Austin Oil Change Service: Pros and Cons of Full-Service and Quick Oil Changes
Are you due for an oil change in Austin, TX? If so, you might plan to take care of this job at one of the area’s many quick service centers. Even though quick oil changes are undeniably convenient, that doesn’t necessarily make them the best option for most Austin drivers. In fact, this form of oil change service comes with some surprising drawbacks.
If you’re trying to choose between a quick or full-service Austin oil change, you’re in luck. Keep reading for insights on this topic and more valuable information on oil changes.
Why Oil Changes Matter
If you want the longest life span and the best performance your vehicle can deliver, you’ll need to take its maintenance needs seriously. Oil changes are a huge part of this. Without frequent oil changes, your car won’t be able to function properly for long.
Motor oil is responsible for all kinds of tasks in the average vehicle, such as:
- Cleaning your engine: When contaminants like dirt build up in your car’s engine, it won’t be long before you run into trouble. Clean motor oil traps these contaminants and prevents them from causing problems.
- Keeping heat under control: Engines generate heat while operating, and that means overheating is always a risk. Fortunately, engine oil helps manage and redistribute the heat your engine creates.
- Lubricating moving parts: Without the lubrication that fresh motor oil provides, your engine’s moving parts will rub against one another.
- Preventing rust: Motor oil lowers the risk of rust formation in your engine.
When your motor oil inevitably starts to break down, it will no longer be able to handle these jobs as it once did. At that point, you’ll need to get an oil change ASAP to avoid serious issues.
Schedule an Oil Change Service
Weighing Your Oil Change Service Options
Before you’re ready to schedule an oil change in Austin, TX, you’ll need to pick one of these two options:
Traditional Oil Change Service
As its name implies, a traditional oil change is a time-honored way of taking care of your vehicle’s oil needs. When it’s time for one of these oil changes, you bring your car to an Austin auto shop and wait while a skilled mechanic removes the old oil, replaces it with fresh oil, and (in many cases) takes care of a few other services. Thanks to that level of attention, this is easily the best type of oil change in terms of quality.
Wait times are the biggest drawback of traditional oil changes — these oil changes can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. But when you visit a qualified Austin auto shop for this service, you can reap the benefits of traditional oil changes while keeping your wait to a minimum. You can also mitigate the impact of oil change service on your schedule by setting up an appointment in advance.
Quick Oil Change Service
On the other hand, quick oil changes don’t take nearly as long to complete: in many cases, the businesses providing these services can finish an oil change in 10 or 15 minutes. Because of that, so-called instant oil changes have become a popular option among busy Austin residents.
However, the speed associated with quick oil changes isn’t solely an advantage — this is also the source of their biggest drawback. When the primary goal of a shop's oil change service is getting you in and out the door within minutes, the mechanics working there won’t always have time to inspect your vehicle thoroughly. Because of that, you could miss potential problems with your car until they grow into much more serious issues.
Full-Service Oil Changes: What You Need To Know
Along with the information above, there’s one other wrinkle you’ll need to consider before setting up an Austin oil change. Some local auto shops do the bare minimum when providing oil changes, but others go above and beyond by offering full-service oil changes to their customers.
When you find a shop offering full-service oil changes, you’ll still get everything you’d expect from an oil change. The mechanics handling this work remove your dirty oil and replace it with fresh conventional or synthetic oil. On top of that, these workers handle tasks such as:
- Chassis lubrication: It’s easy enough to neglect the components in your vehicle’s chassis, but these parts should be greased every so often. Ideally, your auto shop will be able to take care of this during an oil change.
- Oil filter installation: Just like your motor oil, oil filters can collect dirt over time — and when they do, they’ll be unable to function properly. Shops providing full-service oil changes can easily remove and replace these filters.
- Fluid level inspection: While they’re refilling your motor oil, the mechanics handling your oil change should take a look at your vehicle’s other fluid levels.
Get an Oil Change You Can Count On
As you can see, both traditional and quick oil changes come with certain advantages and disadvantages. That said, the attention to detail and variety of services that can come with a full-service oil change make this the clear choice for most drivers in Austin.
When you visit Lamb’s Tire & Automotive, our ASE-certified mechanics will provide a comprehensive oil change in Austin, TX. We also offer complimentary concierge services. If you live within three miles of a Lamb's Tire location, we’ll pick your car up, take care of your oil change, and drop it off when we’re done.
Take the first step toward handling your oil change needs by scheduling an appointment today!
