Nothing is more undervalued yet gives the least desirable consequences than a vehicle’s oil change. True, changing the oil in your car is not as exciting as upgrading your car’s set of sub woofers or changing your car’s mag wheels. But leaving your car to run with very little oil or using a car with its oil life extended (used beyond its shelf life), then you can be in for real trouble, which may prove devastating to the car and your wallet in the long run.
What is the oil used for, anyway? Vehicle oil is used to lubricate your car’s engine. Engine is a pretty broad term, the oil actually lubricates the pistons firing up in your engine’s cylinders to make them move fast and flawlessly. Not every kind of oil can be used for such a harsh environment – internal combustion, friction, mechanical movement, engine type are just some of the things engine oil manufacturers and car shops have to consider before pouring that shiny liquid in your engine.
And we have not even discussed with how the used oil is disposed. No, you can’t pour it down the drain. No, you don’t pour it on soil. And no, you cannot definitely pour it in a plastic bag to throw in the dumpster. Engine oil has to be disposed of properly, so it is best to have your oil changed by professionals, as they know the best way to dispose of used engine oil to save the environment. And get this, used engine oil can be recycled, so when purchasing engine oil for your scheduled oil change, it is best to get one which is partially recycled. Not only do you save the environment, you have saved a few bucks too.
Valvoline instant oil change is one quite example. Valvoline has a whole line of products dedicated for different types of engines, car models, how your car is driven and how many miles it has under its hood. Valvoline has an automated process by having you answer a short questionnaire on their website, with the recommended engine oil displayed at the end. I tried this out by keying in my vehicle make (Honda) and model, an FD2R (Civic) and year (2009). Then it asked me to choose the engine type from the drop down (a 2.0 4-cylinder which fires the pistons crazy with unleaded gasoline). I keyed in the mileage and my zip code. I was then asked if I used it to tow or carry heavy cargo. I would never use it to haul heavy luggage so I ticked “No”. I was also asked if I have made high performance modifications on the engine. I recently installed a Mugen RR K20A engine on my FD2R so I ticked on “Yes”. In the end, Valvoline recommended Synpower, a synthetic oil for high performance vehicles. This is actually the exact engine oil I use for my beloved FD2R. I’m impressed.
The great thing about this is the website also offers the Valvoline Instant Oil Change Coupon. Wish I’ve known about this sooner. They offer great rebates which they send right to your phone as a text message – which you can show to your change oil guy. Do check the website out to know where the nearest service center offering Valvoline instant oil change is.