Oil Change & Works Package, Chandler AZ

Crawford’s Auto Repair offers an oil change and works package for customers and businesses from Chandler, Gilbert, Sun Lakes, and nearby areas.

Regular oil changes are part of the standard maintenance of every vehicle. Oil lubricates the engine to reduce friction while the engine is running. This prevents grinding and heat between moving parts which protects them from damage. As the oil gets used over time it can get lower than required operating levels. It can also build up dirt and sludge which is bad for the engine.

What If I Never Change The Oil In My Car?

The short term answer its that your vehicle will not work efficiently, which ultimately costs more than having regular oil changes. The long term answer is that over time you will need more parts replaced, up to and including the entire engine, which definitely costs more than having regular oil changes. An automobile consists of an internal combustion engine, which is really just a series of controlled explosions that move pistons through a range of 2,000 to 5,000 revolutions per minute. That’s a lot of metal surfaces moving very fast across each other, and if it’s not properly lubricated it will break.

Can I Change The Oil At Home?

Yes, if you have the proper tools and materials you can change your own engine oil at home. Crawford’s Auto Repair is often accommodating to the DIY home mechanic; we’ll help you save money whenever we can and hope that you’ll rely on us for the more challenging repairs that you don’t feel comfortable doing. Learn more about choosing the right type of engine oil for your vehicle.

The downside of changing the oil at home is that you don’t get the full works package included which is described below. That means that you should be more conscious about maintaining the rest of the vehicle regularly, not just making sure the oil gets changed.

How Often Does The Oil Need To Be Checked?

The engine oil level and condition should technically be checked every time you fill up the vehicle with fuel. The last time you filled up, you probably didn’t notice that many people with their hoods popped open, checking the oil dipstick. While most people don’t actually do it, it is still the recommendation. The next best option is to at least check it monthly since it may need to be topped off between oil changes. Learn more about how to check engine oil.

How Often Does The Oil Need To Be Changed?

Older vehicles need an oil change about every 3,000 miles. Most modern vehicles have a manufacturer’s recommendation for oil changes at every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. For extremely hot weather conditions like we experience in Arizona and for stop-and-go city driving in Chandler, Gilbert, Sun Lakes and surrounding areas of the East Valley, it’s best to have an oil change about every 5,000 miles for newer vehicles. Of course, these are general guidelines. The exact number for each vehicle is noted in the vehicle owner’s manual. When you get your oil changed at our shop, we’ll leave a discrete sticker on your windshield in the top driver’s side corner that indicates the mileage at which you should return for the next oil change. Learn more about the regular maintenance schedule.

What If I Don’t Drive A Lot, Do I Still Need Regular Oil Changes?

Yes, even if you don’t drive a lot the engine oil becomes less effective with age and it needs to be changed with fresh oil regularly. At a minimum, it should be changed twice a year and that’s for the spare vehicles if you have any (ie. you have 2 drivers in the home, 3 vehicles in the garage, the third vehicle only gets used when a guest is in town or on rare occasions, etc.).

The Oil Change & Works Package:

The Oil Change & Works Package generally includes a standard 5-quart oil change, vehicle fluids check, full safety check, brake check, tire inflation, tire rotation, and test drive.

The test drive is usually first since that may reveal symptoms that are investigated further during the rest of the works package.

The standard 5-quart oil change includes 5 quarts of conventional oil and an oil filter.

The fluids check includes brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, windshield washer fluid, battery fluid, and transmission fluid (where the make and model has practical access). Learn more about vehicle fluids maintenance.

The full safety check includes an inspection of certain vehicle parts and systems to ensure that the vehicle is safe to drive on the road, day or night, and in any weather conditions. It includes exterior lighting, interior lights and gauges, condition of wipers, wiper fluid level, tire condition, and brakes. Brakes are described in more detail in the next paragraph. Learn more about the safety check.

The brake check includes observing any dashboard brake lights that may be illuminated, brake master cylinder, slave cylinders, and brake lines under the hood and leading up to the brakes at the wheels. The vehicle is raised with the wheels removed so all brake parts are inspected. Learn more about brake checks and brake services.

The tire inspection includes inspection of tire tread condition and pressure level. We inflate the tires to the proper levels and rotate the tires with each oil change. If your tires were purchased with a warranty and/or if you have a specific rotation pattern that you prefer then let us know before the service.

This can be adapted if the customer is in a rush and needs their vehicle, but we generally try to do this with every oil change and we often do much of it even when the vehicle is brought in for other reasons. This is to offer high-quality service and ensure that your vehicle is always operating safely and efficiently.

Are there other services besides the standard 5-quart oil change? What if I need more than the usual 5-quart oil change?

Yes, certain makes and models may require synthetic oil or more oil than the usual 5-quarts. The vehicle owner’s manual is always a good reference for this. Any oil change other than the standard 5-quart oil change will usually cost a little more, but if it’s a requirement for the make and model then it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Filters, Fuses, Hoses, Belts

Filters, fuses, hoses, and belts are among the parts of the vehicle that are more subject to degradation from frequent use and weather. If an electrical part of the vehicle is not working then we will test every fuse with a test light, and replace fuses as needed. We would also change light bulbs as needed as these are fairly inexpensive and important for vehicle safety. Upon observation, we often notice that the air filter or cabin filter need to be replaced so we often suggest this with the oil change and works package as needed. Hoses and belts are also suggested as needed on a case-by-case basis, but hose and belt repairs start to become more elaborate based on the make and model of the vehicle.

Why is the price what it is when I see other shops offering it for $15, $20 or $25?

There are some major differences between other shops and Crawford’s Auto Repair. When other shops release coupons for oil changes at these prices, they are selling the service for below-cost and expecting to upsell you on other services. The word “expecting” is a key phrase here. The cost to the shop to provide the oil change is $30 (not including labor). So if they’re advertising a service for less than the cost to provide it then they are expecting to make up for it somewhere else.

We try to respect other shops and often give them the benefit of the doubt, but ultimately Crawford’s Auto was established to specifically be different from the rest of the auto repair industry. We don’t pay our staff by commissions and we never try to sell unnecessary repairs. Constantly chasing the cheapest prices and coupons when having your vehicle serviced can actually cost you more in the long run.

We have very competitive pricing and since it is simple pricing, you can rest assured that you’re getting a good deal every time you bring your vehicle in, not just if you happen to have a coupon. Learn more on the Truth About Coupons.

Will the regular inspections that we do as a matter of proving high-quality service and ensuring that your vehicle is operating efficiently ever reveal that additional work needs to be done? Undoubtedly yes. But we are also different in the way that we approach it. We don’t expect or intend to upsell. We just present the findings to you and tell it like it is. One thing we especially like to avoid is perform a service, miss something else going on and then you have to return to the shop within a couple of days. No one is perfect and that can still happen, but the overall inspections that we do help to avoid that.

Learn more about the Price Match Guarantee.

Call 480-201-0740 To Schedule An Oil Change Today

If your vehicle hasn’t had an oil change in the last 5,000 miles or if you’re approaching a landmark mileage maintenance check at 30,000, 90,000, or 150,000 miles, then schedule an appointment today for an oil change and works package. Call 480-201-0740 to schedule an appointment.