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I just wanted to see what you think Eric and anyone on the forum when doing oil changes do you go to oil change place or do it yourself I think having a oil change place do it costs about the same as you doing it yourself and don’t the oil change place stick a hose down where your dip stick goes to suck the oil out does it really get all the oil out do you think doing oil changes yourself is better.
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I’m going to start doing them myself. IT just makes more sense to take care of your own car. PLus oil changes are one of the most important maintenance tasks you can do and all for very cheap.
[quote=”brian52799″ post=111963]I just wanted to see what you think Eric and anyone on the forum when doing oil changes do you go to oil change place or do it yourself I think having a oil change place do it costs about the same as you doing it yourself and don’t the oil change place stick a hose down where your dip stick goes to suck the oil out does it really get all the oil out do you think doing oil changes yourself is better.[/quote]
Come on… you have to know what the answer to this is one.
Anyway, I’ve always changed my own oil, even though at times it has cost me more to do so. But when I do it… I get the exact oil I want… the exact filter I want… AND I never cross-thread or strip the drain plug.
Some of the new vehicles I cannot see anyone doing it themselves. When one needs special equipment just to change the oil. (I’m not talking filter wrenches here) Some of the new cars and trucks make me want to give a steel toed boot enema to the engineer who designed it.
Big advantage to DIY is it gives you a chance to check out other stuff – water pump weep hole, hoses, leaks, CVs or U joints, all that. The shop guy on flat rate doesn’t have time for that, he’s on the clock.
I always do it myself. That way I can pick what oil and viscosity I want and make sure it is done right. I really don’t trust others with my vehicles so I do most everything myself. I have heard horror stories from quicklube places such as Jiffy Lube where the “techs” change the filter and drain the oil but don’t fill the crankcase back up and the engine seizes. Another horror story I heard was Walmart where a mechanic left a rag in the oil fill and it got wrapped around the cam and destroyed it. I don;t mean to bash those places, but they don’t exactly have a good track record.
[quote=”DBFSubs21!” post=112035]Big advantage to DIY is it gives you a chance to check out other stuff – water pump weep hole, hoses, leaks, CVs or U joints, all that. The shop guy on flat rate doesn’t have time for that, he’s on the clock.[/quote]
Exactly this. For me, changing the oil entails a lot more than changing the oil. It’s also the time I have allotted to general vehicle inspection and maintenance. I’m checking belts, hoses, filters, all other fluid levels… etc. I catch a lot of stuff early during oil changes.
As far as it being more difficult to do on newer cars, it really depends on the car. Unfortunately a lot of automakers are moving towards installing “maintenance required” or “oil monitoring” idiot lights to the console. So sure, you can physically change the oil, but if you don’t have a scan tool than can reset the light… you’re S.O.L.
I have been going to the quick Lube places because I don’t have the tools to do the job I don’t have jack stands pan to put old oil in tool to take oil filter off I need to buy them tools can’t afford it right now I think the quick Lube places suck the oil out and recycle the old oil does that mean they put recycled oil back in I haven’t has any bad experiences yet from going to the quick Lube places I was hoping to get a response from Eric on this topic
[quote=”McWicked” post=112044][quote=”DBFSubs21!” post=112035]Big advantage to DIY is it gives you a chance to check out other stuff – water pump weep hole, hoses, leaks, CVs or U joints, all that. The shop guy on flat rate doesn’t have time for that, he’s on the clock.[/quote]
Exactly this. For me, changing the oil entails a lot more than changing the oil. It’s also the time I have allotted to general vehicle inspection and maintenance. I’m checking belts, hoses, filters, all other fluid levels… etc. I catch a lot of stuff early during oil changes.
As far as it being more difficult to do on newer cars, it really depends on the car. Unfortunately a lot of automakers are moving towards installing “maintenance required” or “oil monitoring” idiot lights to the console. So sure, you can physically change the oil, but if you don’t have a scan tool than can reset the light… you’re S.O.L.[/quote] I agree 100%. V belts, hoses, manual tranny oil, differential oil, air filter, etc. etc the list goes on. And I have noticed some manufacturers such as BMW have actually removed the oil dipstick altogether and like you said “oil monitoring systems” that electronically check oil level. It’s absolutely crazy to eliminate dipsticks from a mechanics point of view but as Eric said in his nonservicable parts video “every dipstick eliminated adds pennys to the manufacturers bottom line and it adds up.”
