Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Denver: Have You Considered Synthetic Oil?

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Denver: Have Your Considered Synthetic Oil?After recently seeing an ad for synthetic oil in Denver and realizing I didn’t know much about it.  I asked my helpful Express Car Care service adviser for some background.  Basically the inside of your engine gets really hot because of friction from the moving parts and from burning fuel.  Oil lubricates the moving parts to keep them from getting too hot.

The problem begins when oil turns to sludge, which is kind of a thick jelly.  Sludge clogs up little passages so that the oil can’t protect parts of the engine.  So the two best ways for Denver car owners to prevent sludge build-up is to always change their oil on schedule, and to use synthetic oil.

Synthetic oil is much more resistant to becoming sludge than conventional oil.  My service specialist says it has the added benefit of lasting longer than conventional oil so the recommended change interval can be slightly longer.

The thing I think is cool is that synthetic oil is more slippery than conventional oil.  Regular oil molecules are long chains where synthetic oil molecules are rounder.  It’s like which is more slippery, a pile of pencils or a pile of marbles?  This means that synthetic oil does a better job of lubricating my engine so it doesn’t get as hot, or wear out as fast.

Using synthetic oil can help Denver motorist improve engine performance and help their engine last longer.  I’m really glad my service adviser filled me in on synthetic oil.  Maybe you should consider synthetic oil for your next oil change.  Give us a call at Express Car Care and let us help.

The Maintenance Mindset: Full-Service Oil Change

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The Maintenance MindsetPeople generally accept that many things in life require regular maintenance:  their teeth, clothes, homes, yards and so on, but Colorado motorists don’t often apply the same idea of maintenance to their vehicles.  If you never brush your teeth or go to the dentist, you’ll become painfully aware of your neglect when you get a big cavity.  Once the damage is done, we learn our critical lesson and start to take better care of things.

Unfortunately, Denver people too often learn the hard automotive lesson only after they bring their vehicle to Express Car Care on a tow truck.  So many times, a little routine maintenance would have prevented an expensive breakdown.

So how do Denver car owners get into the habit of taking care of their vehicles?  It’s so easy to forget it’s not like cutting the grass which you can see every time you pull in the driveway.

Here’s something that will help:  The key to good vehicle maintenance starts with the oil change.  Think about it – when you go in for a full-service oil change in Denver, your cheerful Express Car Care service adviser will check all your fluids.  If one of them is low, he can look for the reason why.  If your serpentine belt is worn, he’ll see it and let you know.  Corroded battery cable – they’ve got you covered.  And they’ll check to see if your manufacturer has recommended any critical services at your current mileage.

The oil change becomes kind of a focal point, a way to check in to see what needs to be done.

The fact is that vehicle inspection surveys consistently reveal that over 80% of vehicles have one or more needed repair or maintenance service that goes undone.  Vehicles are generally very reliable and can take a lot of abuse and neglect – but you can only press your luck for so long.

So when you come into Express Car Care for an oil change, you get a visual inspection of your car and a reminder for recommended services so you can avoid a total failure.  Also keep in mind that your service professional can help you work out a maintenance and repair plan for your vehicle, prioritizing and scheduling the work to make sure you and your family are safe and help you avoid expensive breakdowns.

In addition to full-service oil changes, at Express Car Care we also offer air conditioning service, transmission service and tire rotation.

Give us a call.  Express Car Care 303.691.2760

 

 

 

The Express Car Care Guide to Synthetic Oil

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The Express Car Care Guide to Synthetic OilSynthetic motor oil has been around for a long time in Denver and more and more new cars are leaving the auto manufacturers factories with synthetic oil in their engines.  But a lot of car owners still don’t really know much about it.

Let’s start with conventional oil – the kind Denver folks are familiar with using in their engines.  Conventional oil is made up of naturally occurring hydrocarbon chains, which means its molecules are long and have various lengths, ( like a pile of pencils ), some of them are new and some of them are used.

Synthetic oil is man-made.  Its molecules are more uniform and regular in shape -more similar to marbles than pencils.  Some synthetic oil starts with a petroleum base that’s modified and others are entirely synthesized from other materials.

