Oil changes for your car are crucial to your vehicle’s overall health. You may find it annoying to have to worry about oil change appointments, but we assure you that it is much less of a hassle than having to deal with the damages done to your vehicle should you run out of oil, or continue to run on dirty engine oil!
What exactly is an oil change?
Getting the oil changed on your vehicle simply means removing the dirty oil in your oil tank and replacing it with new, clean oil. Why? Because with time, oil starts to deteriorate and loses its physical properties.
If you want to make sure that your engine and all of its components are running in tip top shape, you must first ensure that the oil in your engine is of good quality and not too “old”.
How often do you need to change the engine oil?
It is strongly recommended to change the oil at least once a year or every 9,000 to 12,000 kilometers. Old vehicles might need oil changes every 5,000 kilometers, while some more recent vehicles may only need an oil change every 20,000 or 25,000 kilometers. Several factors will obviously also influence how often your engine oil should be changed:
- How old your vehicle is;
- The vehicle’s model;
- The type of engine you have;
- The vehicle’s use (the more you use it, the more frequent the oil changes will be);
- Etc.
But no matter your vehicle’s model year, you should often check on your oil levels (like once a month, for example); this way, you could quickly see if oil levels are too low or if the oil quality has deteriorated.
The best thing to do if you want to know at what frequency oil changes are recommended for your vehicle, is to look at the owner’s manual.
Does the oil filter need to be changed with every oil change?
The oil filter should be changed at every oil change; in fact, should you keep the same filter, then the new, clean oil would be going through the dirty filter. This would cause it to deteriorate much faster than it should, given that it would be contaminated by the impurities caught in the old filter.
How to remove engine oil without draining?
You might want to get a pump to extract the oil, a funnel and a recipient of a large enough size, depending on the amount of oil your engine holds. It will be important for you to properly label that container, to ensure that you know that the oil in it is used and not new!
Insert the pump in the gauge tube to pump the oil, making sure that pressure is not too strong. Once all of the oil has been removed, poor it into the recipient with the funnel.
How is the drained oil recycled?
We cannot, obviously, get rid of the oil by tossing it into the garbage! In fact, environmental laws strictly prohibit it! Your local garage or auto part supplier, for example, can help you get rid of the oil according to current rules and regulations.
And after? You should know that engine oil can be refined and filtered, in order to remove contaminants. Once filtered, the product will be of a comparable quality to that of new oil.
Can we remove an oil filter without draining it?
Yes, it is possible; however, you should keep in mind that your new oil will be automatically –more or less- contaminated by the old filter. This is why it is always preferable to proceed to the oil change and filter and the same time.
How much does an oil change cost?
The cost of an oil change varies greatly not only according to your vehicle, but also the type of oil required (regular, semi synthetic or fully synthetic). The amount of oil used, the brand and the garage where you have booked your oil change appointment, will also have an impact on the price of your oil change.
The price range can vary considerably, going from 70 to over 150 dollars, especially if you have added an engine inspection.
Trust in our professionals at Complexe VW 440 in Laval for your oil change
Complexe VW 440 in Laval, your Volkswagen dealership close to the north shore of Montreal, Terrebonne and Montreal North, offers the possibility for you to bring your vehicle in for an oil change, in Laval, without an appointment!
Moreover, we will also proceed to a detailed inspection of your vehicle, no matter if it is a more recent model or an older used Volkswagen model.
To find out more about the products and services offered by Volkswagen Canada, including Volkswagen financing options or our current Volkswagen special offers in Laval, come and see us today at Complexe VW 440! We are located in Laval, close to Montreal North, Terrebonne and the North Shore of Montreal!