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Sweet! Oil Can Henry’s in College Place Honored for Exceptional Customer Service

Oil Can Henry's in College Place, WAWe’re excited to announce that Oil Can Henry’s in College Place, WA, has been honored for its exceptional customer service!

\nOwner Sid West and his team of friendly, trained technicians were recognized at the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 6th Annual Business Awards Showcase on September 19. A story about the awards in the local Union-Bulletin newspaper included the following:\n\nSweet Service Awards, sponsored by Sykes: Oil Can Henry’s. The award recognizes a business or nonprofit organization with exceptional customer service through all aspects of sales. There are no waiting rooms at Oil Can Henry’s. As part of its business model, operators tend to customers in the comfort of their own vehicles with a free newspaper while technicians service vehicles with oil changes and other preventive maintenance. The College Place center, a franchise of the business formed in 1978, installed special air filling equipment so technicians can fill any spare tire to which they have access while servicing vehicles. This feature was added after technicians noticed customers’ spares were routinely low or flat. The service has since been adopted by other service centers.\n\nCongratulations to Sid and his hard-working team. You make all of us at Oil Can Henry’s proud!

NHTSA Investigating Potential Nissan Versa Air Bag Problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a potential problem with air bags in the 2012 Nissan Versa. According to reports, a damaged cable assembly cable could prevent the air bag from deploying in a crash.\n\n”Such investigations can lead to recalls,” CBS MoneyWatch notes. “The Versa has not been recalled so far.” The NHTSA says it has received no reports of failures.

Do Volkswagens and Toyotas Require Synthetic Oil to Maintain Their Warranties?

Castrol EDGE with SYNTEC Power Technology\n\nMany Volkswagen and Toyota owners – particularly those with 2010 or newer vehicles – are confused as to the type of oil they must use to maintain their vehicles’ warranties. Specifically, some don’t understand why an oil change provider will decline to put conventional oil into their vehicle’s engine.\n\nThis comes as no surprise to us because, in quite a few cases, neither Volkswagen nor Toyota state in writing that synthetic or synthetic blend oil is required to maintain the warranty, even though the owner’s manual specifies an oil standard or weight that is not available as a conventional oil.\n\nVolkswagen, which introduced its own oil standards in the 1990s, states the following regarding recent model year vehicles:\n

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  • 2001-2012 gas engines use only engine oil meeting Volkswagen standard 502.00;
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  • 2004-2006 diesel engines use only engine oil meeting Volkswagen standard 505.01; and
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  • 2007-2012 diesel engines use only engine oil meeting Volkswagen standard 507.00.
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\nThere is no conventional oil that meets the 502.00, 505.01 or 507.00 specifications, but Volkswagen and its dealers seem reluctant to tell drivers that. Our centers carry Castrol synthetic oils that meet the 502.00 and 505.01 standard; if your vehicle requires 507.00 standard, we recommend you contact your neighborhood Oil Can Henry’s in advance to see if they carry an oil that meets that standard or if they can arrange to have it when you do visit.\n\nToyota, beginning with the 2010 model year, changed the recommended oil weight for most of its vehicles from 5w-30 and 5w-20 to 0w-20. The 0w-20 is not available as a conventional motor oil; it’s only available as a synthetic blend or, more commonly, a full synthetic. Why? 0w-20 can’t be made from conventional-based motor oil because conventional oil can’t naturally flow well at low temperatures. (Learn more about oil viscosity below.)\n\nThe good news is that Oil Can Henry’s centers offer a variety of oils in 0w-20 weight, including:\n

\nSo, Volkswagen and Toyota owners who want to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations for their vehicles should refer to the owner’s manual to find the specific oil weight or spec. In many cases, that oil is 0w-20 and requires the purchase of a synthetic blend or full synthetic oil change.\n\n \n\nHOW WE PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE\nTo protect our customers and their vehicles, it’s our policy to use only an oil that meets manufacturer warranty requirements if that vehicle is under warranty. If a vehicle is out of warranty and a customer asks to use an oil that does not meet the manufacturer requirements, we’ll do so but will make a notation to that effect in the vehicle service history.\n\n \n\nMORE ABOUT OIL VISCOSITY\n0w-20 and 5w-30 represent levels of oil viscosity, which relates to how the oil flows at different temperatures. The lower the number, the thinner the oil is and the more easily it will flow.\n

5w-30

\nThe first number (to the left of the dash) indicates the viscosity of the oil when at a cold temperature, the w stands for winter and the second number (to the right of the dash) indicates the viscosity at a higher temperature, including when the engine is at its standard operating temperature.\n\nMulti-grade oils such as 0w-20, 5w-20 and 5w-30 are designed to perform well in low and high temperatures. That said, a 0w-20 oil is going to flow at a better rate in cold temperatures than a 5w-20, and, at operating temperature, 0w-20 and 5w-20 will flow at the same rate.\n\nIn the end, it’s best to use the oil viscosity specified in your owner’s manual because each engine will perform best when using the oil for which it was designed.\n\nUsing the right motor oil is an important way to:\n

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  • Lubricate and protect engine parts;
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  • Prepare engines for extreme weather;
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  • Reduce engine wear and friction; and
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  • Start engines up more easily.
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\nWant to learn more? Our friends at Castrol are a fantastic resource of motor oil knowledge. Visit the Castrol website to learn more about motor oil and to learn how to read the American Petroleum Institute (API) seal that appears on all oil bottles.

