How much for an Oil Change?

The other day I had a customer come in for an oil change.

When the advisor looked at the oil change sticker he noted that the vehicle was significantly over due for an oil change.

When he did the walk around on the vehicle he noted that there was no oil on the dipstick.

The customer even mentioned that she had heard some noises from inside the engine from time to time.

When asked by the advisor why she did not change the oil, the customer replied “I just didn’t have the money at the time”.

This is more common than you think. Some people put off oil changes for 500, 1000, even 5000 km in the name of saving money or time.

Let me put this to you straight...............This does not save money!

It had been over 20,000 km since this vehicle had an oil change. After changing the oil in vehicle, the detergents in the oil went to work cleaning all the sludge and varnish built up in the engine. After all the varnish and sludge had been removed the clearances in the engine became too big. The oil pressure dropped and the engine seized.

So the $160.00 in oil change savings will end up costing this customer approximately $5000-$10,000.

Here is the worst part, this vehicle was under warranty. But with no history of oil changes we cannot process a warranty claim for this engine.

Changing your oil is the most inexpensive maintenance you can do. It maintains your warranty and generally helps your vehicle work well.

Change your oil every 5000 km. It is the most inexpensive insurance you can have against engine failure.