Vancouver, WA 98665 (see map)
Oil Change: What YOU Should Know
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The oil in your recreational vehicle is the blood of your engine and needs to be changed regularly. It is very important to not ignore your engines oil needs. Your engines life depends on the proper use of oil.
When to Change Oil
When is the proper time to change your engine oil? Most newer vehicle manufacturers in the US suggest 6,000 miles while their European counterparts say between 10,000 – 15,000 miles. The difference supposedly is from the amount of influence the oil companies have over them. The majority of people still stick to the “3,000 miles or 3 month” plan that the our local drive thru oil change companies love and older vehicle maintenance documentations state.
The best bet to use is the manual that comes with your vehicle. Read your manual to find out what your manufacturer suggests. Once you decide when you are going to change your oil – stick to it faithfully! It is a good idea to track the date and mileage of your oil change either in a note pad kept for maintenance or by placing a sticky note on the windshield like the express oil change places do. The main thing is to write it down “somewhere” you can easily find in the future.
What Type of Oil to Use
It’s extremely important that you use the correct type of oil for your engine. There are many theories that can be researched and a plethora of different views, but again if you follow your recreational vehicle’s manual you can hardly go wrong. Also read about oil grades and blends within your manual.
Grades of Oil
The SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) uses a viscosity grade that measures the thickness of the oil. The lower the number the thinner the oil is. This is shown on the label as a number and sometimes is followed by a W. The W stands for “winter” use and shows that oil meets the standards for low temperatures. There are several types of oil grades. Single grade is used when there is not a lot of temperature change. Multi-grade is the type that is good for very cold and/or also very hot conditions. The lower number or first number shows the cold temperature viscosity and the second number is the engine operating temperature viscosity.
Oil Blends
There are different types of oil blends.
- Conventional or “regular” oil is the byproduct of the crude oil refining process. It’s the most common and least expensive oil to use for your vehicle.
- Synthetic oil is more expensive to make and does cost more to buy. It is made up of chemical compounds called polyalphaolefins and is more stable and cleaner. This type of oil can be changed at longer intervals so the cost comes down considering you will have less oil changes.
- Synthetic-combo: The synthetic blend that embraces a combination of both types of oils gives the benefits of the pure synthetic oil, but keeps the price closer to the conventional oil blend. The synthetic blend oil is conventional oil with added high performance elements that make it withstand higher temperatures and burn cleaner.
It is a good idea to keep up with regular oil changes no matter which type of oil you choose to use in your motor. Your recreational vehicle manufacturer suggestions are a great place to start to get the needed information in making the decision as to what type of oil to use and how often to change it. You can also talk to a mechanic that you trust, family and friends. Just be ready to hear a lot of different viewpoints on this subject and remember ultimately it’s your decision about how to properly care for your recreational vehicle!