Oil changes are a pretty straightforward service. They drain the oil from your vehicle (which is now filthy, black, and sticky like tar), flush the engine a little, remove the old oil filter, install a new oil filter and refill your engine with up to five quarts of fresh oil. It typically takes about twenty to thirty minutes. However, some oil change services provide much more for your dollar than just the above oil change service. These services provide extra things, like the following.

Check ALL Fluids

Your car/truck needs:

• Power steering fluid
• Brake fluid
• Coolant/Anti-freeze
• Oil (of course!)
• Transmission fluid
• Windshield washer fluid

...and possibly one or two other fluids, depending on what type of vehicle you drive and the engine in it. Oil change services that do much more than oil changes offer fluid checks on all of your above fluids. If the service technician finds that you are low on any of these fluids, he/she fills them. In addition to filling these fluids, the technician may also look for any possible leaks that might be contributing to the low levels and loss of fluids. If leaks are noticed, the technician makes note of what and where, and provides you with his/her findings on the matter.

Repairing Simple Things That Need To Be Fixed

Some of these oil change shops will fill tires and swap out bad windshield wipers for new ones. However, they do charge for any extra services that require parts, so expect them to ask you if you want/need new wipers, air intake valve caps, hubcap nuts, etc. Usually these parts do not cost a lot extra, so most car owners are willing to pay for them out of convenience. Filling your tires is pretty standard, regardless of where you go for any sort of vehicle maintenance, so you should not be charged for this extra.

Noting Major Mechanical Failures

If the oil change technician notices some things that could be considered or lead to major mechanical failures, you may want to have a car repair service check these out. The oil technician is only hired to do certain jobs, and in an oil change shop, the technicians cannot do major mechanical work (even if they know how). It still counts as a benefit, however, because you would not have been aware of these issues if you did not have a full-service oil change service spot them in the first place.