Scheduled Maintenance - Lube - Oil - Filter + Vehicle Inspection

Oil Filter

Description:
The typical oil filter consists of a high-strength steel housing containing various types of filtering media. An anti-drainback valve prevents oil from running out of the filter when the engine is off. Today's oil filters have a convenient spin-on design that makes removal and installation easy.

 

Purpose:
The oil filter sifts out contaminants, allowing the oil to flow through the engine unrestricted. Should the oil filter become restricted or clogged with contaminants, they will flow around the filter. This bypassing is a safety mechanism, but you never want to let oil and filter changes go so long that bypassing takes place.

 

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions:
For best results, consult your owner's manual, but consider that your driving probably constitutes a severe maintenance schedule. Usually, this means oil and filter changes every 5,000 kilometres or 3 months.

 

Engine Oil 

Description:
The life-blood of your engine, engine oil consists of various weight mineral or synthetic oils combined with additives for engine protection. Oils may come in single or multi-grades and meet various oil performance standards. Multi-grade oils usually start out as single-grade base oils, such as SAE 10W (Society of Automotive Engineers is a large standard-setting organization for the automotive industry). Then viscosity-index improvers are added to modify viscosity. The end result is an SAE 10W-30 oil capable of flowing like a 10W oil at cold temperatures and a 30W oil at higher temperatures.

 

The American Petroleum Institute also has classifications for oil, which are intended to address the formulation for different engine applications. You may see these designations also mentioned in your owner's manual or on the oil filler cap of the engine. The SH designation was designed for 1996 and older engines. This designation is now obsolete. The API SJ designation was introduced in 1996 and applies to all automotive engines currently in use. The SL designation was released in 2001 and offers improved performance for 2002 models, such as fuel economy and control over engine deposits. There are numerous other designations, but they are generally obsolete or do not apply to today's cars.

 

Purpose:
Engine oil lubricates, cleans, and cools critical parts of the engine. The oil's additives also help to suspend dirt, where it can be drained at the next oil change.

 

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions:
Periodic oil and filter changes keep your engine clean on the inside. Motor oil can become contaminated by dust, metallic shavings, condensation, and even antifreeze. Additives break down over time and can also act as contaminants. The best advice is to follow the guidelines provided in the vehicle owner's manual, but every 5,000 kilometres or 3 months is a good rule of thumb for oil and filter changes.

 

Many car manufacturers today are recommending extended oil drain intervals for some drivers. However, if you regularly make short trips in your car, drive in stop-and-go traffic, idle for extended periods, drive in dusty or dirty air conditions, tow a trailer or live in a cold-weather region, it's best to stick with a 5,000- kilometre/3-month regimen. 

 

For information and further detail on WHAT these items are, HOW they work and WHY it is important to keep them maintained, please visit       who have provided a series of wonderful diagrams and descriptions.