Las Cruces oil change « Brake Buddy's Auto Repair & Maintenance Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Las Cruces oil change’

Ways To Remember When It’s Time For An Oil Change

Friday, March 18th, 2011

If there is one thing you shouldn’t forget about, it’s an oil change.

Getting a Las Cruces oil change or a Santa Fe oil change every 3,000 to 5,000 miles is very important. An oil change extends the life of your vehicle and ensures it’s in good working condition.

We know it’s hard to remember when to get an oil change. That is why we’ve come up with a list of some of the best ways to remember when it’s time for an oil change. Here are some of the best ways to remember.

Mark It On A Calendar: If you have trouble remembering when to get an oil change, mark it down on a calendar. Calculate how much you drive a week and then estimate the date you will be at 3,000 miles. Mark it on a calendar or planner that you regularly use.

Don’t Remove Service Stickers: A lot of times, you’ll get a service sticker in your window after an oil change. If you want to remember about your next oil change, don’t remove the sticker. Your mechanics place those stickers on your windshield as a friendly reminder.

Download A Smartphone App: There are plenty of apps for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android phones that can remind you about an oil change. The Oil Change App by Dash Technologies allows you to set reminders for the mileage and estimated date of your next oil change. You can also enter the type of oil that you used on your last oil change.

Set Up An Email Event: If you use a program like Microsoft Outlook at work, set up a reminder on your work calendar. Have it set for a Friday so you can get the oil change during the weekend.

Following any of these tips will help you to remember when it’s time to change your vehicle’s oil. How do you remember when it’s time to get an oil change? Leave a comment below.

Tags: Las Cruces oil change, oil change, oil change reminders, Santa Fe oil change
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Online Tools For Your Car And Truck

Friday, November 19th, 2010

There are tons of great tools on the Internet that can help you take care of your car and truck.

There are tools that will help you find the cheapest gas prices in town. There also are tools that will help you keep track of your last El Paso brake repair and your last Las Cruces oil change.

To help you get the best online tools out there, we’ve selected a handful of tools that will help maintain your car or truck.

eCarLog – This website will help you keep track of all of your car or truck’s maintenance. Keep track of oil changes, gas prices, brake repairs and more. This website is free to use.

GasBuddy – GasBuddy is an online site that tracks gasoline prices. You can find the lowest gas prices near you with GasBuddy. You can search by city, state or ZIP code. GasBuddy is free to use. This is a great tool if you’re planning a road trip.

MyCarProjects – This website is another great maintenance log. With this free website you can keep track of all types of automotive repairs. This website also has a smartphone app for your Android phone.

Traffic.com – Traffic.com is a great website to stay up to date on traffic reports in your community. The free website features reports on accidents, construction zones and more. Find the traffic near you by entering your address.

Google Maps – This is the go to website if you’re looking for directions. Google Maps has lots of great features that will help you save time on your next road trip. Google Maps has lots of great features such as a street view that allows you to see nearby buildings.

Tags: El Paso Brake Repair, Las Cruces oil change, online car resources, online car tools
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Should You Still Change Your Oil Every 3,000 Miles?

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Most of us can remember our parents drilling into our head the importance of changing your oil every 3,000 miles.

It has been pre-programmed into our brains that we need to go in for a Las Cruces oil change like clockwork. But times change and so do cars … so you have to ask yourself, is every 3K for an oil change really needed?

If your car was made in the last 7 – 8 years then you may not have to change the oil that often but it is always best to ask your auto mechanic what they think.

Older model cars needed to have their oil changed often but oil chemistry and engine technology has improved to the point that many cars can go 7,500 to even 10,000 miles without an oil change. If you do mostly highway driving then your oil will not be changed as often as a person who does a lot of stop and go driving.

Oil is meant to be used when it is warm and many times isn’t given a chance to warm up properly. When you drive less than 10 miles the oil and engine are still cool and don’t absorb the containments as well as they should.

If you drive from work, to the gym, to your child’s piano lessons that would be considered severe driving conditions. If you just go from work to home daily that can be considered a mild commute.

When you don’t change your oil it’s just like mopping a floor with dirty water. It’s not doing anything but making it dirtier and dirtier if you don’t change the water, same goes for the oil.

The next time you are get a Tucson timing belt replacement ask the mechanic how often they usually change their oil. If they say the traditional every 3,000 miles have a conversation about oil changes.

Tags: Las Cruces oil change, oil change, Tucson timing belt replacement
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What’s The Difference Between Synthetic Oil And Conventional Oil?

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

When we get our vehicle’s oil changed, we sometimes forget to ask what type of oil they are putting in our vehicle’s engine.

There are two types – synthetic oil and conventional/regular oil. Conventional oil is the good old fashion oil that is processed from crude oil out of the ground. Synthetic oil was developed in the 1960s. It is a chemically modified oil that was developed in a lab.

There are two types of synthetic oil – base stocks and semi-synthetic oil. Base stock oils are man-made oils that are purely synthetic. Semi-synthetic oil uses a blend of mineral oil and synthetic oil.

So, which is better synthetic oil or conventional oil?

You should put your money on synthetic oil for the following reasons:

Synthetic oil operates better during any driving conditions
Synthetic oil promotes longer engine life
Synthetic oil reduces evaporative loss
Synthetic oil circulates better than convention oil

While synthetic oil is great, there are some who think conventional oil works just as well. It’s a great topic to discuss with your mechanic while getting a Las Cruces oil change or an El Paso oil change.

Tags: El Paso oil change, Las Cruces oil change
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Does Your Auto Air Conditioner Guzzle Gas?

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Car Air Conditioner There are a lot of conflicting ideas out there about how to get the best gas mileage for your vehicle. With summer getting closer, people tend to focus more on air conditioning as a factor than a simple Las Cruces car tune up or proper tire inflation. Is there any merit to the idea that using the air conditioner in your car hurts your gas mileage?

It turns out, Consumer Reports did a study that revealed you are going to be more fuel efficient if you roll up the windows and use your air conditioning when driving above 40mph, than if you simply roll down the windows. When driving below 30mph, though, you are better off rolling the windows down.

When you are sitting at a stop light, or idling in traffic on your way to work, there is very little air-flow passing over your engine. If you have your air conditioning on at this point, the compressor has to work harder than normal to cool the air. When you are moving along the freeway, though, much of the heat under your car’s hood is carried away and the compressor doesn’t have to work as hard.

So, if you really want to get the best gas mileage this summer, your best bet is to schedule a Las Cruces oil change, ensure proper tire inflation, and keep your speed down. Air conditioning isn’t going to be as much of a factor as some of these other, more common, ailments.

Tags: Auto Air Conditioner, Las Cruces car tune up, Las Cruces oil change
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Changing the Type of Oil in Your Car

Monday, March 8th, 2010

When getting a Las Cruces oil change many people wonder if it’s a good idea to mix oils. There is an idea that some people have that if you mix synthetic and regular oil together then you will end up with a combined oil in your vehicle that gives you the benefits of both.

This idea seems to be little more than guesswork and may even be harmful to your vehicle. Without a strong understanding of your vehicle’s engine, mixing together different oils to create some superior formula is best left to the scientists. While it may not always cause a real problem, it certainly can and the risk is not worth the reward.

The best thing you can do to insure the longevity of your vehicle is to choose one type of oil and stick with it. If you have been getting your Santa Fe oil change from the same place for awhile, chances are that this is already what they are doing. Ask them what they use and try to stick with it.

Tags: Las Cruces oil change, oil changes, Santa Fe oil change
Posted in Oil Change Tips | 1 Comment »