Synthetic motor oil works best in both hot and cold Denver temperatures.  It’s more chemically stable so it doesn’t readily evaporate or breakdown in the high heat produced inside your vehicles engine.  This means it resists turning to sludge, which is a real engine killer.

Remember the marbles and pencils thing we were talking about?  Well, that makes synthetic oil more slippery than conventional oil which means less friction in your engine when you use synthetic oil.  Your vehicle’s engine runs cooler, wears less and lasts longer.  You also get a boost in power and maybe even an improvement in fuel efficiency.   Synthetic oil also lasts longer so you change it less often – which is great for the environment.  With longer oil change intervals, you will need to use an oil filter specifically built for the longer service life of synthetic oil.  Talk with your cheerful Express Car Care service professional about synthetic oil and synthetic blends -they might be just what you need to improve engine performance and extend the life of your vehicle.

Give us a call at 303-691-2760 or stop by and see us.

Oil Change Intervals

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Quick lube businesses and their employees have often been accused of recommending “unneeded” oil changes so they can make more money.  That may be true for some businesses, but when we service a car, we only recommend services that we believe are necessary to keep your car running at its best.  Here are some of the reasons why we encourage an oil change interval of 3,000 miles or every three months.

In recent years, many vehicle manufacturers have extended their recommended oil change intervals to 7,500 or 10,000 miles.  They have good intentions of trying to help reduce the maintenance costs for car owners, but they have run into trouble.  The Center for Auto Safety has gotten thousands of complaints from drivers who thought they were following the correct oil change  intervals in their owners manuals but ended up with a crankcase full of sludge.  Motor oil does more than just lubricate the engine.  It also forms a film on surfaces that separates moving parts so they don’t rub against one another, reducing friction and wear.  Oil also serves as a coolant for critical engine parts like the crankshaft and valve train.  It also helps to prevent rust and corrosion from building up inside the engine and keeps surfaces clean by dissolving and carrying away dirt and deposits.

Extended oil change intervals of 7,500 to 10,000 miles are based on “ideal” operating conditions, not stop and go driving, or driving our cars for several short trips, like the majority of drivers do each day.  So most drivers should be following a severe service schedule rather than a normal schedule to better protect their engines.  Most experts still consider a 3,000 mile or six month oil change interval the best for “severe” drivers.

Customers at our shop have also told us that they think because motor oils are of a higher quality than they once were, they don’t need to change the oil as often.  This would be a valid argument if oil filters had also improved in quality as well, but unfortunately they haven’t.  An engines main line of defense against abrasion and the wear caused by it,  is the oil filter.  The oil filter’s job is to remove solid contaminants like dirt, carbon, and metal particles from the oil before they can damage surfaces in the engine.  If your oil filter is clogged, it can’t do its job and unfiltered oil will enter the engine.  Contaminants  that find their way into the crankcase will be pumped through the engine and accelerate wear.

Although motor oils have been improved and are continuing to be improved, there hasn’t been much done to improve oil filters.  The majority of oil filters still need to be replaced every 3,000 miles, so until the oil filters have been improved as well, we will continue to recommend a 3,000 mile or three month oil change interval.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care.  Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

Why Is A Car Oil Filter Important?

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There are many times in our business that we meet customers who don’t understand why a car oil filter is important.  Most of them recognize the importance of quality oil but don’t realize how the oil and oil filter work together to keep their car running.  So why is a car oil filter important?

Oil filters have a very important function and if your oil filter has poor quality, it can shorten the life of your engine and cause other parts to fail as well.  This small part of your car’s lubrication system plays an important role in protecting your engine from premature wear.  All the moving parts in the engine need clean oil to properly lubricate them.  Tiny bits of metal chip off of various engine parts while it’s running.  If these bits of metal are allowed to recirculate through the oil, they could break off other bits of metal, which eventually will cause erosion in the engine.  A quality oil filter helps prevent this erosion from taking place.  The oil filter cleans the oil as it passes through the filter and prevents abrasive contaminants from damaging the parts in the engine.

