Engine Lube - Oil Change

Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, experts recommend changing the oil and the filter every three to five thousand miles to keep your engine running at optimum performance.  Why gunk up your engine with oil? The oil lubricates the engine parts simply to keep all the metal within the engine from grinding against each other and creating unnecessary friction that would greatly shorten its life and the engine's individual parts.  Oil also transfers heat away from the engine's combustion cycle and aids in keeping engine byproduct such as silica from building up.  Still, after a few hundred miles, the oil begins to blacken, that means it is working.  However, it will begin to lose its ability to keep the engine running smoothly after a few thousand miles.  This is why the oil needs to be changed periodically.

Going Through the Change

Do you change the oil yourself or go to an oil change service?  Service shops generally have teams working on your vehicle to quickly inspect and top off the fluids and change the oil.  You drive into the bay, exit your vehicle, and an attendant changes your oil and quickly and easily from an opening in the floor under your vehicle. Other attendants top off the "vitals," or the vehicle's other fluids, such as windshield wiper fluid and transmission fluid, change the PCV valve, inspect the belts and air the tires, among other items, depending on what you are willing to pay.  Expect to pay a minimum of around thirty dollars for the basic service unless you have a coupon.  If you change the oil on your own, just make certain to dispose of it in an environmentally safe fashion.

Recycle...Enough Said

The oil that you've drained is now black sludge in the drip pan.  You just can't toss it in the sewerage system.  Just one gallon of oil dropped into the storm drain can taint one million gallons of water.  That is an alarming ratio to ponder.
 

The best place to take it is to a tune-up shop where the attendants can dispose of it properly or to an oil-recycling center.  Many communities have hazardous waste days where drop-off sites are established to handle such environmental hazards as paint and oil. The American Petroleum Institute reminds consumers that recycling just two gallons of engine oil from an oil change will generate enough electricity to run your home for an entire 24 hours.