What Else Should I Replace When Getting an Oil Change?

Posted: Jan 16, 2013
Author: Country Town Tire & Auto Service Center

Everyone who has had an oil change by a mechanic knows there are inevitable questions coming: would you like to change your air filter? Your windshield wipers? Transmission fluid? Because some of us never know what to say, here are some guidelines for when to have these parts changed. On your next oil change, you can be confident in knowing whether or not you truly do need replacements.

• Air Filter: When to replace air filters can be difficult to judge. In an oil change, it seems the mechanic always holds up a dirty air filter and says it's time for a new one. If you drive in an urban area, changing an air filter once a year or a little more often will usually be sufficient. If you do a lot of off-road driving, or driving in very dusty areas, you will need to change it more often. The important thing to remember is not to judge just by some dirt on the filter. However, a filter that is clogged with dirt will not function as well and could hurt your gas mileage.
• Windshield Wipers: Windshield wipers are one of the easier parts to judge. Just make sure you test them out before taking your car in for an oil change. Do they work well enough? Are they leaving streaks of water due to tears in the rubber?
• Transmission Fluid: Some car manuals for automatic cars will say that transmission fluid flushes are not necessary. In fact, they are a good idea if the car is approaching somewhere around 100k miles, or if your car has been frequently getting slightly warmer in the engine temperatures.  At too high a temperature, the transmission fluid will oxidize and turn brown; the performance will then decrease. If your car is in good shape and with far less than 100k miles, it is generally not necessary to get a transmission flush with your oil change.