(This will be a long one) Since I had my first vehicle, 3 years ago almost, a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, The second day I had it, I replaced the oil, but knew Nothing about cars. I took it to jiffy lube. On the way home, my car shut off. Turns out they didn’t put oil in. I towed it back, they charged me for Another oil change. Then forgot to install a new filter, and tried charging me yet again for another change, and decided to check everything before I left, and asked who did my change. Turns out, 4 different people did my car maintenance and didn’t keep track of who had done what and assumed stuff was taken care of. So I decided to do my own. Ever since, I have Always changed my oil, amongst other things as I have learned. When other people do your car work, you don’t always have ways of KNOWING it was done right, so all you have is a word of trust to go by. Personally… if I don’t already know how to do something, I read about it and learn how to do it so I can do it myself. I realized I enjoy cars. So to answer your question, if you want to try to save money and have a good idea of your cars condition, I would change my own oil. It’s worth it in the long run. Plus, you KNOW what’s being put in your car, and you KNOW how it’s being done. My opinion 🙂
[quote=”Hemikid1994″ post=112063](This will be a long one) Since I had my first vehicle, 3 years ago almost, a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, The second day I had it, I replaced the oil, but knew Nothing about cars. I took it to jiffy lube. On the way home, my car shut off. Turns out they didn’t put oil in. I towed it back, they charged me for Another oil change. Then forgot to install a new filter, and tried charging me yet again for another change, and decided to check everything before I left, and asked who did my change. Turns out, 4 different people did my car maintenance and didn’t keep track of who had done what and assumed stuff was taken care of. So I decided to do my own. Ever since, I have Always changed my oil, amongst other things as I have learned. When other people do your car work, you don’t always have ways of KNOWING it was done right, so all you have is a word of trust to go by. Personally… if I don’t already know how to do something, I read about it and learn how to do it so I can do it myself. I realized I enjoy cars. So to answer your question, if you want to try to save money and have a good idea of your cars condition, I would change my own oil. It’s worth it in the long run. Plus, you KNOW what’s being put in your car, and you KNOW how it’s being done. My opinion :)[/quote] Amen Brother! These places nowdays can’t even work on a truck like mine unless they have old school techs that know how to do more than just plug a computer into the OBD port. They also gotta know how to drive stick! I always use 15w-40 diesel dino oil that no place would even consider using but my truck needs the zinc additive in it for the tappets and cam. Not many oils have ZDDP in it anymore.
I’m in the pro-DIY camp. I get some form of satisfaction (probably not uncommon on this forum) from changing it myself, although I’ve the service performed few times when the temperature was below zero and I didn’t feel like dealing with the winter mess in an unheated garage, or the car was already in the shop for another repair and the oil change was due. However, I can see how someone else may view it as an unpleasant chore. Different paths, similar result.
The last time I took my car in to a quick oil change place, the out-the-door price for a conventional oil change (with coupon) was more than a DIY change with synthetic. One of the auto parts chains periodically has “oil change specials” for a variety of oil and filter brands.
The time spent is about the same. It takes me about thirty minutes to change the oil, which is about the same amount of time I would spend at a quick change place. Plus, I know the crush washer was replaced and the plastic shield was reinstalled.
Tangent: I remember reading about a start-up where someone would pick your car from your home or office, take it to a quick change place, stand in line, have the services performed, and then return it. The price was fairly steep, but they had enough users to make it viable (if I remember correctly).
Once I get tools to do it myself I will reading the comments on here there is some good tips I just started this year wanting to work on my own car I even thought about going to school to be a mechanic but how these new cars are now it might be more trouble than its worth
[quote=”brian52799″ post=112048]I have been going to the quick Lube places because I don’t have the tools to do the job I don’t have jack stands pan to put old oil in tool to take oil filter off I need to buy them tools can’t afford it right now…[/quote]
If you don’t mind me asking, what are you paying to get your oil changed?
I ask, because it’s the extremely low prices advertised by the big chain shops that scares me away. The local Jiffy Lube regularly offers their “Signature Service” oil change for $19.99 with a coupon. That allegedly gets you:
*5 quarts of “quality” motor oil
*Oil filter
Plus check & fill of the following:
*Tire pressure
*Transmission/transaxle fluid
*Differential fluid
*Transfer case fluid
*Power steering fluid
*Windshield washer fluid
Plus inspection of:
*Brake fluid
*Belts
*Wiper blades
*Coolant
*Filters
*Exterior lights
*Chassis (lube when applicable)
*Clean windows
*Vacuum the carpetAs a DIYer, a NAPA Gold oil filter would blow over half of that $19.99 budget all on its own. The basic math just doesn’t work. There’s no way you can be getting quality oil, filter, all of that service, AND have them turn a profit for $19.99. What you’re really getting is crappy oil, and a kid who “pencil whips” the check boxes on the inspection sheet.
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