait. Wal-Mart has a lube express hoping that you will go inside their store and make some purchases. While you shop you get your car’s oil changed. For me, I have to adjust my schedule to go get my oil changed at Wal-Mart. Usually, Wal-Mart’s price will be less than their competition.

I took one of my car’s to Wal-Mart yesterday. I knew that if I wanted to get in and get out (which is always my modus operandi) I had to be there by 7:00 a.m. I took my other car to a local lube express closer to my house in the afternoon. I got my car in right away. There was no wait. The price for the service was about $4 more than Wal-Mart but I did not have to spend time waiting for my oil to be changed. Besides all that, my wife works at the VA Hospital and she has a discount card for local businesses and the lube express gave me a $5 discount which made the service even less than Wal-Mart’s. Lesson learned, it pays to shop for the best value. Time sometimes means more than money.