It is very important to choose a high quality oil filter because the internal construction and quality of the filter has a huge effect on the life of your car’s engine.  Here at Express Care, we use a Wix oil filter.  Wix was patented in 1954 and has been at the forefront of oil filter technology and performance for passenger cars, trucks, buses and off-road vehicles ever since.

One of the standards used to determine the quality of an oil filter is called filtration efficiency or particle size retention.  Particle size retention is the measure of how well a filter can retain particles of various sizes.  Wix has developed optimum filtration efficiency in their filters.  They are able to trap and hold essentially all the particles larger than 25 microns (a human hair measures about 70 microns in diameter.)  These filters can also capture a high percentage of even smaller particles.

Another standard that a quality filter must meet is dirt-holding capacity.  This is the amount of contaminants that can be removed and held by the filter until the filter no longer works.  The capacity of Wix filters is much larger than the minimum requirements that are specified by vehicle manufacturers for a regular oil change interval.

Hopefully these facts help you understand why a car oil filter is important.  A quality oil filter and quality motor oil work together to help our cars run more efficiently.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care.  Call us at (303) 691-2760 or stop by and see us.

 

Synthetic vs. Conventional Oil

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During these times when we are dealing with the economic crunch as well as concerns over the environment, the answer to a common question has even more significance.  Synthetic vs. conventional oil, which is better?

Conventional oil comes from crude oil that is pumped out of the ground.  The crude oil is refined at an oil refinery and becomes the base stock for conventional oil.  Even though it goes through a refining process, conventional oil still contains small amounts of contaminants that can’t be removed.  Unlike conventional oil, synthetic oils are made through chemical reactions.  Even though they are considered “artificial”, synthetic oils still have the same natural ingredients found in “real” oil, but these ingredients are recombined like a Lego set to create the characteristics desired.  These oils are purer and cleaner, custom designed to provide the “ideal” lubrication. Typically, the best synthetic oils use a combination of up to three different synthetic base fluids.

Because of the higher purity properties of synthetic oil, it can stand up to heat and withstand colder temperatures much better than conventional oil.  This is a huge advantage when you first start your car in the cold weather.

Both synthetic and conventional oil have additives to help prevent sludge and deposit build-up, but synthetic oil also has performance additives that provide superior protection for the life of your engine and in extreme driving conditions such as extremely cold or hot temperatures.

Synthetic oil flows easier in colder weather, so if you live in an area where it gets really cold in the winter, synthetic might be the better choice for you.

Because synthetic oil doesn’t break down as readily as conventional oil, there will be longer intervals between oil changes.  Synthetics can last almost three times longer than conventional oil, but still not forever,  as some people may think.  Eventually the additives in the synthetic will break down just like in the conventional oil and it will need to be changed.

The higher cost of synthetic oil has been a major deterrent for some people, but the fact that they extend drain intervals, provide better fuel economy and reduce engine wear, can offset the cost and make them more economical than you might think.

Take a look at your vehicle’s owner’s manual and see what the recommendations are and then come in and see us or give us a call at (303) 691-2760

What Every Car Owner Should Know About Motor Oil

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Whether you are a first-time car owner or you are on your fourth or fifth car, basic maintenance comes with owning a car. And one of the most routine items on your maintenance schedule is changing your motor oil on a regular basis.

Motor oil is essential to the operation of your vehicle. Without it, your car is not going to get very far before the motor locks up – and you are left without transportation. Understanding what motor oil does to protect your motor will help you ensure that you are never left on the side of the highway due to motor oil problems.

Motor oil is a lubricant for your engine. However, it does much more than simply keeping the parts lubricated. Motor oil creates a film on bearing surfaces that helps to separate the parts and keep them from rubbing on each other. This minimizes friction and reduces wear and tear on your engine. Motor oil also cushions the moving parts of your engine. It keeps certain parts of your motor cool and keeps rust and corrosion at a minimum. In short, motor oil serves many purposes within your engine – each one vital to the longevity of your motor. [Read more…]

What Motor Oil Should I Use?

