Dave's Auto Repair
1911 Bodega Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952 707.763.8365

Engine and Exhaust

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Motor Oil—The Synthetic Advantage (Synthetic oil vs Conventional)

You’ve probably already heard that regular oil changes are extremely important for the health of your vehicle’s engine. That’s sound advice.  But what you might not know is when...
Published on: Feb 16, 2025

Oil Change

An oil change at your local Petaluma, California, auto shop sounds simple, but there are some pretty important things to know about preventing oil sludge.Oil eventually starts to turn into jelly, lite...
Published on: Jul 24, 2023

Simple Answers from Dave's Auto Repair: Synthetic Oil

Question What is synthetic oil, and should I use it? Answer Regular oil, also called conventional oil, comes from dead dinosaurs.  Conventional oil molecules are long hydrocarbon chains of var...
Published on: Jul 26, 2022

The Harm in Skipping an Oil Change

Some new vehicle manufacturers are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than they have in the past. As much as 5,000 to 8,000 miles or more.  Following these recommendations is very ...
Published on: Nov 01, 2021

Change Your Oil, California Drivers!

As engine technology advances, recommended oil change intervals have gotten longer.  High quality oil in a well-engineered engine has led to extended intervals.  Here’s the problem:&n...
Published on: Aug 24, 2020

Dave's Auto Repair Advice on Synthetic Oil

Heard of synthetic motor oil but would like to learn more information?  Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for conventional oil.  Synthetic doesn’t gel or gum-up like conventio...
Published on: Jun 26, 2020

Oil Change

An oil change:  Sounds simple, but there’s some important things to know about preventing oil sludge. Oil eventually starts to turn into jelly.  Literally – petroleum jelly.&nbs...
Published on: Mar 22, 2016

Oil Filter

As your engine runs, dirt gets into the oil.  Oil sludge can also start to build up.  Fortunately, motor oil contains detergents that clean the engine and gather up contaminates.  The o...
Published on: Nov 19, 2015