The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: Michread on May 29, 2015, 01:00:38 PM
-
Is it worth it to buy the equipment to do our own oil change (jack, etc)? Dh says it's not worth it, and he will not do it. It maybe worth it if our young adult sons do it; they have a lifetime of car ownership ahead of them. And they could learn on our cars now.
-
I have done mine for ever. It costs me about $25-30 for synthetic here, a shop charges about $75-80. Worth it for me. I also know that everything has been done correctly and have some control over the other maintenance items at the same time... such as greasing the wheel bearings.
-
It's definitely worth it! It takes about 15-20 minutes (double that the first time) and allows you to see potential problems before they become big problems. If you run synthetic you'll save $50 per change (probably save $15-20 over conventional oil). Finally, you know it was done right and aren't pushed on the bogus up-sells that many quickie-lube type places thrive on.
-
Definitely worth it and the equipment really isn't that expensive.
Rather than buying a jack, consider buying ramps. I personally feel safer crawling under the car when it's on ramps.
-
I buy 2 changes worth of supplies at a time. Cuts my lookup/purchase time in half. I do both cars at the same time despite slightly different milages. Changes take a fraction of the time it would take at a shop and +1 for no upsell. Old oil gets funneled back into oil jugs and dropped off for recycling when a big enough batch builds up.
-
Definitely worth it and the equipment really isn't that expensive.
Rather than buying a jack, consider buying ramps. I personally feel safer crawling under the car when it's on ramps.
I hear "jacks" and "ramps" a lot. Unless your car is super low to the ground... you probably need neither. Your catch pan is just too tall.
-
Definitely worth it and the equipment really isn't that expensive.
Rather than buying a jack, consider buying ramps. I personally feel safer crawling under the car when it's on ramps.
Never, EVER crawl under a car that is only on a jack. ALWAYS use jack stands. Give the car a good jerk first too before going under it.
I have started doing the oil myself. I buy the oil at walmart (by far the cheapest place to get oil) and get the filter from Amazon or add it to a RockAuto order for something else.
-
I don't need jacks or ramps. I can fit underneath enough to change the oil. It is kinds tight, but I make it work
-
Definitely worth it and the equipment really isn't that expensive.
Rather than buying a jack, consider buying ramps. I personally feel safer crawling under the car when it's on ramps.
I hear "jacks" and "ramps" a lot. Unless your car is super low to the ground... you probably need neither. Your catch pan is just too tall.
This is correct for most cars out there. We have a CRV and there is barely room to get the job done, but once you do it a few times, it becomes pretty routine. As for it being worth it, hell yea it is. I can do the job in roughly twenty minutes and using Mobil One full synthetic and a decent filter, it's less than $32 bucks.
It doesn't matter to me if that's cheaper than having it done by a "professional", even if it isn't. The issue is that there are far too many places that can't seem to do this simple job well, and consistently correct. I was on the road last winter, and didn't have tools with me, so I went to a dealer. The cost of a change was less than I pay for parts. Issue #1. They barely had the keys in their grimy little paws and they are giving me a heart to heart talk about how my tires needed to be changed ASAP. Nice try, but pure bullshit. they in fact lasted another four months, until they were worn out according to the tire manufacturer. I also got far better tires, for less money at an independent shop. Issue #2, they have the vehicle in the shop and are crawling all over it, looking for more work to perform. They now have their grimy little nose pickers in the engine and behind the glove box, hoping to find dirty cabin air and engine filters. I change them once a year for about $30. They want $70 to change filters that are still CLEAN. I tell them to quite jerking around, and do what I came in for. I later had to reassemble the glove box correctly. Finally, as I'm about to pay, there is a bullshit "shop fee" on the bill for $8. I refuse to pay it. I check the car later and it's got 5-3/4 Quarts of oil. The thing should have 4-1/2. I'm on vacation, but have to dump the excess oil into a Tupperware container I found, to correct the problem. None of this is anything out of the ordinary when you pay to have your car "serviced" these days.
That's why I really prefer to do my own work on all of my stuff.
-
I'm in the DIY camp as well.
I typically purchase my oil and filters on Amazon (prime membership) unless I can find them cheaper locally (not too often unless on sale).
I just did oil/filter changes on three vehicles for about what I'd pay for one at Jiffy Lube. Yes, I have to dispose of the oil but I've got a 3 gallon jug I empty at Walmart when it gets full.
