Grand Prix Performance - Costa Mesa, CA

Changing your vehicle's oil is one of the most important things you can do to avoid spending loads of money of problems in the future that sprung from not changing your oil.

There are many factors at work that dictate how often you should be changing your oil like how you drive, the condition and age of the engine, the external environment you drive in, and stop-and-go versus highway driving. Owner's manual recommendations for oil and filter changes vary from 3,000 to 10,000 miles.

We recommend that you change your oil and filter every 5,000 miles. That's our best estimate. For the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe, old age.

You may want to consider changing your oil more frequently if:

• -You drive like a knucklehead: jackrabbit starts, heavy acceleration or high-speed driving
• -You live where the climate is extremely hot or cold
• -You often drive on dirt roads
• -Your engine is old and burns oil
• -You frequently carry heavy loads (several mothers-in-law or other cargo)

Oil undergoes thermal breakdown due to high operating temperature. When this occurs, the oil becomes less effective as a lubricant. And without a good lubricant, parts of the engine rub together and wear each other out. If you don't change your oil frequently, your engine won't last as long as it could. Oil serves many crucial functions, and clean oil performs those functions better than dirty oil. Oil is relatively cheap, and changing your oil every 5,000 miles is a very cheap insurance policy against major repairs down the road.

Grand Prix is your one stop shop for all of your maintenance needs.

Did you know that cooling system failure is the leading cause of mechanical breakdown on the highway? That’s why it is important to maintain the right level of fluids in your radiator. In fact, the same holds true for ALL the fluids in your vehicle. Here is why:

• Engine coolant: Also called antifreeze or radiator fluid, coolant is circulated through your radiator to maintain proper engine temperature. If you do not maintain the right level, your engine can overheat. Coolant helps lubricate your water pump and prevents corrosion in your engine and radiator.

• Brake fluid: The brake system uses fluid to transmit the pressure you apply to the brake pedal to each of the brakes at the wheels. If that fluid is low, so is brake responsiveness.

• Power steering fluid: Your power steering uses a system of belts and pumps to keep the fluid within under pressure. That pressure is what helps you steer the vehicle. When fluid is low, the pressure decreases making steering more difficult.

• Transmission fluid: Whether your car has an automatic or manual transmission, it uses a system of gears to transmit engine power to the wheels. Transmission fluid lubricates those gears and keeps the system running properly.

  As a rule of thumb:

  • Every oil change, or every 3,000 miles, check the engine coolant, brake, power steering, and transmission fluids.

  • Every two years, or every 30,000, completely change your engine coolant and brake fluid.

    You’ve heard the expression, “a well-oiled machine.” Well, maintaining your car’s fluids at their proper level is critical to “greasing its parts” and keeping things running smoothly. Stay hydrated!