Cost of an oil change, value of car maintenance

The value of proper car maintenance is priceless, but the costs may be rising. I recently went to my local service station to get an oil change and when I went to pay the bill, I was surprised by the price. Just a few weeks prior, I had brought in my other four-cylinder car and it was $7 cheaper. The attendant explained that the price difference was due to the high cost of motor oil. From posting the weekly gas prices, I am intimately familiar with the price fluctuations and have been feeling the pain at the pump like all motorists. It was only a matter of time before it was reflected in an oil change, though it surprised me that it occurred over such a short time period.

A colleague who also just had an oil change performed reported prices at his shop hadn’t increased. Perhaps I picked the wrong shop, or it may be a sign of things to come. (Share your recent experiences in the comments below.) Given the dramatic rise in crude prices, it makes sense that petroleum-based products would see their prices increase, though many service centers may struggle to minimize the consumer impact due to competition and drive to upsell other services.

At any cost, oil changes are a critical part of maintaining your vehicle. For normal driving, many automakers recommend changing the engine oil and filter every 7,500 miles or six months, whichever comes first. This is sufficient for most passenger vehicles. For "severe" driving—with frequent, cold starts, short trips, dusty conditions, or trailer towing—the change interval should be shortened to every 3,000 miles or three months. (Check your owner’s manual for the specific intervals and oil weight recommended for your vehicle and use.) Special engines such as diesels and turbocharged engines may need more-frequent oil changes.

Another important maintenance check is tire pressure. Under-inflated tires compromise handling and braking, wear faster, and reduce fuel economy. Plus they run much hotter, which can lead to tire failure. In our tests of a Toyota Camry, we experienced a 1.3 mpg loss in highway fuel economy when the tires were under-inflated by 10 psi. To find your vehicle’s correct tire pressure, look for the placard on the inside of the driver’s side door. The inflation pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire is the maximum inflation pressure but is not the recommended inflation for the vehicle. Stick with the recommendation for the vehicle—it is designed to provide the best interaction with suspension components of a car for the best balance of ride and handling.

By filling tires to the maximum listed on the sidewall, it could adversely influence handling, as it would tend to pull the edges of the tire off the pavement. In other words, you would reduce the amount of rubber on the road. As you round the tire by adding additional air, you may also see an adverse consequence on wear, since it will tend to wear the center of the tire more quickly than the edges (shoulder).

Take the time to check inflation pressures monthly (including the spare), particularly where there are larger seasonal temperature differences or before long trips.

Even though you are spending more at the pump, don’t forget that regular maintenance of your vehicle can save you money on vehicle repairs and keep it in running smoothly for many years to come.

For more information on vehicle and tire maintenance, see our tires and car care section.

To find out how your car costs to own and operate over time, see our report on the cost of vehicle ownership.

—Liza Barth

Comments

[R Reyes]

About tire pressure -- you're always told to measure it when the tires are cold. But by the time you get to a gas station, the tires are hot. So how much do you add under these circumstances? Is there an easy formula for calculating how much air to add to a hot tire? (probably not, or someone would have gotten rich off of it a long time ago).

[Dehua Lea]

My tip for checking tire pressure is to do it at home. Purchase a tiny air compressor that runs off the 12-volt power plug in your car. ($10-25)

You can easily make up the cost of the air compressor over it's lifetime since most gas stations charge you to use their pumps. Besides you'll eventually make up enough fuel savings anyway because it makes checking air pressure so much more convenient.

[Si]

Hot tires inflate 4 pounds. So, take the reading, subtract four, and that's a reasonable estimate of your cold tire.

[Jim]

To deal with the cold-to-hot tire issue. Measure the pressure when the tires are cold before you drive to the station and note how much pressure each tire needs. The current pressure isn't relevant, only the amount that needs to be added to bring the tire up to the recommended cold air pressure.

To make it simpler, remove air from tires as needed to arrive at a single number: three tires are shy 4lbs and one is shy 2lbs, just let 2lbs out of the fourth tire. Now you know each tire needs 4lbs.

Measure again when you reach the station to determine the new baseline and add the amount the tires were low. Even if your tires have heated up and increased their pressure, the amount needed to be added has remained constant. Double-check in the morning when the tires are cold again if you want to be extra sure. This method only works if you have your own gauge, but I never rely on the station gauge to be accurate.

[Russell Flynn]

I just had my oil change at a Valvoline oil change quick lube and wow what an experience ! The price was so out of line with other oil change places (including dealerships) that I almost laughed.($42.50) On top of the shock of the price the person that owned the shop came out to tell me I let to many miles go by without changing my oil and I should be more cognitive of how many miles I am putting on my vehicle between oil changes. I told him the vehicle tells me when to change the oil and the service manager at my dealership even confirmed that the vehicles computer system gages when my oil should be changed not some person that doesnt know my driving habits. I change my oil every 5000 miles. After this experience with Valvoline I will never use a valvoline product in any of my vehicles ever again. I told him my last oil change in my vehicle (14000 miles) was at midas muffler and it only cost me $14.50 just 5000 miles ago (four months) He told me that He believes that this might have been my first oil change in this vehicle ! I am insulted and furious with this young mans accusation. This is the third oil change in this vehicle and the first one was done at the dealership! Come on now 14000 miles on one oil change! What a Idiot. So much for customers being valued at Valvoline. I cant take on your whole company with my story but I can enlighten everyone I come in contact with about the rudness and over charging that this experience cost me. How do you eat an elephant ?....One bite at a time ! Consider this my first bite !

[Scott]

I have always used a synthetic oil like Mobil1 or Castrol synthetic since the first oil changes of my new cars, and have changed the oil and filter every 5000 miles (plus or minus a few hundred miles). I know that I could go longer, according to the manuals and other expert advice; but I play it safe, even though it cost more for synthetic and the increased frequency. For me, it is worth the extra expense, because my vehicles are my investments in safe and reliable transportation, which increases in value through good maintenance. Of course, that is just part of the story; other parts include how I brake my vehicles in, and how I drive and treat them, but that something for another post. Scott.

[Michael Krumm]

It would be very helpful to see a ratings report on motor oil, especially in today's economy when more and more owners are changing their own oil. The ratings should indicate water dissipation, acid neutralization, and viscosity integrity. Thanks.

[Peter Hickman]

A report updating a comparison between synthetic, synthetic blends with natural oil, and natural oil would be great.