I use a hydraulic jack, two stands, a creeper, and a container to capture the used oil. I have to lift my daughter's and wife's car to get under them. I can get under my truck just fine. I typically rotate tires at the same time.
-
Is it worth it to buy the equipment to do our own oil change (jack, etc)? Dh says it's not worth it, and he will not do it. It maybe worth it if our young adult sons do it; they have a lifetime of car ownership ahead of them. And they could learn on our cars now.
If your husband doesn't want to do it, then it isn't worth it. It is a dirty job, you have to safely dispose of the used oil, and maybe he has zero mechanical skills.
That said, I change my own and for me it is worth it.
-
I did when I used to change the oil every 5,000km, but if I'm following the normal 10-15,000km service intervals, I take it to a shop (I did with my last car). That way they can notice things on the car that I wouldn't.
A service is about more than just changing the oil. I know it's not Mustachian, but if a couple of hundred bucks once a year means a shop notices something with the brakes or suspension that I don't notice before it lets go, it's worth it to me.
That said, changing the oil oneself is pretty easy, I used to use ramps for it and kept another empty oil bottle for the stuff from the sump.
-
I did when I used to change the oil every 5,000km, but if I'm following the normal 10-15,000km service intervals, I take it to a shop (I did with my last car). That way they can notice things on the car that I wouldn't.
A service is about more than just changing the oil. I know it's not Mustachian, but if a couple of hundred bucks once a year means a shop notices something with the brakes or suspension that I don't notice before it lets go, it's worth it to me.
That said, changing the oil oneself is pretty easy, I used to use ramps for it and kept another empty oil bottle for the stuff from the sump.
I think this might be true if you are taking your car to a real mechanic for an oil change -- which is going to cost a little more.
If you're going to a quicky oil change, you're likely to get a high school kid that isn't going to look for anything else -- but will be much cheaper in comparison.
-
I did when I used to change the oil every 5,000km, but if I'm following the normal 10-15,000km service intervals, I take it to a shop (I did with my last car). That way they can notice things on the car that I wouldn't.
A service is about more than just changing the oil. I know it's not Mustachian, but if a couple of hundred bucks once a year means a shop notices something with the brakes or suspension that I don't notice before it lets go, it's worth it to me.
That said, changing the oil oneself is pretty easy, I used to use ramps for it and kept another empty oil bottle for the stuff from the sump.
In many cases you are suffering from a totally false sense of security here in North America, if you think that the shop you go to is performing a wonderful, "Fifty point check" or some other bullshit. Chances are they have a guy who can barely tie his shoes, slinging new oil into your car, and getting paid a bit over minimum wage to do so. He does a half assed job of actually changing the oil, then blows through the list, and checks all kinds of things off that claims to have diligently inspected, but hasn't even looked at in the last hundred cars.
My kid is an engineer and supervisor in a small, family owned oil services (fracking)company. He just had a year old, $75K F550 truck end up with a totally shot front end. It had 20K on the ODO, and was in the dealership for lube and oil service four times. Every time it was "serviced" the "tech" checked off having lubing all of the front suspension fittings, and a few dozen other things he never did. The nearly new truck now needs thousands of dollars of repairs, since there hasn't been a grease gun within ten yards of it, since it left the factory. The best part was that my kid got a speech from the service writer about how it was HIS fault for not maintaining his vehicles, since they have to be lubed on a regular basis. The guy was a bit shocked to see a pile of invoices showing that his own pack of idiots not only failed to do the work, but lied about it.
If you talk to any real dealer mechanics, they all have stories of having to do tires, bearings, CV joints, batteries and other work on recently sold "factory certified" used vehicles. These cars are typically sold as thoroughly inspected and come with a fancy checklist, signed off by the clown that inspected everything on the 100+ item list. Problem is that a lot of these underpaid knuckle-draggers just glance at the overall condition of the car, take it for a quick drive, then check off all the boxes. I really pissed of a salesman when looking at a used car for one of my kids. I demanded that it got put on the lift after a test drive. He told me that I was wasting time, since he had the holy checklist in the paperwork, and what could I possibly find that his "expert" would of missed? I knew that there was a tire issue, and once it was on the lift, it was glaringly obvious that one of the $200 low profile tires had hit a curb and had a huge bubble on the inside sidewall. It got a new tire and alignment. Hardly surprising to me, the salesman however, did his best to feign shock.
