Oil Change Service in Grand Rapids, MI
TEN REASONS WHY AUTO CENTRIC HAS THE BEST OIL CHANGE IN TOWN
1 - Friendly people
2 - No high-pressure sales
3 - On-time appointments
4 - Super nice customer lounge
5 - Large viewing window into the shop
6 - Licensed technicians
7 - Top-quality oil and filter
8 - Complimentary multi-point inspection
9 - We use factory service intervals
10 - Competitive prices
Pricing
Please request a current price. Costs vary depending on vehicle make and model. You can also check our auto repair specials.
Standard Oil Change Service:
- Drain and fill engine oil
- Replace oil filter
- Reset reminder light
- Adjust tire pressures
- Lubricate steering and chassis
- Environmentally correct disposal of waste products
- Lubricate door hinges
- Fill washer solvent
- Inspect coolant level
- Inspect power steering fluid level
- Inspect brake fluid level
- Inspect transmission fluid level
- Inspect AWD/4WD fluids levels
Oil Options:
- Synthetic Blend
- Full Synthetic
- High Mileage
Notes:
- Details apply to most cars and light trucks.
- Up to 5 quarts of oil.
- Some items on the list may not be applicable to your vehicle.
Auto Care Tips
Oil and Filter Replacement
Changing your vehicle's oil and filter is the most cost-effective and beneficial maintenance procedure you can have done.
Why Change Oil & Filter
Regular oil and filter changes greatly extend your vehicle's engine life. The oil keeps your engine lubricated and allows harmful contaminants to be collected and removed. Carbon particles from fuel combustion, metal wear particles, dirt, and debris all become suspended and circulated in the oil. The oil filter removes these contaminants that cause engine wear and damage.
How Often?
It is always best to follow your vehicle's maintenance recommendations, but most industry experts recommend replacing oil and filter every 4,500 miles/7,000 km or every six months (whichever comes first). Diesel engines usually have a greater need for more frequent changes and it recommends changes be done every 3,000 miles/5,000 km or every four months. With the advent of better engine design, cleaner-burning engines, and better oil quality, change intervals have been lengthened for modern vehicles.
There is great variation in oil change interval recommendations with the main reason being the conditions under which the vehicle is used. Vehicle use is commonly classified as light, heavy, or severe service. Surprisingly, most vehicle use can be classified as "severe". Severe service typically includes frequent short trips, less than 12 miles or 20 km, stop-and-go traffic, driving on gravel or dirt roads, towing and driving at sustained high speeds in hot weather. For this type of driving, the accepted industry recommendation is oil changes should be made at 3000 miles/5000 km or 3 months. Changing your oil and filter regularly, under these conditions, will greatly increase the life span of your engine.
Oil filters should be replaced with each oil change. If the filter is not changed a large amount of dirty, used oil remains in the filter and is mixed with and contaminates the fresh oil. In the past filters were often replaced every second oil change but this is a false economy in considering the low cost of a filter compared to the expense of prematurely replacing an engine.
Oil Viscosity
Oil viscosity or weight is a measure of the oil's thickness or resistance to flow. Different oil viscosity is required depending on the air temperature. Using a thick oil in cold weather places increased load on the battery and starter motor and in extreme temperatures can cause oil starvation and engine failure. Using too thin an oil in high temperatures can result in a lack of lubrication and severe engine damage.
Oil Types
Oils come in a wide variety of ratings and types. It is very important to use an oil that meets your vehicle's manufacturer's recommendations. Oil ratings and viscosity are far more important than the brand.
Full Synthetic
Full synthetic oil is a man-made product that offers the best protection against engine wear. It provides superior protection for both cold temperature start-ups and high-temperature operation. Some vehicle manufacturers now specify synthetic oils as a standard requirement.
Semi-Synthetic
Semi-synthetic oil is a blend of natural hydro-carbon and synthetic oils. Semi-synthetic oil provides many of the benefits of synthetic oil at a much lower price.
Regular Hydro-carbon Oil
For the majority of vehicles, regular oil is more than adequate. Modern engine oil is a very high-quality product and will perform well in all but the most extreme conditions.
Oil Filters
Like all products, there are great quality differences in oil filters. Poor quality oil filters do not fully filter all oil circulating within the engine and allow particles to damage critical engine parts. With the longer life of modern vehicles, it is recommended that a premium quality or original manufacture oil filter be used. The small difference in price makes a huge difference to the long term life of your vehicle's engine.
Service Procedure
At a minimum an oil change service should include the following procedures:
- visually inspect for oil leaks
- drain and replace engine oil
- replace oil filter
- chassis inspection and lubrication
- general vehicle inspection
- environmentally correct disposal of waste products
Bottom Line
Regular oil and filter replacement will greatly extend vehicle life and prevent costly repairs. One of the best auto service values.