Happy 20th Anniversary to Oil Can Henry’s in Sammamish!

Oil Can Henry's in Sammamish is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this AugustMany Oil Can Henry’s service centers enjoy a long history in the communities they serve. But the case of our Sammamish center is particularly unique. You see, the center is seven years older than the city it calls home.\n\nWin Maynard opened his Oil Can Henry’s service center on 228th Avenue N.E. in 1992, when the unincorporated area 21 miles east of Seattle was known to many as simply, “the plateau”.\n\nWhen the city was incorporated seven years later, citizens chose the name Sammamish, which had been the informal name for the community. Although there’s some disagreement as to what Sammamish means – the Sammamish Heritage Society says it’s a Native American name derived from samma (“the sound of the blue crane”) and mish (“river”) – there’s no arguing that it’s a wonderful area.\n\nLast year, Sammamish was honored with a #15 ranking on Money magazine’s Best Places to Live 2011 list. The magazine lavished praise on the community, writing, “If you’re looking for the Pacific Northwest ideal – snow-capped mountains and scenic lakes – Sammamish might be for you. Puget Sound and ski resorts are both an hour from this affluent Seattle suburb. High-tech employers in the area include Boeing, Amazon, and Microsoft, which is headquartered just 15 minutes away.”\n\nCongratulations to Win and his hard-working crew on two decades of earning drivers’ trust. Here’s to another successful 20 years!\n\nTen other Oil Can Henry’s centers join Sammamish in celebrating August anniversaries:\n\n• Boise, ID – 2 years (August 19)\n• Eugene-W. 11th Avenue, OR – 4 years (August 8)\n• Kingman, AZ – 17 years (August 1)\n• Lincoln City, OR – 14 years (August 22)\n• Oakley, CA – 9 years (August 8)\n• Seaside, OR – 7 years (August 13)\n• Tigard, OR – 18 years (August 22)\n• Woodburn, OR – 15 years (August 18)\n• Woodland, WA – 11 years (August 6)\n• Yakima-River Road, WA – 13 years (August 17)

Cabin Air Filter: How Clean is the Air Inside Your Car?

Is there a musty smell to the interior of your car? Are your allergies aggravated when you drive? Does little or no air flow through your defrost vents? The culprit may be a clogged cabin air filter.\n\nDon’t be embarrassed if your first response was, “What’s a cabin air filter?” Most drivers know their vehicle has an air filter that prevents dirt and other contaminants from entering the engine, but many people have no idea their vehicle also has a cabin air filter. In fact, according to the Car Care Council, about 30 million vehicles in North America have cabin air filters and many of those vehicles’ owners don’t even know it. As a result, there are a lot of vehicles on the road with dirty and clogged cabin air filters.\n\nWhen a vehicle is in motion or its ventilation system is in use, impurities from the outside air are vented into the vehicle cabin. These impurities can build up inside the vehicle and create an unhealthy mix of pollen, pollutants, dust, and gases. In fact, pollen and harmful substances inside a vehicle can be up to six times more concentrated than outside. Rolling down your window doesn’t solve this problem.\n\nA cabin air filter protects you and your passengers by removing pollen, dust, bacteria, exhaust, mold spores, and other contaminants from the air that circulates through your vehicle’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. This is particularly beneficial for people who suffer from allergies.\n\nIf a dirty or clogged cabin air filter is not replaced, it can cause musty odors in the vehicle and may even cause corrosion damage to the vehicle’s heating and air conditioning system. A dirty or clogged cabin air filter can also cause contaminants to become so concentrated in the cabin that passengers actually breathe in more pollen, fumes and particles when riding in the vehicle than they would walking down the street.\n\nIf your vehicle is model year 2000 or newer, there’s a very good chance it’s equipped with a cabin air filter. To check, refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual.\n\nVehicle manufacturers recommend that you check your cabin air filter frequently and replace it as needed. Many recommend replacing the filter every 15,000 miles.  Oil Can Henry’s offers Cabin Air Filter replacement for most vehicles.

Oil Can Henry’s Centers Celebrating July Anniversaries

Oil Can Henry's - Keizer, OregonNine Oil Can Henry’s service centers are celebrating July anniversaries!\n\nThe Keizer Oil Can Henry’s center was the first in the greater Salem area when it opened 23 years ago on July 5, 1989. Today, it’s one of four centers providing drivers with the thorough service and great value for which Oil Can Henry’s is famous.\n\nNestled in Oregon’s scenic Willamette Valley and just north of the state capital, the city of Keizer is home to more than 36,000 residents, minor league baseball’s Keizer Volcanoes (an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) — and a lot of Iris flowers (the city is recognized as the “Iris Capital of the World”). We’re proud to serve the residents of this wonderful community.\n\nOther centers celebrating July anniversaries are:\n

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