Car Tips and Articles

This commercial from 1972 has stood the test of time: the message “don’t skip scheduled oil changes” is as true today as it was almost 50 years ago.

Over the past almost half century the price of oil filters have changed. So has the cost of the repair the mechanic refers to in the commercial.  A car repair of $200 in 1972 when adjusted to 2020 dollars is equivalent to $1,250 so listen up!

While car technology has changed enormously since 1972 regular oil changes are essential to the longevity of your engine and keeping car service cost down.  The engines and mechanical system of cars have improved immensely over the last 40+ years one thing has stayed the same the simple fact that oil lubricates your engine, removes dirt particles and cleans the impurities our of your engine to reduce wear and keep it running smoothly.

Every vehicle manufacturer has a oil change maintenance schedule for every vehicle they design and while the schedule may differ they all require regular oil changes. Oil changes consist of draining the old oil from you engine, changing the oil filter and refilling your engine with new fresh oil.  Oil breaks down and wears out with the high temperatures of the engine over time and oil filters get blocked and lose their filtering capacity as they age.  This degradation is calculated by the engineers and designers who design your engine. They take into account the size of your engine, number of cylinders, the horsepower  it produces, the weight of your vehicle, its typical use (ie. city commuting or pulling a trail) , the heat it produces etc. Based on all of the factors they develop a maintenance schedule and we advise our customers to follow what the manufacturer recommends.

The cars of 40 years ago required more frequent tune ups, had more mechanical problems so they were in the shop more often and as a result oil changes were done more regularly. Today’s vehicles have far fewer problems and seen by a mechanic less frequently.  For people who don’t follow their manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule it means that they miss or delay simple oil changes and this can lead to bigger problems down the road.  Be diligent, follow your manual get regular oil changes. They are quick and inexpensive. They do save you money in the long run.  And like the commercial says “You can pay me now or pay me later” Always choose now because just as the price of an oil filter has gone up since this commercial was made in 1972 so has the cost of a major repair that can be avoided through regular oil changes.