Rockin Mama™

Motherhood, Giveaways and Product Reviews

The Importance of Maintaining Your Vehicle *Giveaway*

Posted by 147 Comments

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Vickie C. Congrats!

I do a lot of driving.  I live in between Los Angeles and San Diego, and inevitably, much of what we do is in one or both of those counties.  Unlike most major cities, public transportation is difficult to rely on as a sole means of getting around.  The cities are spread out and utilizing public transportation would require extra time (instead of saving time) and planning for transfers.  The result is that our cars take a beating.  We still take one of our cars to the dealer for service and I never make it to the suggested time frame for a routine check up and oil change because I’ve exceeded the recommended mileage.

As a woman, I don’t see myself as the person in charge of maintaining my car.  However, my husband works erratic hours and there are times when my car would not get serviced if I didn’t take it in.

The average age of cars/light trucks on the roads today is nine years old (one of our cars is 13 years old, the other is 6 years old).   And it makes sense to say that taking proper care of your vehicle will only lengthen it’s lifetime.  If there was one thing my father taught me about cars, it was to be sure to change the oil regularly.  Motor oil prolongs the life of the engine and improves it’s efficiency.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to take care of your car, visit Motor Oil Matters.  The site was created by Penzoil and Quaker State to serve as a resource to consumers for information on motor oil and why it’s important to your car.  Did you know that…

  • Using a high-quality motor oil in the right grade can help maximize fuel economy
  • Low-quality oils that do not meet industry standards or the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements could cost consumers in the long run by potentially damaging the vehicle’s engine or possibly voiding the manufacturer’s warranty
  • A high-quality motor oil – like Penzoil and Quaker State – is designed to meet the demands of today’s engines

    • The site also has a great Q & A section with information such as how often to change the oil in your car.

    Speaking of oil changes, the car that we no longer service at the dealership is overdue for an oil change…

    Win It! One of you will win a $35 gift card to Jiffy Lube which will cover an oil change!  Simply leave me a comment with one misconception about motor oil you put to the test OR something you learned from the site. Comments will close on June 11, 201o at 11:59 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn. Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

    Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

    Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

    Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

    Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

    Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

    No compensation was received for this post. The review and giveaway gift cards were provided by Jiffy Lube and Penzoil , via MyBlogSpark.

    What motor oil misconception did they have that was put to rest through the site’s info?

    Caryn Bailey
    Latest posts by Caryn Bailey (see all)

    Sharing this!

    147 Responses to The Importance of Maintaining Your Vehicle *Giveaway*

    1. I learned that many automobile manufacturers recommend oils that carry the API Certification Mark (“Starburst”). I didn’t know there was such a thing!

      Reply

    8. What does the “W” stands for in motor oil names?
      •It stands for winter, not weight as many people believe.

      Reply

    22. Synthetic oils are formulated to be fully compatible with engine seals in an engine of any age.

      Reply

    23. I learned that “Some of the motor oil components are consumed sacrificially while doing the job of protecting your engine.”

      Reply

    26. I learned that switching between synthetic and conventional oil will not cause any harm to engines. However, both oils must meet the engine manufacturer’s requirements as listed in the owner’s manual.

      Reply

    28. I learned that synthetic motor oil is better than conventional motor oil and here is why –

      Full synthetic motor oils typically outperform conventional and synthetic blend motor oils in nearly all aspects of engine protection.

      Thank you!

      Reply

    33. Properly functioning motor oils lubricate, clean, cool, seal, and perform other functions in an engine.

      Reply

    35. I always thought that once you put synthetic oil in your car you could never go back to regular. I learned that this was a misconception

      Reply

    39. Switching between synthetic and conventional oil will not cause any harm to engines as long as both individual oils meet the engine manufacturer’s requirements as listed in the owner’s manual.

      Reply

    42. I used to think that changing motor oil did not really matter but now I realize how important it is for the health of the engine!

      Reply

    43. I learned that: “Each vehicle manufacturer tests its own vehicles to determine the proper drain interval.” Which I didn’t know. I thought they were all relatively the same!

      Reply

    46. I learned that the quality of motor oil can be assured by purchasing oil with the API Certification Mark….good to know.
      Thank you. 🙂

      Reply

    55. The average age of cars on the road is 9.4 years. That is younger than the average ages of the cars I’ve had, when I first got them!

      Reply

    57. Carol P Dziuba I used your Share button and posted your giveaway on my Facebook page Carol P Dziuba

      Reply

    60. I learned:The majority of Jiffy Lube service recommendations are based on your owner’s manual.

      Reply

    68. I learned that switching between synthetic and conventional oil will not cause any harm to engines as long as both individual oils meet the engine manufacturer’s requirements as listed in the owner’s manual. Thanks for the chance!

      Reply

    71. I learned I switching between synthetic and conventional oil will not cause any harm to engines as long as both individual oils meet the engine manufacturer’s requirements.

      Reply

    75. I learned that switching between synthetic and conventional oil will not cause any harm to engines.

      Reply

    77. I learned that using a different brand of oil than recommended by your automobile’s manufacturer does not void the warranty. You just have to make sure the oil you use meets the manufacturer’s requirements.

      Reply

    82. If you are a Jiffy Lube Customer and stop in following an oil change,
      they will check and top off your motor oil if needed.

      Reply

    83. I learned that severe use typically includes stop-and-go driving, frequent high-speed driving and short trips. That’s all I do 🙂
      jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com

      Reply

    89. I took the motor oil test and learned I know more then I thought. I scored an 85%! I figured I’d be closer to 10%. LMAO

      Reply

    90. i learned that the W does not mean weight on the bottle. My husband told me it meant weight and that is wrong…can’t wait to brag me new knowledge!

      Reply

    96. i learned the w on oil stands for winter and not not weight like i always thought
      nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net

      Reply

    105. Even I didn’t know that the”W” in an oil’s description meant “winter” and not “weight”

      Reply

    112. I learned that One gallon of used motor oil produces as much as 2.5 quarts of refined lubricating oil.

      Reply

    121. I learned that •The correct oil change interval is the one recommended by the engine manufacturer for your individual driving conditions.It is printed in the vehicle owner’s manual.

      Reply

    139. Thanks for the giveaway…I was always uncertain of the following until I read that: switching between synthetic and conventional oil will not cause any harm to engines as long as both individual oils meet the engine manufacturer’s requirements as listed in the owner’s manual.

      Reply

    142. I learned using a different brand of oil than the one recommended by the manufacturer won’t void your warranty but be sure the oil you use meets the manufacturer’s requirements for use in your engine.

      Reply

    143. One misconception is that people believe the “w” stands for weight when actually it is for winter

      ardy22 at earthlink dot net

      Reply

    Leave a Reply