Tag: Engine Oil

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Fluid Inspections: Crucial For Car Maintenance

With so many components on vehicles, it can be hard to determine which things to be on the lookout for, and which are the most important. One thing is for sure, the longevity of your car is entirely dependent on fluids. Your BMW, Audi, Mini, or Porsche will have fluids including coolant, engine oil, brake fluid, washer fluid, and transmission fluid depending on the type of transmission you have. For some specific models that sport the all-wheel-drive system, you may also have to service the front or rear differential fluids.

When in doubt about your fluid levels, you can always take it to a BMW Auto Repair Near Me, like Ryan G. Motorworks for a fluid inspection. Our technicians can quickly assess if you are in need of a top off, are over or under fluids. Having the correct amount for each system of your car will allow it to work as it should. But what happens if you run low on your fluids? Will it immediately do damage? How bad can it be? Check out the main fluids your car needs to run, and what can happen if they aren’t inspected, filled, or changed when needed.

Engine Oil

The heart of your high-end German vehicle is the engine. There is never a time running it without oil is okay. Engine oils main function is to provide lubrication for the metal parts inside the motor. The pistons, rings, valves, rockers, and other components are entirely dependent on oil. If you aren’t running enough oil, or it is completely dry, the motor can lock up. Once this happens, it is fair enough to say the engine is toast. The cost for replacing an engine in a newer BMW, Audi, Mini Cooper can be costly, and can in most cases, be avoided with proper maintenance and fluid inspections.

Periodic oil changes help reduce the chances of running your vehicle with no oil, as well as having a fluid inspection done between oil changes. It is also crucial that when adding or doing an oil change that the right fluid is used. Different weight oils are used depending on the engine type and climate, but almost all newer vehicles call for full synthetic. When taking your car in for German Auto Repair or inspections, they will know precisely how many quarts of what type of oil needs to be used.

Brake Fluid

How much do you value being able to stop your BMW? The braking system of most cars is ultimately dependant on brake fluid. Most vehicles have upgraded to using DOT 4 in their master cylinders and are found in vehicles with ESP and ABS systems, which most German models come standard. A technician, during a fluid inspection, will make sure there aren’t any leaks, and that fluid comes up to the line indicating full. Most higher end German vehicles use 4 wheel disc brake systems that provide unbelievably excellent stopping power, with the proper fluid levels they are able to operate as intended.

Transmission Fluid

Automatic transmission needs transmission fluid. Your transmission uses the fluid within to signal at which point it needs to shift gears. With a manual transmission, you tell the transmission when to shift. This doesn’t mean that a manual doesn’t require any fluid, it just doesn’t use ATF, it could use engine oil, grease, or different liquids depending on the manufacturer. Keeping the transmission lubricated is essential but not as critical as having the correct amount of fluid in it. Failure to maintain the proper levels of fluid can cause the automatic transmission to slip. You will try to accelerate and feel that it revs high, won’t increase speed, and takes a second to change gear. Transmission fluid should be checked regularly, just as you would with engine oil. Those are the most expensive components to replace on any vehicle, and it’s well worth the ten minutes to have a fluid inspection done to ensure they are all at the proper levels.

Coolant

Antifreeze or engine coolant is needed to reduce the temperature of your car. Each vehicle make and model has a specified operating temperature that is required for optimal performance and considered safe. When there is a leak in the coolant system, you may find that your car can or will overheat. Allowing your car to run “hot” will almost always ensure the catastrophic failure of the cylinder head or damage to the engine block. During a fluid inspection, a technician will check that coolant is at the proper level and that there is antifreeze in the reservoir tank, if applicable.

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Basic Car Maintenance Everyone Should Know

Most people use their car every day without a second thought. They will get in, turn the key, and head out on their way. It’s almost always the case, unless you are a car person, that you don’t think something is in need of repair till a light shines or a weird noise starts to occur. Afterall keeping up with a vehicle requires some amount of attention. But what if you could minimize the likelihood of an expensive repair, by doing only simple maintenance items? In this post, we will look at simple car maintenance items you can do that will potentially save you from experiencing a catastrophic event or costly BMW car repair.

CHECK TIRES

Tires are the essential features of your vehicle. They are what makes contact with the ground. Having good tires versus a bad one can make a huge difference. Have you ever experienced a tire blow out, or know someone that has? At high speeds having a tire, blow can be incredibly dangerous. It can also do much more damages than just having a flat tire. Almost all tire blowouts can be avoided by simply checking your tires periodically, and having them replaced when needed.

A good rule of thumb is to inspect your tires every month for wear, tread, and that they are correctly inflated. The tire sidewall will tell you the max psi they should be filled to. Overinflating can be just as bad as under, so it is best to stay a little below the max. Check for signs damage to the tires as well; if anything looks suspicious, you can take it to our German auto repair shop.

CHECK THE OIL

There is no way of avoiding the topic of engine oil when talking about the maintenance of a vehicle. It is the fluid that keeps everything in your engine working the way it should. Oil reduces friction of the metal movable parts within, and it an absolute must. Checking the oil isn’t as tricky as it sounds. Most vehicles are equipped with dipsticks that are labeled check oil on them. In fact, the dipstick will also have at the end clues as to if you are low on oil, clearly marked, low. If there is one maintenance item you should routinely do, and be in the habit of doing is checking the oil levels. If you find that your car is consistently low on oil, it could signal a leak or possibly other issues within the motor.

