Oil Depot

There is a Better Way To Save on Gas

As part of our Full Service Oil Change, we will evaluate the following items free of charge that help improve fuel economy:

Tire Pressure Check
Inspect condition of engine air filter
Usage of the proper grade of motor oil
Gas Saving Tips
Here are some gas saving tips that can help you get the most out of every gallon of gas you buy:

Drive Sensibly
Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

Observe the Speed Limit
While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

Remove Excess Weight
Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

Avoid Excessive Idling
Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Use Cruise Control
Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears
When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly
Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car’s air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated
You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil
You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

What are your hours?

We are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. We are closed on Sunday.

Do you do mechanic work?

Yes. We can take care of just about all your vehicle repair needs and save you money at the same time. Click here for more information.

How much is an oil change?

Every vehicle is different therefore the same price does not apply to them all. Click here for more information on our Oil Change prices.

Do you accept Credit Cards?

Yes, we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. We also accept and prefer Debit Cards.

Do I have to take my vehicle back to the dealer for my manufacturer recommended services?

No. Our Oil, Filters, Fluids, and Services we provide meet or exceed your vehicle manufacturers warranty requirements. We keep all your service records on file so if a warranty issue arises, we can provide you with any or all of your service records.

How often should I change my oil?

There are many factors that go into deciding the proper oil change interval for your vehicle. Many vehicle manufacturers are extending the oil change intervals for their vehicles. They will not tell you that one of the main reasons they do this is to lower the consumers “cost of ownership” as it compares to their competitors. They know that their “recommended” service schedule will be sufficient throughout the warranty period, but what happens after that is the consumers concern. See our “Services” section for our recommendations for “proper” vehicle maintenance.

Can I go longer between oil changes if I use synthetic oil?

One of the main functions of motor oil is to remove contaminants and combustion by-products from the engine by holding them in suspension. Although synthetic motor oils are designed to provide better protection under extreme heat and heavy loads, any oil will reach a saturation point where it can no longer hold the contaminants and protect the engine from them. Since many precision synthetic oils are formulated to provide extra protection, they may be just the product to provide better protection for the consumer’s “routine” oil service interval. These oils can offer several performance options over conventional oils, e.g. better resistance against heat degradation-which can result in better deposit control-as well as better flow at colder temperatures-which promotes easier engine start up. Synthetic oils may resist volatility or high temperature expectation better than conventional oil, which can result in less oil consumption, which in turn, helps reduce tail pipe emissions. Synthetic oils also provide a stronger oil film for better lubrication and wear protection under today’s tough driving conditions. But no matter how well these premium oils perform under today’s demanding engine conditions, they still suffer contamination from combustion-contaminants like moisture, carbon, soot, acids, dirt and fuel dilution-just like conventional oils do, particularly under short-trip operation.

Do I need an appointment for an oil change?

No. We take oil changes as they come. Each oil change takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Do you service Motorhomes?

Yes. Our bay doors are 12 feet wide and 14 feet tall so we can easily accomodate large Motorhomes and even 18-wheeler tractors. Please call to make an appointment for these types of vehicles.

Towing & Recovery

Always carry a cell phone with you. That way if you get stranded, help is at your fingertips. Just remember 1-888-PRONTOW and we will come to your rescue. If you are far from home, simply call the local law enforcement and ask them to send you a reputable Towing company.

If your vehicle dies, try to get as far off the right shoulder as possible to stay away from traffic until help arrives. Turn your hazard lights on as well.

What are your hours?

We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How far will you go to tow a vehicle?

We are licensed to go anywhere in the United States.

How much do you charge?

Unfortunately, it depends on the type of vehicle you have, the reason it needs to be towed, where it is being towed from and to, and if it is during normal business hours or after hours. Contact us for a quick price estimate!

Are you a Locksmith?

No. We do not make keys. However, we can unlock your vehicles driver or passenger doors with our specialty tools if your keys are locked inside.

How many passengers can you carry?

We can accomodate up to five passengers. Special request is needed for more than two passengers so the proper tow truck can be dispatched. Passengers are not allowed to ride in the vehicle being towed.

