Oil Change & Maintenance

Maintenance is the boring part of car ownership and it is also the part that decides whether the expensive failures happen. Most catastrophic engine problems have a maintenance story behind them.

What we do on site

• Oil and filter — conventional, synthetic blend or full synthetic, whatever the engine calls for
• Engine and cabin air filters
• Spark plugs on most engines
• Belts and hoses — serpentine belts, tensioners, coolant hoses
• Fluid checks and top-ups — coolant, brake, power steering, transmission where serviceable
• Wipers, bulbs and the small things that are annoying to make a trip for

The oil interval argument

The 3,000 mile rule is a holdover from conventional oil and older engines. Most modern engines running full synthetic have a manufacturer interval considerably longer, and the number in your owner's manual is based on actual testing of your engine. Short-trip city driving is genuinely harder on oil than highway miles, so the "severe service" schedule in the manual is the honest one for a lot of Puget Sound commuting.

Where the used oil goes

It leaves with us and gets recycled properly. Pouring used oil down a drain or into the ground is both illegal and genuinely destructive — a single oil change contaminates an enormous volume of water.

Questions we get

Do you take the old oil away?

Yes, always. It goes for proper recycling.

Can you do it in my workplace parking lot?

If the property allows it and we can get to the car, yes. Many people book during the workday for exactly this reason.

How do I know which oil my car needs?

It is in the owner's manual and usually on the oil cap. Tell us the vehicle and we will bring the right one.

Do you do transmission fluid?

On vehicles where it is serviceable, yes. Some sealed units genuinely are not meant to be done in a driveway and we will say so.

Where we do this

Other things we handle