My nephew is three and likes to stop and see Aunt Debbie at work, mainly because I carry him out to the bays and he looks at the ‘cars in the air.’ Last time he was in, one of the technicians was performing an oil change on a vehicle, and Jack asked me what he was doing. I told him, but he wanted to know what oil was. I explained to him that it was essentially car blood – not the most technical description but pretty accurate. I explained how oil lubricates the engine and becomes dirty, so the oil and filter need to be changed regularly. Similarly, your body uses the kidney, liver and spleen to filter your blood, but your body “cleans” them automatically. Your car is dependent on you for this necessary function. Car manufacturers have many specifications and recommendations so it’s important to follow these. Although using synthetic oil for an oil change is more expensive, deciding to use conventional oil to save some money is not usually a good decision. Down the road, the cost of engine-related problems far exceeds the cost of the correct oil change. If you were in the emergency room and needed a blood transfusion, you would hope they would use the correct blood type. You’d also expect the doctors to know the correct type of blood you required. You wouldn’t ask if you could save money by using a different blood type. Having your oil changed by a technician who knows the requirements for your particular make of vehicle is important. I’m sure I’ll get a call from my sister if Jack sees oil on the ground and tells someone that a car is bleeding.