Getting an Oil Change to Save Money

Gas prices have been on the rise recently, hovering around four dollars no matter where you go it seems like. And if things follow their normal progression, those prices will only get higher when summer hits. Who knows how bad it will get? Well, there are a couple ways of not having to find out. Theoretically you could just stop driving altogether, but who really can make that become a viable option? Not many people. You could buy a whole new car that has exceptionally good gas mileage -- maybe a hybrid. But, by the time you've made that hefty investment, you've already more or less undermined your initial fiscal conservation motive.

Perhaps the best, most realistic, and certainly cheapest option is to get an oil change. Besides keeping your car clean, healthy, and running as smoothly as possible -- though these are admittedly pretty good benefits -- getting an oil change can significantly help increase your gas mileage and engine efficiency, helping you avoid filling up at the station so often and keeping your money where you need it most -- in your wallet.

The summertime heat has a bad reputation for instigating unwanted wear-and-tear on many vehicle's engines, and correctly so. You already need to be on the lookout for excessive sludge accumulations in your engine fluid, which are about as nasty and vicious as they sound, causing poor engine performance and a clogged filter. High temperatures, however, can also cause just the opposite, thinning out engine fluids and in turn allowing for metal-to-metal contact under the hood of your car, which, in addition to being a rather unpleasant sound, bodes very badly for the health and longevity of your car, as you probably expected. Getting an oil change can be a great solution to either of these problems. Sludge build up takes a relatively long time to accrue to the point that it is hazardous to your engine, and you shouldn't have to worry about anything thinning out too quickly with fresh new fluids running around.

But also, in addition to the inevitable summer heat that's on the way, you are more than likely going to be traveling a fair amount this summer, and thus you're going to want to be figuring out the best way to save money on gas. As stated previously, unless you are willing to make some serious and probably impractical decisions, the best way to save at the pump is to be certain that you are running on engine fluids that aren't old, diluted, and inefficient. Getting an oil change can help you keep your car driving to its maximum potential and limit the amount of trips you have to make to the gas station when you're driving around this summer.