Bottom line is that I would never take any checklist from the average dealer, or high volume service center as being anything but a waste of paper. If I ask a trusted, reliable mechanic to inspect my vehicle, and pay him to take the time to do so, it's another matter entirely.
-
I could no longer take the high pressure up selling and started changing the oil myself. The last time I went for an oil change they tried to see me a transmission fluid change. I told them transmission was sealed and he looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.
-
I could no longer take the high pressure up selling and started changing the oil myself. The last time I went for an oil change they tried to see me a transmission fluid change. I told them transmission was sealed and he looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.
Well, you are both right. It's "sealed" since it's part of a scam to get the public to believe that it's another "maintenance free" part of the vehicle. typically it's pretty easy to do service on, since the flush machine is attached to the cooler lines, and flushes and replaces the fluid without having to pull the pan, or "unseal" the unit.
I know that it doesn't go over too well with some folks here, but my vehicles get oil and lubed every 5k, and most other fluids every 30K, or two years. I'll take a used car following my protocol and having 150K on it, over a similar one with 75K and a more typical regiment of oil changes every 10K, and only fixing what falls off the car. Mine tend to run, look and feel new, years after most run and look like shit. They also tend to be the outliers that are still going well at 250-300k. We have a two year old CRV with 40K on it. It has new trans, rear diff, and brake fluid, within the last few months. It's all overkill, and in the minds of many, a waste of money. Until, like many of mine over the last decades, it's still running great, years after most of it's litter mates are scrap.
-
I could no longer take the high pressure up selling and started changing the oil myself. The last time I went for an oil change they tried to see me a transmission fluid change. I told them transmission was sealed and he looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.
That kind of thing could go either way: sure, maybe he was just after profit, but on the other hand, the "lifetime fluid" that they put in those transmissions is named such because of the "lifetime" of the warranty, not of the car. Changing the fluid might be the difference between getting 200,000 miles out of it and getting 300,000 miles out of it (in either case, long after the manufacturer stopped giving a shit).
-
Is it worth it to buy the equipment to do our own oil change (jack, etc)? Dh says it's not worth it, and he will not do it. It maybe worth it if our young adult sons do it; they have a lifetime of car ownership ahead of them. And they could learn on our cars now.
DH has always done ours. He saw an ad for a $20 oil/filter change and decided to try it and do the math to see what we really save by him doing it. With taxes and fees, the oil change cost $24 for someone else to do and $17 for him.
So, a $7 savings per car about 1-2x a year or so. So, he'll probably keep doing it to save the $7 per car, but it was nice to see that it wouldn't be the end of the world if we had to take a car in sometime for some reason instead.
Now, doing slightly more complicated repairs on the cars himself does seem to save a ton of money.
-
I could no longer take the high pressure up selling and started changing the oil myself. The last time I went for an oil change they tried to see me a transmission fluid change. I told them transmission was sealed and he looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.
That kind of thing could go either way: sure, maybe he was just after profit, but on the other hand, the "lifetime fluid" that they put in those transmissions is named such because of the "lifetime" of the warranty, not of the car. Changing the fluid might be the difference between getting 200,000 miles out of it and getting 300,000 miles out of it (in either case, long after the manufacturer stopped giving a shit).
Or that their definition of 'lifetime' is closer to 100,000 miles. Planned obsolescence and all of that.
That said, I avoid the whole automatic transmission fluid thing by buying a car with a manual transmission. My only vehicle with two pedals is a bicycle :)
I did when I used to change the oil every 5,000km, but if I'm following the normal 10-15,000km service intervals, I take it to a shop (I did with my last car). That way they can notice things on the car that I wouldn't.
A service is about more than just changing the oil. I know it's not Mustachian, but if a couple of hundred bucks once a year means a shop notices something with the brakes or suspension that I don't notice before it lets go, it's worth it to me.
That said, changing the oil oneself is pretty easy, I used to use ramps for it and kept another empty oil bottle for the stuff from the sump.
I think this might be true if you are taking your car to a real mechanic for an oil change -- which is going to cost a little more.
If you're going to a quicky oil change, you're likely to get a high school kid that isn't going to look for anything else -- but will be much cheaper in comparison.
Aye, I haven't had that problem, because I haven't taken it to the express oil change mobs. That's probably why I haven't paid less than $300 for a service for the best part of a decade, either (as opposed to the regular $99-149 service coupons I get with my supermarket dockets).
