As motor oil prices spike, drivers may be tempted to push back an oil change in hopes costs will come down. However, experts say skipping the service could cost much more in the long run. Dmitry Lytovchenko, owner operator of Star Auto Service in central Edmonton, said he was told a few months ago by his suppliers that motor oil prices were going to increase by about 20 per cent across the board. He said he had to raise his prices and he isn’t the only one. “This is going to affect all the shops and it’s going to cause a price increase across the board everywhere,” he said. “It just passes the cost to the consumer.” While it might be tempting to save money by delaying oil changes, choosing cheap products or going to back-yard mechanics, Lytovchenko says it can backfire. “Then we have to pick up the pieces and fix the cars after,” he said. “It’s cheaper to spend a little bit of money on an oil change than to spend thousands on engine rebuilds, or engine replacements or major work like that,” he added. Dustin Gagnon, chair of automotive service programs at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology said supply chain problems are driving up the cost of motor oil. Because oil changes are not a “huge revenue generator” for businesses, Gagnon said it’s hard for businesses to absorb added costs. “The margins aren’t very big,” Gagnon said. “So when the price of the supplies and materials goes up, the price of the service has to go up.” Gagnon said the large number of highly-refined additives make motor oil prices distinct from crude oil, despite using the same base materials. So, even if oil prices fall, motor oil could remain more expensive for quite some time. “The price of the additives that are going into motor oil are going to be the same, following the same pattern. So they could still be expensive,” Gagnon said, adding that it’s important drivers follow the service intervals set by their vehicle’s manufacturer. “You might save a little bit of money now … but in the long run, especially if you’re planning on keeping your vehicle for a long time, it’s going to cost you more money with more cost of repairs later on,” he said. If you want to save some money with a do-it-yourself oil change, Gagnon said you can look up the grade and certification of motor oil you need in your vehicle’s owners manual. “You don’t necessarily have to buy the most expensive oil or the highest perceived quality. You just need to find whatever meets your certification,” he added. Driver Conrad Santa said, with everything getting more expensive, he is open to learning how to change his own oil – though that does present its own challenges. “If I do it on my own, I might mess up things because I’m not trained how to do this,” Santa said. “At the end of the day, we just have to suck up the cost. But we hope things will change soon.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti
