Older cars generally had a maintenance schedule that included an oil change every 3,000 miles or so, but newer technology and synthetic oil blends have extended the time between service appointments. Here’s what you need to know about when you should contact your local Chevrolet, Buick, or GMC dealer to get your car scheduled for routine maintenance.
How Often Should You Change Your Oil?
There are a number of factors that influence how quickly your vehicle needs to get in for routine maintenance. Driving in very hot or very cold climates will use more oil to keep your engine running. Pulling heavy loads or driving on mountain roads tends to work your engine harder and increase how often you’ll need to change your oil.
With typical commuting and highway driving, most vehicles can go 7,500 to 10,000 miles between maintenance appointments. Mountain roads or extreme climates tend to lower that estimate to around 5,000 to 7,500 miles, and pulling extreme loads and going offroad may reduce it to as few as 3,000 miles between appointments. The harder you work your engine, the sooner it will need a little TLC.
Monitoring Your Oil Life Span
Most newer Chevrolet, Buick, or GMC vehicles come with the Oil Life System included in the computer diagnostic system. The system monitors how you drive and what conditions you’re driving in to calculate how long your oil will be able to protect your engine. It will tell you approximately how many miles you have left before you need to get your car in for maintenance.
Your Oil Life System will notify you when your engine oil life is getting low and will give you an urgent message if you don’t get it in soon enough.
Get the Best Service from your Chevrolet, Buick, or GMC Dealer
Your local dealer service center will have highly trained technicians with access to factory parts that are finely tuned to fit your specific vehicle perfectly and work seamlessly with all the other systems. They will have the most up-to-date computer systems to read any potential flags in your system that might require your attention to avoid larger problems that might be hiding.
Your dealer’s multipoint inspection is an important part of keeping your car operating at peak performance. Checking the parts that wear out, such as tires, can help reduce waste at the gas pump and keep your money in your wallet. Fixing small problems early will also save you money in the long run.
Stop by Allen Tillery Auto in Hot Springs, AR today to set up a service appointment for your Buick, GMC, or Chevrolet vehicle to keep it going strong on the road for you.
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