CHECK COOLANT LEVELS

Lastly, make sure to maintain adequate coolant in your vehicle’s cooling system. Each car requires a different type of coolant. BMW recommends the use of their own specially formulated coolant for their vehicles to run at their best. TIP: Use caution when checking your coolant levels. Never try to open the radiator cap if your car has been running and reached it’s operating temperature. In doing so can cause injury. The coolant is a pressurized system. When it is hot, pressure builds, the second you turn the cap it will spray out. At close to 200 degrees, this is something you don’t want touching your skin. Instead, wait until your car has had time cool down or even better let it rest overnight and check before starting it in the morning.

Conclusion

Maintaining a good running vehicle is as simple as checking its primary components. These simple car tasks only take a few minutes and are well worth the time. Many repairs, breakdowns, or troubles can be avoided with proper care.

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When It Pays To Have An Oil Change

The engine of your car is the heart of the vehicle. It would make sense that you should have maintenance done on it, to keep it running at its best. One of the most honest services you can have done routinely is to have an oil change. An oil change service can be performed for many different reasons. The oil change will consist of draining all the old oil out from the pan and substituting the oil filter with a new one. Aside from having this routine maintenance done, what are some other signs that it would be beneficial to have an oil change?

The Oil Is Black

When you put fresh oil into a vehicle, it will be a light brownish color. The longer you go between oil changes the engine oil will start to darken. When oil gets to the black state, it is not benefiting your vehicle’s engine at that point. You will be able to tell the color of your oil just by checking the end of the dipstick.

The Oil Filter Will Become Full

The reason an oil change will be necessary is to change the oil filter out. The job of the screen is to stop any particles that are not healthy for your engine from being circulated. Over time the filer can fill or possibly become clogged. It will allow for those particles to escape. Once this happens, you could be putting your motor at risk.

Engine Becomes Loud

If you are used to having a quiet motor, then this one will be an easy sign to spot. Over time, and the longer between oil changes, the engine will develop a sound that is much louder as it is running. A lack of lubrication mostly causes it. If you were to think about what metal on metal was to sound like, that is what is going on under your hood. It is important to have oil put in as soon as you notice your engine making a different sound.

A Check Engine Light Appears

Sure it’s one thing to a few miles over when you are due for an oil change, but ultimately forgetting to have the service done for thousands of miles can hurt your engine badly. If you go too long, a check engine light will appear, and this spells issues, especially in a variable valve timing car. The bonus to getting an oil change, the light will be gone.

Oil Changes Can Spot Larger Problems

Going back to the engine gets the louder problem, one of the reasons an oil change can be beneficial at that time is to spot any possible damage that may have happened. When metal on metal happens in an issue, metal flakes will become present in the oil. An oil change will be able to determine if you have large particles present. If there are significant chunks of metal found, it could spell disaster, but the cost of a rebuild would be cheaper than a whole engine replacement.

Conclusion

Oil changes are the most critical maintenance item you should not put off. Cars now are built to go 5,000 miles or more between them. Oil changes can solve many of these indicated problems and will help your engine last much longer.

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Change Your Oil, Change The Life Of Your Car

Oil is the heart of your vehicle. It offers the proper lubrication and protection that keeps every car running smoothly and efficiently. An oil change is a pivotal part of regular maintenance of your vehicle. You may ask: how does driving around affect how often I will need an oil change? After all, your car is designed for driving. Here are some of the conditions that will ultimately influence the life of your oil.

Whether your oil lasts or needs changing more often than usual will depend on your driving habits. In ideal conditions, cruising on the highway will allow your oil to stay at the perfect temperature. Fuel and water should not be accumulating under these circumstances. Now, if you are driving at high speeds, your fast acceleration and speeding can raise the temperature of your oil and reduce its viscosity, which will expose the engine to greater wear.

If you drive primarily within city limits, there are also issues that you may encounter that cause you to change oil more often. Frequent starts and stops, which are also common problems on the highway, hurt your vehicle because oil is not able to sufficiently warm up. It may accumulate water and fuel due to prolonged idling. It will cause the build-up of corrosion and sludge.

A regular oil change is basic vehicle maintenance; driving correctly can ensure that this does not need to happen more often than it normally should.

Weather can also affect the oil in your vehicle. At lower temperatures, oil will thicken, and that will reduce pumping efficiency. Thus, it will take longer for your car to reach engine parts so that it can provide the protection and lubrication that it should. On the other hand, warmer conditions can make it harder to keep the motor cool. Engine oils are not designed to perform under high temperatures. These oils will lose the ability to protect the engine’s moving parts as quickly as if they were at optimal temperatures.

You can help to reduce the cost of oil change over time by not pushing your vehicle through unnecessary speeding, stopping, or other demanding conditions. Oils are ultimately designed to operate at higher temperatures and will help keep your engine protected. It will contribute to prolong your engine’s life and help it to run more efficiently.

However, there is something to be said about unpredictability: you cannot always avoid those sudden stops if you have the highway to work each morning. Some conditions simply cannot help. It can be a big help if you are going to pay attention to the status of your engine and when you check the engine oil. Never let this go: your vehicle will suffer for it, and you could lose it prematurely.