How to Know What Oil to Get for Your Car

You don’t need to be a mechanic to know that oil is important in an engine. There are few things more important than good oil, and having that oil changed regularly is one of your main jobs as a car owner. But how do you know what oil to get? If you go to the auto parts store to buy some oil and put it in yourself, you’ll likely be faced with what feels like a million choices. Even if you go to a ‘quick lube’ place for an oil change, they will ask you what oil you would like – what do you say? This can be tricky for those without much automobile knowledge.

Fortunately, you don’t need to go through years of schooling to understand what oil to put in your engine. In fact, you should have a pretty clear understanding of this topic by the time you are finished reading this article. Let’s get started!

Start with the Owner’s Manual

This might be relatively obvious advice, but the best place to start is with your owner’s manual. Check your glove box and you are likely to find a thick book containing every imaginable detail with regard to the operation of your vehicle. Along with all of the information on things like how to operate the radio and how to use the air conditioner, you’ll find maintenance info. There should be a section regarding motor oil, and the recommended oil for the vehicle will be provided.

Of course, it couldn’t just be that simple. In many cases, there will be a couple of oils recommended, based on your local driving conditions. For instance, one oil may be recommended when the vehicle is going to be used in mild temperatures, while another oil may be recommended for those living in cold areas. As you work toward making a selection, you’ll want to keep this advice in mind.

It makes sense to value what you find in the owner’s manual above all else because the manual was written by the company that built the vehicle. When in doubt, sticking with what is recommended in the manual is a smart way to go. This is true not only for your oil, but also for anything else that you need to have done on the car.

What If It’s Missing?

You should have an owner’s manual in your car, but what if you check the glove box and find nothing but your registration and some old napkins? In that case, you may want to turn to the internet for assistance. It seems that you can find virtually anything on the web, and that includes information about most cars on the roads today. A quick search of the make, model, and year that you drive should return a ton of results.
While information will be easy to find, it probably isn’t a good idea to simply trust some random stranger on the internet. Instead, look for reputable sites that you can be sure have accurate information. Even better, try to find a digital copy of the owner’s manual that has gone missing. In just a few minutes of web searching, you’ll likely be able to track down exactly what you need.

Synthetic or Conventional

In recent years, it has become more common for vehicle manufacturers to recommend synthetic oil as opposed to conventional oil to be used in their engines. If you find that your owner’s manual recommends a synthetic oil, do not ignore that recommendation – it is there for a reason. Synthetic oil can offer a number of important advantages over conventional oil, including a longer useful life and improved flow in cold temperatures.

Some automobile owners are surprised at the cost of synthetic oil when they head in for their first oil change after buying the vehicle. Yes, it is more expensive than conventional oil, but there is good news on that front – you won’t need to change the oil as often. With the ability to drive more miles between changes, you’ll probably wind up spending roughly the same amount of money on oil changes as the years go by.

An Ongoing Conversation

Adding another layer of complexity to this issue is the fact that you may want to use a different oil a few years down the road than you are using today. High-mileage oils are available for vehicles which have racked up plenty of time out on the roads. Often, drivers will start to think about high-mileage oil when they are rolled past 75,000-miles or so. Of course, that number is not set in stone, and it’s possible that you’ll never need to turn to this type of oil.

Generally speaking, the idea behind high-mileage oil is to limit oil consumption and prevent leaks. The formulation of the oil includes elements that are supposed to help the seals in your engines continue to do their job properly as the miles keep adding up. Even if you do opt for a high-mileage oil, you’ll still want to make sure you are using an appropriate type of oil for the vehicle you drive. If you have any questions on this topic, it’s a good idea to speak with your auto technician about the options. He or she will be able to provide advice on whether or not a high-mileage oil is a good option for you at this time.

Thank you for taking the time to visit the blog here at Taylor & Sons Chevrolet. We enjoy educating our customers on important points like what oil to put in their engine, or what tires to have installed on their wheels. Of course, if you would like to simply bring your vehicle to our shop for its repair and maintenance needs, you won’t need to worry about any of this. We’ll handle it all for you, meaning you can continue going on about your day to day life without much interruption. To schedule an appointment or simply to ask a question, please contact us right away. We look forward to serving you!

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