Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MARQUETTE -- It's a fact of driving--you need to get your oil changed.

"It's the lifeblood of the car," said Bill Gartner, owner of Pit Stop Quick Lube. "We have multiple customers who have well over 200,000 miles on their vehicles because they have regular oil changes."

Pit Stop Quick Lube is celebrating 25 years of service in the Upper Peninsula. Currently, the Marquette, Escanaba and Ishpeming locations are offering $25 oil changes.

With gas prices hovering just over four dollars, the expense of an oil change may end up helping your bottom line.

"If your motor has to work harder or push its parts through dirty oil, the performance and efficiency will suffer from that," Gartner said.

With so many different makes and models and grades of oil, it can be confusing to figure out when exactly your car is due for a change in oil. The sticker on your windshield may tell you to change your oil after three months, but some auto experts say you could be wasting your money.

The auto experts at Pit Stop Quick Lube say between four and seven-thousand miles for newer cars, and three to five-thousand for older ones.

As winter fast approaches, getting into the routine of regular car upkeep is crucial.

"Cold start-ups are definitely the worst wear and tear on the motor, so using a thinner oil gets to the critical parts of the engine quicker, especially in the colder weather."

For the rest of the week, Pit Stop Quick Lube will be featuring gas give-aways at all of their locations.