I'm actually in two minds as to what to do with my current car. It's about 4000km from it's next service (so probably October at this rate), however it's a major service that involves a new timing belt. The dealer for the brand offers capped price servicing (even for my 2002 car), and the quoted price seems pretty good, but I'm still wondering if I'm better off taking it to a local mechanic and paying extra. As I live in an apartment, DIY isn't really a viable option.
-
I say take it on for yourself as a way to get to know your car. For the reasons others have mentioned I've always done my own maintenance and repairs. Get a good repair manual, buy the right parts, be safe.
It may not make sense financially on the surface, but the ability to inspect under the engine and get to know your car and its engine are pretty much priceless.
When I had my first car, I took it to an oil change place and was sold a new air filter despite it not really needing one. I think that was the last time I had an oil change done besides my own garage (or driveway at the time).
Most auto parts places will sell you what you need. Ramps, work light, gloves, shop rags, a catch pan, oil, filter, even the repair manuals (I prefer Haynes over Chilton, factory issued is even better but $$). You might need a filter wrench. If you have a newer car, a variety of tools might be needed to access the filter location. YouTube is a good resource. Most parts places will take your old oil for free to recycle it.
-
Aye, I haven't had that problem, because I haven't taken it to the express oil change mobs. That's probably why I haven't paid less than $300 for a service for the best part of a decade, either (as opposed to the regular $99-149 service coupons I get with my supermarket dockets).
I went into absolute shock when I saw this, until I realized that your location was Australia and you probably weren't talking aobut $USDs. Then I looked up the exchange rate (about $1=$1.30AUD) and I'm still shocked...
a 'regular service' costs up to $150 down there?! WTF? Like... your basic oil change, tire rotation and fluid check? whaaaa??
-
I'm mixed on this one. I DIY my Mitsubishi and Suzuki, but both Toyotas go to the dealership to have it done. The Mitsubishi and Suzuki I can get all the supplies I need from a couple of stores in easy walking/biking distance and they're easy to work on. The Toyotas, I have to go to the dealer anyways (too long to walk, and a dangerous bike ride which I *occasionally* will do for parts) for the best filters. I provide them the oil, and it ends up being around $5 labor (plus the filter which is around $10) to have them do it (and the filters and drains are in difficult places).
-
Even if the price were cheaper, I think it still pays to change your own oil. Especially since the only places that will be close to as cheap as DIY are quick change places that will just try to upsell you on things you might not need and as mentioned above, these guys are rarely mechanics.
It is your car, you will know it better than a mechanic that only has it for a day, you should know its quirks and flaws in and out. You should know when something feels wrong (of course, don't be a hypochondriac with your car, it is a mechanical object and might squeak every so often).
Plus to say that you don't change your own oil because you have no mechanical ability is like saying you call an electrician in when your lightbulb goes out. An oil change is loosening a bolt and a filter, there really is no mechanical ability involved. Plus when you do it, you can guarantee that you won't use an impact wrench to reinstall your drain plug or tighten your oil filter down so hard that it strips the stud.
-
Totally not worth it in my opinion. I have mine done at 6 k at Walmart while shopping. 30 bucks twice a year. Sure I could diy it for 15. But for 30 bucks a year I leave to the pros. You've more important shit to do I hope?
-
Totally not worth it in my opinion. I have mine done at 6 k at Walmart while shopping. 30 bucks twice a year. Sure I could diy it for 15. But for 30 bucks a year I leave to the pros. You've more important shit to do I hope?
In my case: it takes me longer to drive to Walmart & back than to DIY. ...and I'm not sure the guy changing oil at Walmart is "a pro".
Plus I have way too many vehicles... (Although oil change is probably the least yearly cost in that formula if you disregard the tractor.)
-
Aye, I haven't had that problem, because I haven't taken it to the express oil change mobs. That's probably why I haven't paid less than $300 for a service for the best part of a decade, either (as opposed to the regular $99-149 service coupons I get with my supermarket dockets).
I went into absolute shock when I saw this, until I realized that your location was Australia and you probably weren't talking aobut $USDs. Then I looked up the exchange rate (about $1=$1.30AUD) and I'm still shocked...
a 'regular service' costs up to $150 down there?! WTF? Like... your basic oil change, tire rotation and fluid check? whaaaa??
