Hybrid cars are basically a combination of regular gasoline-powered cars and electric-powered cars. Since they are not totally run on electrical battery power, hybrid cars have gasoline engines in them just like gasoline cars. However, hybrid cars do not use as much gasoline because they use electrical power when the driving conditions do not require a lot of engine power.
For instance, when you drive around your city or town at lower speeds, you don’t need as much driving power. Instead of wasting gasoline on this kind of driving, the hybrid car uses electrical power as an alternative. This promotes an environmentally friendly way of driving because you’re not consuming gasoline as much. Not only that, but it’ll save you money at the gas pump too.
Do not make the mistake of neglecting your hybrid car engine because it still needs oil changes and maintenance just like any other engine. The good news is that you won’t need oil changes as often if you’re mostly doing in-town driving each day. The electric battery power eases a lot of the stress that is normally placed on gasoline engines. Therefore, gasoline engines are not used as frequently while driving on the streets.
Even if your engine isn’t running as much, its oil can still get old. If you’ve left the same oil in there for 6 months, then it is time to change it. As for the mileage, most hybrid car manufacturers will recommend that you get an oil change every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. But you can probably get away with waiting for 7,000 miles until the next oil change if you’re using synthetic oil. The cost of a synthetic oil product is about $50, while crude oil is about $20. There is no much of a price difference when you think about all the benefits that synthetic oil will give you.
Maintenance Tips
There are really no special maintenance tips for a hybrid vehicle. If you already know how to maintain a gasoline-powered car, then this shouldn’t be that much different. On the other hand, if you’re used to having an auto shop handle the maintenance tasks of your vehicle, then you might find it more difficult to find a service person that can perform these tasks on a hybrid vehicle. Even though hybrid vehicles have been around for a while, they are still considered rather rare in comparison to the gasoline vehicles. The only place you can get maintenance service for a hybrid vehicle is the dealership where you purchased it.
Of course, you can perform the basic maintenance tasks yourself. You can fill your tires with air, refill washer fluid, check the oil level, check battery power level, change tires, and other minor tasks like these. Although, after you’ve reached over 80,000 miles on your engine, your electric motor has brushes which may need to be replaced. The cost shouldn’t be more than $100 at the dealership. Also, if your suspension needs to have its shocks replaced, this is a big job that’ll require a professional too.
Read also:
- 5 Best Synthetic Oils for a Car Diesel Engines
- 5 Best Car Oil Filters for Synthetic Motor Oil
- 5 Best Motor Oils for High Mileage Car Engines
Hybrid Car Costs
People assume that hybrid cars cost over $30,000. While hybrid cars may have been considered luxury vehicles at one point, there are some very economically priced hybrid cars available on the market. In fact, the cheapest hybrid car available right now costs only $20,000. Of course, if you have the money for a more luxurious hybrid car, you could go and spend upwards of $100,000 on it. But if you’re like most people on a budget, you’ll see $20,000 as a better option for yourself. Then just choose the synthetic oil option whenever you need to change the engine oil.
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