Three filters, and most people only change one
An oil change deals with the oil filter. A vehicle has two others that get forgotten, and in a place with this much dust and gravel they fill faster than average.
The engine air filter feeds the engine. Blocked, it restricts airflow, which costs economy and performance and lets the engine work harder than it should.
The cabin air filter feeds the vents. Blocked, it reduces airflow through the heater and the air conditioning, which is why a system that seems weak is sometimes just starved. See A/C service.
Both are quick to check while the vehicle is already in, and both are worth asking about rather than waiting to be told. A vehicle that spends time on unpaved roads is a vehicle whose filters deserve looking at every time.
How often to change the oil
Manufacturers publish two intervals and the national oil change page explains which applies when.
What puts a vehicle on the shorter one is familiar around here: frequent short trips, cold starts, idling, dust, unpaved roads, towing, and carrying weight. Several apply to most vehicles in eastern Idaho, which makes the shorter interval the normal case rather than the exception.
Short trips are harder than long ones
An engine that never reaches operating temperature does not burn off the moisture and combustion byproducts that collect in the oil. They stay there and dilute it.
A few miles each way in winter is almost entirely that kind of running. The oil looks fine on the dipstick while doing less than it should, which is exactly the case a long interval was not written for.
While it is up
Tread depth, tire wear patterns, brake condition, leaks and suspension components are all quick looks with the vehicle already on the lift. The store carries passenger, light truck, trailer and UTV and ATV tires. See scheduled maintenance.
About this store
The Idaho Falls consumer store is managed by Adam Word. Boise and Twin Falls also do oil changes.
See the national oil change page for all 33 locations.