Maintenance Schedules Protects Your Investments:

1. Vehicle maintenance should be performed at regular intervals. Intervals can be either mileage or a time period. A list of intervals for various maintenance operations is called Maintenance Schedule. A typical maintenance schedule may call for changing your engine oil and filter every 3000 miles, (4800 km) and in some cases even higher depending on manufacture. Some manufactures recommend changing your engine oil every 6000 miles, (9600 km) and for changing the oil filter at every second oil change. In addition to mileage, most schedules call for performing a service after a certain time interval, no matter what the mileage is. For example: the schedule I used calls for changing the engine oil every 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first.

2. Most manufactures publish at least two maintenance schedules, one for normal operating conditions and the other for severe or heavy-duty service. According to automobile manufactures vehicle operating conditions determine which schedule should be followed. Typical sever operating conditions include. Operating at very low or high outdoor temperatures, driving short trips, or driving primarily in stop-and go traffic conditions. Heavy-duty conditions include, placing your engine under higher-than-normal load, such as stop and go traffic or towing a boat.. If the normal manufacture operation schedule calls for oil changes every 6000 miles (9600 km), the severe or heavy-duty schedule will generally require an oil change half that amount, every 3000 miles (4800 km). A good 80% or more engines are operating under severe conditions without even the owner realizing it. A good rule of thumb is to change your engine oil every 3000 miles or sooner regardless of what the manufacture says. And at the same time the vehicle should have a general walk around inspected for any additional problems that my be accruing.

3. Proper lubrication will keeps your engine running for years.
Lubrication systems cannot be overemphasized. An ample supply of clean oil of the correct type must reach all internal surfaces. The best way to protect the lubrication system is to regularly change your engines oil. Did you know not even the best oil filter can remove impurities: examples water, acids, and micro particles from your oil. It is important it is important to know as your filter begins to (Clog) they restrict oil flow. The better filtration an oil filter does the faster it will get plugged, and the sooner it will need to be replaced. Therefore, oil filters should be replaced every time the oil is changed, regardless what the manufacture says.

4. About Your Engine Oils. Engine oil must provide good lubrication under a wide range of engine temperatures and speeds It also must be thin enough to allow the starter to crank over the engine and heavy enough to protect the engine under heavy loads and high temperatures. Oil must also remove heat and keep impurities in suspension until they can be trapped by the oil filter. The oil must seal the gap between the piston rings and the cylinder wall to help against compression loss. The selection of oil to do all these jobs is critical.

5. About Your Engine Oil Viscosity. Today's engine oils are classified according to several areas. The most commonly recognized classification is viscosity, or weight. Viscosity is the oil's resistance to flow through the engine. An oil that flows easy is commonly referred to as a light oil. An oil that flows showy is said to be thick or heavy. Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity by the SAE (Society of Automobile Engineers) the number typically range from 5 (the lightest) to 50 (the heaviest). Most modern oils are multi-grade oil. All vehicle manufactures recommend multi-grade oils for normal use. Single weight oils should only be used when temperatures are above freezing.

6. About Your multi-grade oils. Typical multi-grade oils are marked 5W-30W, 10W-40, or 20W-50W. The W stands for winter, and the number before the W is the viscosity of the oil at low temperatures. The number without a W is the oil's weight at normal operation temperature 195 - 225 degrees. While heavier oils provide same extra protection for older engines with worn bearings and other loose engine parts, lighter oils are better for new engines or engines with low mileage in good condition. Lighter oils actually reduce friction because they can flow more easily. The use of a lighter oil in new engines or low mileage engines will improve fuel mileage and engine life.

7. About Gasoline Engine Oil Grades. Did you know at this present time, there are nine oil service grades for automotive gasoline engines. The API ( American Petroleum Institute ) has classified these oils as SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, and SL. The letter "S" indicates the oil is for use in spark ignition (gasoline) engines. SA and SB oils were the first engine oils to be classified by the American Petroleum Institute. They are recommended for light loads , moderate speeds, and clean conditions. They contain no additives and are known as non-detergent oils. These oils are still available . SA, SB oils are sometimes used in gear boxes and two-cycle engines. SA, SB, oils should never be used in you cars engine. In 1964, detergent oils were first to be introduced to the market. Detergent oils have additives that hold contaminants, such as dirt, water, and some acids, in suspension until they are trapped by the engines oil filter. The first detergent oil was graded SC, over the years the grades were SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, and SL. The latest oil designation is SL. This oil can be used in place of all former oil grade classification. Oil manufactures do not put earlier grade designations on their oils, the SL supersedes all grades. I do not recommend the use of engine oils that have SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, printed on the container. These oils are obsolete and should not be used in any automobile engine.

8. Best Gasoline Engine Oils. SJ, category oil was introduced 1996 for use in currant and earlier passenger cars, and should be used in engines built before 2001. SL, category oil is the most currant, and was introduced on July 1, 2001 for all automotive engines SL oils are designed to provide better high temperature deposit control and helps reduce oil consumption. SL, category oils are the best and don't cost any more.

Please Note: If you have been using an SA or an SB, non-detergent oil for a long period of time, I do not recommend switching to a SJ, or SL detergent oil. The detergent oil will loosen internal oil deposits (Slug) and my plug the pick-up and or the oil passages including the oil filter. Internal engine damage may result. If you are purchasing a used vehicle I recommend having one or both valve covers removed and inspect it for (slug) deposits regardless of the mileage. If the inspection shows any sign of (slug), you may won't to think twice before you buying it. Just because the engine runs good and you intend on keeping it in good condition doesn't mean you won't have in the near father.

9. About Diesel Engine Oil grade. The API ( American Petroleum Institute ) has classified oils in diesel engines as CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CF-2, CF-4, CG-4, CH-4. The C stands that the oil is for use in compression ignition (diesel) engines. The second letter indicates the amount of anti-wear additives, oxidation stabilizers and detergents in the oil. The number following the letter indicates whether the oil is designed for two or four stroke motors.

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