Are you thinking about changing your car's oil yourself this next time around? Before doing so, consider these reasons for letting the professionals take care of it:
Avoid a Stained Garage and Driveway
Changing your car's oil at home can be messy, even when you take steps to keep everything clean. Before you can put new oil in your vehicle, you must drain the old oil out into a container. However, not all the oil always drips out right away. Old oil is usually thick, so small amounts of it can stick to the drain valve as it pours out. After the oil is changed and you start your car up, the engine will get warm, and in turn, the oil will get warm.
Once that sticky oil gets warm, it will finish dripping out of the drain valve and fall right on the garage floor or driveway. This can result in unsightly stains that are tough if not impossible to get out. To avoid this problem, you can take your car to a shop and have your oil changed there, where any oil spillage won't be your problem.
Keep Your Engine Clean
Unless you spend a lot of time changing the oil in vehicles, it can be easy to accidentally spill oil on the engine while you're trying to pour it into the oil reservoir. Spilling a little oil on your engine won't make it blow up or anything, but the oil is likely to smoke while you drive until all the oil is burned off. Once burned off, some oil residue is left behind.
Not only will the oil smoke be annoying and smelly, but the oil residue can build up and create a dirty mess on your engine as you complete oil changes in the coming years and months. A dirty engine usually equals a smelly engine. Luckily, you can avoid getting your engine dirty by having your car's oil professionally changed.
Catch Developing Problems Early
Having a professional change your vehicle's oil is a great way to catch small engine problems early so they can be addressed before they become problems that require expensive repairs. Your service provider will notice when something isn't right and let you know about it. If it seems concerning, they might recommend an inspection that can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in repairs later on. Unless you're a mechanic yourself, you likely won't pick up on any problems when changing your oil.
Contact an oil change technician to learn more.
