Oil change questions people ask us

Follow the interval in your owner's manual. AAA's guidance is that many modern engines on synthetic oil run 5,000 to 7,500 miles or more between changes, while older engines and conventional oil sit closer to 3,000 to 5,000. The manual also lists a severe-service schedule, and a lot of Northern Nevada driving qualifies: short trips in winter, dust, towing a boat up the Mount Rose Highway, and the 60-degree swings between a July afternoon and a January morning. If your driving looks like that, use the shorter number.

The grade and type your manufacturer specifies, read from the oil cap and the manual, not from a chart on the wall. We carry conventional, synthetic blend, full synthetic, high-mileage and diesel oils in the common viscosities such as 0W-20, 5W-20 and 5W-30. If your engine calls for something unusual, we tell you before we start rather than substituting.

New oil (up to five quarts for most vehicles), a new oil filter, chassis lubrication where the manufacturer calls for it, a reset of the oil-change reminder light, and a multi-point maintenance check. The check covers the engine air filter, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, washer fluid, tire pressure, wiper blades, headlights and tail lights, plus a look under the hood and under the car. Cabin filter, differential and transfer case checks are done on request.

No. Every service center works on a drive-in basis, first come, first served, and the work is done while you wait. Pull into the bay, a technician meets you at the car, and you are back on the road when the service is finished. Hours are posted on the locations page, and the picker at the top of this site remembers your service center.

Yes, on almost any gasoline engine, and you can switch back later without harm. In AAA's 2017 engine-oil testing, synthetic oils performed an average of 47 percent better than conventional oils across the industry tests they ran. The practical reason to switch in Reno is temperature: synthetic flows better on a 20 F morning and holds up better on a 100 F afternoon. Read the side-by-side comparison if you are deciding.

A little. Our service centers sit between 4,426 and 4,917 feet above sea level (USGS elevation data for the four addresses), and the drive to Tahoe tops 8,900 feet. Thin air, steep grades and a climate with about 65 days a year at 90 F or hotter and 122 freezing nights (NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the Reno airport) are exactly the conditions manufacturers describe as severe service. We do not shorten your interval on our own; we point you to the severe-service column in your manual and let you decide.

High-mileage oil is a conventional or synthetic formula with seal conditioners and extra additives for engines that have a lot of miles on them. It can slow small seepage and reduce burn-off on an older engine. It is not required, and a well-kept engine with high miles can keep running the standard oil the manual lists. If your car uses a quart between changes or leaves a small spot on the driveway, it is worth a conversation in the bay. See high-mileage vs regular oil.

Yes, that is part of the service on every vehicle that has one. If your car uses a maintenance minder that counts miles and engine hours rather than a simple light, we reset that too and put a sticker on the windshield with the next due mileage. Keep the sticker; it is the easiest answer to the question on the next visit.

During the maintenance check we look at coolant, washer fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and transmission fluid where there is a dipstick. We tell you what is low and why it might be low. A fluid that keeps dropping is a sign of something else, and we would rather tell you that than quietly top it off every three months.

We show you. A dirty filter, a cracked wiper or a low fluid gets held up at the window with the reading, and you decide whether to do anything about it today. Nevada's repair law (NRS 487.6875) says any work over fifty dollars comes with a written estimate first, and nothing beyond that estimate happens without your authorization. We follow that for a filter the same way we would for a flush.

All four. Reno Northwest at 6100 Mae Anne Ave and Carson City at 1861 E College Pkwy are open Monday to Friday 8 to 5 and Saturday 8 to 4. Reno South at 4993 Longley Ln is open Monday to Friday 8 to 5 and Saturday 8 to 3. Gardnerville at 1293 US Hwy 395 N is open Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 3. Every service center is closed Sunday.

Yes. Diesel oil changes are on the menu at all four service centers, including the larger oil capacities and filters that a Duramax, Power Stroke or Cummins needs. Tell the technician if you tow regularly or idle a lot, because diesel makers publish shorter intervals for that kind of use, and we will read you the number from your manual.