Yep.
http://www.ktas.com.au/car-servicing/packaged-servicing/
From experience, most smaller (non-chain) mechanic shops charge out their services at around $100AUD an hour, plus consumables and parts, plus 10% GST.
It all adds up. That said, if I really wanted to reduce my car costs, I'd do without a car.
-
Totally not worth it in my opinion. I have mine done at 6 k at Walmart while shopping. 30 bucks twice a year. Sure I could diy it for 15. But for 30 bucks a year I leave to the pros. You've more important shit to do I hope?
Bob when you find a "pro" at Walmart, please notify management, since that indicates an obvious system failure. The co. has a good system for idiot proofing a lot of their tasks, but that doesn't mean that they are not buying new engines and chasing rims down the road when bubba forgot to check the lug nuts. Like Spork correctly notes, I can service my car is less time than it takes to drive there, and secondly, I have used them about a dozen times while on the road, and know fully well that I have to double check absolutely everything they do, since they are only willing to pay bottom of the scale wages, and get what they deserve when it comes to skill and experience levels.
To specifically answer your question, If I can do the work faster, cheaper, and better than the knuckledraggers at Walmart, I do not, in fact have, better things to do. I also do not pull out of MY garage with loose lug nuts, a dry dipstick, loose drain plug, or anything else these clowns could F-up while "servicing" your vehicle. Maybe you will get lucky and never have a problem like this, or maybe not. I do know that I do business with a large independent shop that is located five minutes from a local Walmart auto care shop. At first my guy was not happy to have them move up the street. A decade later, he has more work than he can handle, and the monkeys at Walmart are an endless source of amusement and customers.
-
I just though of another reason it's "worth it" to DIY this task. MY son's girlfriend had been taking her mid-2000s Corolla in to the same shop for oil changes for the last few years. He told he that he would be doing it, since it wasn't worth the time and money to have it done "professionally". This car has a cartridge style filter, which is basically the paper "guts" of a more typical spin on filter, that is placed in a canister on the engine. When he opened the filter housing up, there was nothing but a mushy lump of material jammed in the bottom of the canister. It was evident that the filter hadn't been changed in years, and had disintegrated into a lump of dirty paper.
Now two things come in to play here. First the garage knew that they could get away with this because she was a regular customer, and a young girl, so it was unlikely that somebody else would ever open the housing, and fish the remains of the old filter out. Second, it's a concealed part, not like a shiny new spin on filter that you can spot by glancing in the engine compartment. Chances are the car has run at least at least 30-40K with out a new filter, so who knows how badly the motor has been compromised.
-
I just though of another reason it's "worth it" to DIY this task. MY son's girlfriend had been taking her mid-2000s Corolla in to the same shop for oil changes for the last few years. He told he that he would be doing it, since it wasn't worth the time and money to have it done "professionally". This car has a cartridge style filter, which is basically the paper "guts" of a more typical spin on filter, that is placed in a canister on the engine. When he opened the filter housing up, there was nothing but a mushy lump of material jammed in the bottom of the canister. It was evident that the filter hadn't been changed in years, and had disintegrated into a lump of dirty paper.
Now two things come in to play here. First the garage knew that they could get away with this because she was a regular customer, and a young girl, so it was unlikely that somebody else would ever open the housing, and fish the remains of the old filter out. Second, it's a concealed part, not like a shiny new spin on filter that you can spot by glancing in the engine compartment. Chances are the car has run at least at least 30-40K with out a new filter, so who knows how badly the motor has been compromised.
Yep. I'm not usually one to put a lot of stock into anecdotes, but I've seen enough stories of the little old lady with a stack of Jiffy Lube receipts who blew an engine at 60k because the oil had never been changed to just go ahead and do it myself.
It literally takes 10 minutes of work and while the oil drains, I just walk back inside and play around on the computer some more.
-
That said, I avoid the whole automatic transmission fluid thing by buying a car with a manual transmission. My only vehicle with two pedals is a bicycle :)
That just means the fluid you should change out is gear oil instead of ATF.
Plus to say that you don't change your own oil because you have no mechanical ability is like saying you call an electrician in when your lightbulb goes out. An oil change is loosening a bolt and a filter, there really is no mechanical ability involved. Plus when you do it, you can guarantee that you won't use an impact wrench to reinstall your drain plug or tighten your oil filter down so hard that it strips the stud.
