Oil Change

An oil change at your local Alpharetta, GA, auto shop sounds simple, but there are some pretty important things to know about preventing oil sludge.

Oil eventually starts to turn into jelly, literally: petroleum jelly. Sludge clogs up oil passages and keeps oil from getting to some areas of the engine, causing parts to wear out prematurely. And that means expensive engine repairs.

That's why you need to change the oil and oil filter on schedule — to get the old oil out before it turns to sludge. Your manufacturer will have a recommendation for how many miles/kilometers you can go between oil changes. They also usually have a number of months between recommended oil changes. That's because the detergents and other additives in the oil break down over time.

Your owner's manual will have a recommendation for time and distance, but you need to remember that it's based on using the recommended weight of oil. And if your vehicle came from the factory with synthetic oil, the recommended intervals assume you will continue to use synthetic.

Also, how you drive around Alpharetta, GA, can have a big effect. Most owner's manuals will have a list of driving conditions that are harder on your vehicle — things like stop and go driving in Alpharetta, short trips to Alpharetta, driving in very hot or very cold weather, heavy loads and towing. If some of your driving fits these patterns, you may need to change your oil and do other maintenance on a more frequent schedule.

This may sound complicated. Some vehicles in GA have an oil life calculator that takes all of these factors into account and tells you when you should change your oil. Otherwise, talk with your GA service advisor at Alpharetta Service Center about how you drive and get his/her recommendation for when to take care of your service.

Finally, if any of the steering or suspension parts can be lubed, your technician at Alpharetta Service Center will take care of that with a lube, oil and filter service.

Alpharetta Service Center
5895 Atlanta Highway
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770.751.7074

At Alpharetta Service Center we install quality NAPA replacement parts.