Tunnel Express

Automatic/drive-through car washes are more popular than ever because they save time and hassle. And in winter, they also save you from the ordeal of trying to keep your car clean in freezing weather. Automatic car washes can also be safer for your car’s finish than washing your car yourself because do-it-yourselfers sometimes don’t use enough water to safely remove dirt; or they wash the car in direct sunlight — which can burn spots in the paint. Or they use the wrong type of soap — such as dishwashing detergent, which removes protective wax and leaves a chalky residue on the finish. Or any one of several common mistakes can end up doing more harm than good.

Keeping your car clean and the finish looking good can also mean higher resale value when it comes time to get a new car. All else being equal, a car with faded paint and a dingy overall look sells for 10-20 percent less than an otherwise identical vehicle that just looks nicer.

So how often should you have your vehicle washed? That depends on how quickly it gets dirty — and how dirty it gets. For some cars, once a month or so is sufficient — especially if the car is lightly used and kept in a garage. But some cars will need a bath more often — especially those that are parked outdoors where they’re exposed to bird droppings, tree sap and so on, or driven in areas with very long/severe winters, where the roads are salted when it snows. And lets not forget the worst enemy of all; BUGS! If you wash more regularly, you don’t give any of these harmful contaminants a chance to hang around long enough to cause any damage. That’s where 7 Day Wash Insurance comes in handy. You can get our best wash “The Works” for $7.99 every time. Click here for the details.

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when it comes to automatic car washes:

Be sure it’s “brushless” — Some older car washes still use abrasive brushes (instead of cloth), which can leave small scratches in a car’s finish. On older cars with so-called “single stage” paint jobs, light scratches could usually be buffed out; but all modern cars use a “base/clear” system with a thin, transparent layer of clear coat on top of the underlying color coat to provide the shine. Once the thin clear coat is damaged, often the only way to restore the shine is to repaint the damaged area. Our wash uses professional quality Belanger “soft cloth” equipment that is guaranteed not to harm the finish on ANY vehicle.

Watch out for the after-wash wipe-down — Most drive-through washes, like ours, use powerful blowers to force excess water off after the car goes through the wash. Many full-service car washes will then have you drive the car (or drive it for you, in some cases) away from the wash area to be hand-wiped by attendants. This is usually OK — provided the attendants are using fresh, clean (and soft) towels to do so. Be alert on busy days, when lots of other cars have gone ahead of you. If you see the attendants using obviously dirty old rags to wipe the car down, you should say “thanks, but no thanks” — and drive away wet. Dirt and other abrasives in the rags can scratch the finish just like sandpaper. Simply driving away from the wash and letting air flow over the car to dry any remaining water won’t hurt anything — and is the best guarantee of a no-damage experience. Any lingering streaks can easily be cleaned up at home yourself using readily available spray cleaners designed for just this purpose.

Don’t underestimate the extras — If the wash offers an undercarriage bath, as ours does, it is worth the additional cost. Jets of water sprayed directly underneath the car can break loose accumulated crud that would be difficult (and unpleasant) to try to remove yourself using a garden hose. It’s also important that underbody drainage holes not be obstructed by mud and other buildup; accumulated moisture can accelerate rust or (in the case of the air conditioning system) lead to the formation of mold in the system. The undercarriage bath should help keep those drain holes clear.

Wheel and tire cleaning is one of the big bonuses of the automated wash; the heavy-duty cleaners used by the car wash do a great job of removing baked-on brake dust, etc., that can otherwise be a real chore to clean on your own, using over-the-counter cleaners, a hand brush and a hose. It’s especially important to keep aluminum alloy wheels clean; brake dust can eventually permanently stain them if it’s not regularly cleaned away.

What are your hours?

In the summer, we are open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. In the winter, we are open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Naturally, if the weather is bad or below freezing, we are closed until the weather clears or the temperature reaches at least 32 degrees.

How long does it take?

From the time the roller touches your back tire to take you through the wash, it takes about 3 1/2 minutes to complete. All washes take the same amount of time, the wash you purchase dictates what equipment comes on as you go through.

Will it scratch my paint?

Absolutely not! The Belanger brand equipment we use is guaranteed not to harm the finish on any vehicle. This equipment is used at manufacturing plants and dealerships nationwide such as BMW North America, Daimler/Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corp., Honda Motors America, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan Motors USA, Toyota Motors USA, Volkswagon USA, Volvo, and many more.

Do you accept credit cards?

Yes, we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Any Debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo on them are also accepted.

Do you do detailing?

No. We offer a nice roomy canopy area with self serve vacuum and vending to help you completely detail your vehicle. Click here for details.