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We all know, or at least we should know, that we need to put motor oil in our vehicles so they can run properly.  The main function of motor oil is to lubricate the moving parts of our cars, but it also cleans, prevents corrosion, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from the moving parts.  Although we might know we have to use motor oil, we don’t always know what motor oil we should use.  There has been an age long battle going on between synthetics, synthetic blends and conventional motor oil.  What motor oil should I use?  Which kind would work best for me and my car?  If you have ever asked these questions, we have some more information for you in Motor Oil Types-How to Choose the Right One for Your Car

Using motor oil is essential in keeping your car on the road but knowing what motor oil works best for your car can greatly extend the life of your car!

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care.  Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

 

What’s So Important About An Oil Filter?

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In the course of our business, we are often confronted with customers who don’t understand the importance of their oil filter.  They are usually focused on the quality of the oil and the cost of the oil change and don’t really see what’s so important about an oil filter?

Oil filters have a very important function and if your oil filter is poor quality, it can shorten the life of your engine and cause other parts to fail.  This small part of your vehicle’s lubrication system plays an important role in protecting your engine from premature wear.  All the moving parts in the engine need clean oil to properly lubricate them.Tiny bits of metal chip off of various engine parts while it’s running.  If these bits of metal are allowed to recirculate through the oil, they could break off other bits of metal, which eventually causes erosion.  A quality oil filter helps prevent erosion from taking place.  The oil filter cleans the oil as it passes through the filter and prevents abrasive contaminants from damaging the engine parts.

It is very important to choose a high quality oil filter because the internal construction and quality of the filter has a huge effect on the life of your car’s engine.  Here at Express Care, we use a Wix oil filter.  Wix was patented in 1954 and has been at the forefront of oil filter technology and performance for passenger cars, trucks, buses and off-road vehicles ever since.

Filtration efficiency or particle size retention is one of the standards used to determine the quality of an oil filter.  Particle size retention is the measure of how well a filter can retain particles of various sizes.  Wix has developed optimum filtration efficiency in their filters.  They are able to trap and hold essentially all the particles larger than 25 microns.  (A human hair measures about 70 microns in diameter.)  These filters can also capture a high percentage of even smaller particles.

Another standard that a quality filter must meet is dirt-holding capacity.  This is the amount of contaminants that can be removed and held by the filter until the filter ceases to function.  The capacity of Wix filters is significantly larger than the minimum requirements specified by vehicle manufacturers to efficiently filter all the oil used during a regular oil change interval.

As you can see, it is just as important to use a quality oil filter as it is to use quality motor oil in our vehicles.  They work together to help our cars run efficiently.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care. Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

 

Conventional Oil vs. Synthetic Oil

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We are often asked, “which oil should I use, conventional or synthetic?”  This seems to be an unending debate, conventional oil vs. synthetic oil, but we will try to give you some facts that might make your decision a bit easier.

Conventional oil comes from crude oil that is pumped out of the ground.  The crude oil is refined at an oil refinery and becomes the base stock for conventional oil.   Even though is goes through a refining process  conventional oil still contains small amounts of contaminants that can’t be removed.  Unlike conventional oil, synthetic oil base stock is created artificially or synthesized.  These oils are purer and are custom designed to provide the “ideal” lubrication.

Both conventional oil and synthetic oil have additives to help prevent sludge and deposit build-up, but synthetic oil also has performance additives that provide superior protection for the life of your engine and in extreme driving conditions such as extremely cold or hot temperatures.

Because of the higher purity properties of synthetic oil, it can stand up to heat and withstand colder temperatures much better than conventional oil.  This is a huge advantage when you first start your car in the cold weather.

There are a few more advantages you get by using synthetic oil.  It flows easier in cold weather, so if you live where it gets really cold in the winter, you might want to use synthetic.

Also because synthetic oil doesn’t break down as quickly as conventional oil, there are longer intervals between oil changes.  Although some have thought that synthetics last forever, this is not the case.  Eventually the additives in the synthetic oil will break down like conventional oil and the oil will need to be changed.

The higher cost of synthetic oil has been a major deterrent for some people, but the fact that they extend drain intervals, provide better fuel economy and reduce engine wear, make them more economical than you might think.

Just as we need to do with all the information we receive, we need to decide what works best for us and our vehicle,  so look over  your owner’s manual, see what they recommend and then make your decision.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care. Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

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