Oil changes are crucial to prolonging the life of your foreign car. Be sure to stop by and have our Executive Automotive specialists get you taken care of. When it comes to maintenance or service work on a foreign vehicle, many consumers become wary of where they should and shouldn’t take their vehicle. This is for good reason due to the complexity of foreign vehicles and the special care that should be taken when conducting maintenance or repairs.
Oil change franchises train their employees to complete a simple oil change in the most efficient way possible, and in some cases, considerably subpar resources are used to do this. When a consumer rolls into the average oil change company, also more commonly known as a quick lube, there is an idea that the customer needs to be in and out as soon as possible. The processes and methods used to complete this task are generally designed with a simple or average engine in mind.
Generally speaking, most domestic engines are designed to support the most basic level of mechanical understanding, saving the manufacturer money during production. Quick lubes or franchise oil change companies profit from this idea by training their employees to complete steps used to change the oil in most cars, but not all.
Foreign automakers add innovation and ingenuity to their vehicles in order to compete with their domestic opponents and operate in different environments, thus allowing them to charge a higher price for their product. For instance, many European automakers design their vehicles in a way that allows them to travel at high speeds for long periods of time.
In order to do this safely and effectively, foreign automakers add a level of complexity to their engines that may not be understood by the average oil change technician at a franchise oil change place. Just because the technician that works on your vehicle is not aware of the proper way to maintain your vehicle, does not mean they won’t try. We must remember that franchise oil change places are designed to make money in an efficient way.
There are certain steps that should be taken with foreign vehicles in reference to maintenance and repairs that are not taken by oil change technicians either due to lack of knowledge or lack of allowed time. For example, when changing the oil in your average BMW, you must change different rubber seals and then properly synchronize the work performed with the vehicle’s onboard computer. If this is not done properly, then it may affect the longevity and proper function of the car in the future.
Moreover, foreign cars can be pricey, and the amount that you pay to have the service done by a trained and certified technician can be attributed to the level of knowledge and special care taken when completing the required service. The businesses that charge more than franchise oil change places are not looking to make the most money they can off of the consumer but, in most cases, are simply trying to properly service the product with the proper tools and parts. The bottom line is that franchise oil change companies are in it to make money efficiently, and the more expensive, properly trained personnel are in it to do the job properly.