Oil Change Questions & Answers - The Basics

Vehicle engines need oil to effectively and safely operate. Motor oil lubricates engine parts, helps to prevent debris buildup inside of your engine and helps to maintain a safe temperature within it. To give you a hand with keeping your engine running properly, Power Oil Center offers an oil change kit that’s designed for exactly what your vehicle needs—and now, here are useful answers to frequently asked questions on the subject.

What Is an Oil Change?

As time passes, the quality of the oil in your engine breaks down and becomes dirty. So, an “oil change” refers to emptying out the used oil and putting in new oil that’s clean and fully effective.

How Do You Know When You Need an Oil Change?

Manufacturers of each type of vehicle make recommendations about how often to change your oil. Know what that benchmark is for yours and use it to guide your timing. (Life gets busy, we know. That’s why each of our oil change kits come with a sticker that you can place on the inside of your windshield as a reminder.)

Plus, some cars and other vehicles have dashboard lights that specifically tell you that it’s time to switch out the oil. If not—or to verify that the light is providing accurate information—you can use the good old-fashioned dipstick to check oil levels. If it’s low, then it’s time.

Also, listen to what your vehicle tells you. If your engine makes odd noises, it may need better lubrication. If it gives off a funny smell, then this may mean that your oil is no longer helping your engine to maintain appropriate temperatures. Sometimes, you can feel the engine is sluggish, especially when accelerating or going up steep hills. In any of these cases, it may be time for new oil.

How Long Does an Oil Change Take?

Typically, if you go to a drive-through oil change location, you can expect to spend about 20 minutes once you get your car into the oil change bay. However, you may need to wait for a while before you get to that step in the process. Depending on the day of the week and the time of the day you can add between 5 and 45 minutes to your oil change.

If you’re doing it yourself and you’re new to switching out the oil in your vehicle, allow 30 minutes or perhaps a bit more. Once you’ve got a bit of practice, then you’ll probably find yourself completing the task in 15 to 20 minutes. Our oil changing kit contains everything you need to streamline the process.

How Long Does an Oil Change and Tire Rotation Take?

If you take a vehicle to a shop, figure that they can do both tasks in 30 minutes or so. Most likely you will need to make an appointment for this service. As a DIY project, put aside an hour. As you become more proficient, you may cut time off the process.

Where Can I Get an Oil Change?

Options can include:

• The dealership where you bought your car or a dealership that services the type of vehicle you own
• Automobile repair shops
• National oil change companies
• Local oil change companies

You can also get a do it yourself oil change kit and handle everything from the comfort of your home (or, more specifically, garage!).

What Does an Oil Change Do?

To answer that question, we can contrast it to simply adding more oil to your vehicle. You might notice that the level is low and so you add oil to get the amount back to what’s recommended.

That’s different from changing the oil because that includes draining old oil that isn’t as effective in lubricating and otherwise protecting your engine anymore—and then replacing the oil to help keep all running smoothly again.

Since the oil change includes changing the oil filter, it will also prevent harmful debris from getting into your engine.

What Kind of Oil Change Do I Need?

Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for specifics because the type you need can vary based upon the make and model of your vehicle as well as its engine. Sometimes, the recommended oil is located on the top of the oil cap. To simplify matters for you, at Power Oil Center, we’ve put together an oil change DIY kit that’s specific to your vehicle, exactly right for one oil change.

What Is a Conventional Oil Change?

This type of change uses conventional oil that’s petroleum-based. Synthetic oil, meanwhile, contains base oil, plus an engineered additive package that promotes more even wear, and lasts longer. Simply put, Synthetic oil uses less energy, saves on fuel and will extend your oil change intervals.

Shop Power Oil Center

Each DIY oil change kit contains precisely the right number of quarts of oil, a high-quality filter, a disposable funnel, and a crush washer—and is uniquely designed for your vehicle’s make and model. You’ll also get a windshield sticker so you can record when your next oil change should be.

You save the time and hassle of needing to make an appointment that may not be convenient for you or waiting in line at a center that’s first come, first served. You won’t spend a dime on service with our oil change kits, either.

We’ve designed our DIY oil changing kits for cars, trucks, ATVs, UTVs, boats, and motorcycles for makes and models by Ford, Honda, Toyota, Kubota, Kawasaki, and more. You can pick up your oil changing kit from Power Oil Center directly or when you order $25 or more, shipping is fast and free.

Enjoy the maximum in protection and performance with your oil change kit from Power Oil Center!