Planning out your automotive maintenance routine? Don’t forget oil changes!
Let’s go over some basics about oil changes, including what factors impact how much this service costs.
How Much Is an Oil Change?
Why Get an Oil Change?
If you drive a gas-powered vehicle, oil changes and oil filter changes are two of the most important tasks you need to keep up with.
Clean oil helps your car’s engine cleanse and lubricate itself, whereas dirty oil interferes—sometimes significantly—with your engine’s performance. Oil changes are essential to improving your engine’s performance, supporting your engine to last as long as possible, and helping your car reach its peak fuel efficiency (i.e., you’ll spend less on gas).
If you neglect changing your oil for too long, your engine can fail completely. To avoid the expense of a new engine (or even a new vehicle), get your oil changed regularly.
When to Get an Oil Change
Knowing when to change your oil depends on how often and how far you drive. For standard driving conditions, most vehicles will need an oil change every 8,000 km or every six months. Many cars and trucks on the road today also have an oil life monitor that’ll let you know you need a change via an alert on the dashboard.
Refer to your owner’s manual for the best estimate of how often to change your car’s oil. The manual will also advise you on what kind of motor oil to use (i.e., full synthetic vs. conventional and what viscosity rating). The type of oil you use will also influence how often you need to change it (e.g., synthetic oil lasts longer than conventional oil). As long as you pick an oil that matches your manual’s recommendation, the brand you choose doesn’t matter.
You can read more about picking motor oil here.
Oil Change Pricing
Like most automotive services, the cost of an oil change depends on several factors, including where you live, what vehicle you drive, and what type of oil you use. The standard labour rate can also vary between locations.
An average price for an oil change service using conventional oil in Ontario is between $35 and $75. For synthetic oil, this range goes up to $65 to $125. The final price will also depend on if you’re getting your oil filter changed, as well. Most vehicles will need the filter changed every oil change or every second oil change.
You can get an oil change at any professional garage, including any NAPA AUTOPRO service centre.
Some dealerships offer oil changes, but they may charge more than garages. Select dealerships may offer a price match on this service, however.
To find the best deal, call a few garages to get a quote for what an oil change will cost on your specific vehicle.
DIY Oil Change
If you read the instructions carefully, an oil change is a simple task to do from your own garage. Don’t forget to gather all your tools and equipment before starting, including a drain pan, funnel, and gloves.
Adding this skill to your DIY arsenal will help save you money on your maintenance budget. Once you cut out the labour fees, you’ll only need to purchase the motor oil, which typically costs between $30 to $60 for 5 L.
To learn how to do your own oil change, follow this guide.
If you have any questions about oil changes or anything else automotive-related, visit your local NAPA Auto Parts store to speak with an expert.
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