Oil change: how often, which oil to choose and what it costs

How often you really need to change the oil

Manufacturers often quote 15,000 or even 30,000 km, but those figures assume ideal conditions: long motorway runs, a warm climate and clean fuel. Everyday driving in Latvia looks different — short city trips, traffic, cold winter starts and high humidity.

In practice we recommend 8,000–10,000 km for petrol engines, 7,000–8,000 km for diesels with a particulate filter, and no more than 7,000 km for turbocharged cars used on short city trips. If you drive very little, still change the oil once a year: oil ages while parked as condensation and fuel residue build up.

Change it sooner if the oil on the dipstick is black and as thin as water, the engine sounds louder when cold, or you regularly top up more than a litre between services.

5W-30 or 5W-40 — how to choose

The first number with the W (winter) shows how freely the oil flows when cold. Lower is better for winter starts: 0W flows more easily than 5W. The second number is viscosity at operating temperature — 40 is thicker than 30.

The practical rule is simple: always use the specification the manufacturer requires (e.g. VW 504.00/507.00, BMW LL-04, MB 229.51, Dexos2). It is not a marketing sticker — diesels with a DPF need low-SAPS oil, otherwise the filter clogs early and replacing it costs hundreds of euros.

5W-30 is the modern standard for most cars newer than 2010. 5W-40 suits older, higher-mileage engines with more wear or oil consumption. Don't change viscosity on a friend's advice — tell us the make, model and year and we will confirm what is right for your car.

What a mobile oil change includes

We arrive with everything needed — tools, a drain pan, a new sump plug washer and a jack if the car sits low. The service happens at your home, your workplace car park or in the yard.

• Draining the old oil and replacing the sump plug washer
• Oil filter replacement (essential — an old filter ruins fresh oil)
• Filling with new oil to the manufacturer's specification
• Visual check: leaks, belt, hoses, brake pad thickness
• Fluid level check and top-up (washer fluid, coolant)
• Resetting the service interval on the dashboard
• Taking the old oil and filter away for recycling

Prices and what affects them

Labour is 35 € and does not change with how far the mechanic drives within Riga. Materials are separate: engine oil from €30 (4–5 litres of semi-synthetic or synthetic) and an oil filter from €10. Cars needing a specific low-SAPS oil or a large fill (7–8 litres) cost proportionally more.

You can buy the oil and filter yourself and pay only for labour and the call-out. If you leave the purchase to us, we always send you exactly what we plan to bring and confirm the price before buying. No surprises on the invoice: the total is quoted before work starts.