Oil
The engine is the heart of the car so consider the oil like its blood. To keep your engine going at top performance, knowing what kind, how much and the maintenance needs of your engine’s oil will keep your car’s “heart” healthy, therefore increasing the longevity of your engine.
Three things every driver should know about their vehicle’s oil:
Viscosity- A fluid’s resistance to flow at specific temperatures. You will commonly hear this measurement referred to as “5W30” or 10W30”, representing multi-weight oil that can operate at different temperatures. The label indicates cold temperature flow (the first number) and the hot temperature flow (the latter). The “w” stands for winter.
You can determine what the appropriate viscosity for your vehicle by checking your owner’s manual, or somewhere under your hood. Sometimes it’s listed right on your oil cap!
How Much? - Proper Oil level is checked by following quantity recommended by the vehicle manufacturer in your manual, but most importantly, checking the level on the dipstick. Check under the hood for your oil dipstick, pull it out, wipe it off and look for the “max” and “low” mark. When you push it back in and pull it out, the oil level on the stick should not exceed either line in either direction, rather read somewhere in the middle, preferably the full mark.
Maintenance – Valvoline recommends changing your motor oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles or 3 months, which ever comes first to ensure the utmost protection for your engine with preventative maintenance.
Choosing the quality of oil (a conventional, synthetic or blend) is best based on your vehicle’s needs. What type of vehicle you drive and the type of driving you do are essentially the determining factors for the quality you should select; the higher the quality you choose, the better the performance. Valvoline motor oils have been produced for over 140 years with the highest quality most mechanics use in their own cars. Our VIOC technicians can help you make the decision that is best for you and your vehicle. We also offer free level checks and fluid refills in between your oil changes with VIOC, so our technicians will do all of the dirty work for you!
Look for more information on the Valvoline Engine Guarantee program.
