Like an Olympic sprinter with his head stuck in a stairway banister, vehicle engines desperately need lubrication if they're going to run properly. Oil up with today’s Groupon: for $19, you get a synthetic-blend oil change, including additional automotive checkup services, at Texas Express Lube and Auto in Kerrville (a $39.95 value).

Texas Express Lube and Auto's piston quenchers thwart friction by providing up to five quarts of blended synthetic oil. Car techs sub in crisp new oil filters to handle the motor oil, which is rated at 5W-20 or 5W-30 according to its dating-site profile. A quick checkup surveys the vehicle's fluid levels, lights, and air filters, and an interior vacuuming sucks up crumbs. Before revving back onto roadways, cars ask technicians to grease their chassis so they can travel squeak-free and to check their wiper blades so they can wave hello to raindrops. Customers can upgrade to full synthetic oil for an additional fee.