Oil Change & Lube

An oil change is the cheapest thing you will ever do for an engine and the easiest to put off. It is also the appointment where most other problems get caught, because it is the one time a technician is under the vehicle with the wheels off the ground on a regular basis.

At All Motors Center we treat it that way. You get the oil and filter changed with the correct specification for your engine, and a genuine inspection of the things that fail gradually — not a checklist someone ticks in the office.

How often, honestly

The old 3,000-mile rule was built around conventional oil in older engines and is largely obsolete. Modern full synthetic in a modern engine will commonly go 7,500 to 10,000 miles, and many manufacturers specify longer. The correct interval is the one in your owner's manual, not the one on a windshield sticker.

That said, several things shorten it, and a lot of them describe driving in Spokane:

• Short trips. A car that never fully warms up accumulates moisture and fuel dilution in the oil. Winter makes this worse.
• Cold starts in deep cold. Most engine wear happens in the first seconds after start-up.
• Towing and hauling, or a truck that works for a living.
• Dusty and gravel roads, common on the outskirts toward Deer Park, Nine Mile Falls and Otis Orchards.

If your driving looks like that, the severe-service interval in your manual is the one that applies to you.

Which oil

Using the wrong viscosity or specification is not a small matter on a modern engine. Variable valve timing systems are hydraulically actuated through small oil passages and are genuinely sensitive to viscosity. Turbocharged engines run oil through bearings at very high temperature, where a synthetic's resistance to breaking down matters. And diesel engines require oil meeting a specific API service category, with different additive chemistry to handle soot loading.

We use the grade and specification your manufacturer calls for. If you have a preference for a particular brand or want full synthetic in a vehicle that does not strictly require it, tell us — that is a reasonable choice and we are happy to do it.

What we check while it is on the lift

Tire condition and tread depth, and pressures set correctly. Brake pad thickness and rotor condition through the wheel. Suspension and steering components for play. Belts and hoses. All other fluid levels including coolant, brake, transmission and washer. Air and cabin filters. Lights and wipers. Battery condition and terminals. Any leaks, and where they are actually coming from.

If we find something, you get told what it is, how urgent it is, and roughly what it will cost. Something that can safely wait until next visit gets described that way. You should be able to plan, not be pressured.

Diesel oil service

Diesel oil changes are a different job — larger capacity, different oil specification, and the fuel filters and water separator to deal with. On a diesel we also drain the water separator and check the condition of the fuel filters as a matter of course, because those two items prevent some of the most expensive failures a modern diesel can suffer.

Call (509) 655-7715 to book, or stop by our East Trent shop.