Well, to be fair, it is possible to screw it up by (for example) denting the rocker panel by jacking the unibody car up in the wrong place, using the wrong oil or filter, failing to tighten the drain plug, filter or cap back down afterwards, or overfilling or underfilling... but then again, the idiots at Jiffy Lube are more likely than a DIYer to make the same mistakes (other than the first one, since Jiffy Lube doesn't use jacks).
-
I do it myself. Sure, I go with the cheap oil and cheap filter, and so I only save a few bucks compared to the coupons I occasionally get in the mail. But I know that the proper amount of oil goes back in, with the right quantities, and it gives me a chance to check all the other fluids while the oil drains.
It's a gateway drug--once you've changed your oil, the next step is air filters, then brake pads, and before you know it, you're up to your armpits in the engine bay replacing your timing belt! :)
-
Just did mine yesterday. It made me feel manly.
The other thing is that we stock up on Black Friday. We have a ton of extra oil and filters since they're nearly free at that point with the rebates.
-
Just did mine yesterday. It made me feel manly.
The other thing is that we stock up on Black Friday. We have a ton of extra oil and filters since they're nearly free at that point with the rebates.
yeah.... I order filters in 2-packs off Amazon, where they're about 50% less than at any auto-parts store. Mobil 1 full synthetic is about $24 for 5 quarts with free delivery. No need to ever make a special trip to the store.
-
Another thing to note is that if you change your own oil, you'll be the first to notice any issues (extra sludgy, or metal shavings in the oil) and have a chance to get it fixed.
-
I don't mind changing my oil, and it's not expensive to start. All you need is an oil pan, but I prefer having ramps too. I used to change my oil everytime, even made my own ramps. I just hate having to take the oil to the recycling place (20 minute drive). There is a oil change place that will change my oil for $10 if I supply the oil and filter, so I have been doing this to save myself 40 minutes of driving and some gas.
-
I don't mind changing my oil, and it's not expensive to start. All you need is an oil pan, but I prefer having ramps too. I used to change my oil everytime, even made my own ramps. I just hate having to take the oil to the recycling place (20 minute drive). There is a oil change place that will change my oil for $10 if I supply the oil and filter, so I have been doing this to save myself 40 minutes of driving and some gas.
My solution: I have 3-4 5 gallon plastic buckets. (I use old paint buckets.) It takes quite a few oil changes (or one tractor hydraulic change) before I have to run the oil to the recycle. Around here, *any* place that does oil changes is required by law to accept recycled oil. So the nearest oil change shop *is* the recycler. (YMMV... It is a state law in Texas.)
-
My solution: I have 3-4 5 gallon plastic buckets. (I use old paint buckets.) It takes quite a few oil changes (or one tractor hydraulic change) before I have to run the oil to the recycle. Around here, *any* place that does oil changes is required by law to accept recycled oil. So the nearest oil change shop *is* the recycler. (YMMV... It is a state law in Texas.)
Same is true here in Illinois--you can take your oil pretty much anywhere and they'll accept it for recycling. I know it still has some value even when used, so it probably makes them some profit.
-
My boyfriend has a couple of big flat bricks that allow him to get under both of our cars comfortably by driving so that the front tires are on the bricks. No ramps or jacks needed.
-
I don't think it saves us that much on cost, but is definitely quicker than going to the shop, as many folks have mentioned.
Besides making sure it's done right, changing your own oil is basically a way to get under the car, open the hood, and check things out on a regular basis. Once I get the mess of the oil change done, I find I'm more inspired to run through any other minor maintenance that might need done, such as bleeding the brakes.
I like the 5-gallon paint bucket idea for used oil.
-
Same is true here in Illinois--you can take your oil pretty much anywhere and they'll accept it for recycling. I know it still has some value even when used, so it probably makes them some profit.
Some of it gets used to make my preferred oil (http://nextgen.valvoline.com/), which is 50% recycled.
-
For me it's not worth it. I would pay more for material alone than I pay at the shop. It only takes them 10 minutes to change oil + filter, clean everything up afterwards and even bring the oil dipstick to your driver's window to show you: oil level is right under maximum.
-
There is a oil change place that will change my oil for $10 if I supply the oil and filter, so I have been doing this to save myself 40 minutes of driving and some gas.
I'll have to look into that. Changing oil in WI in winter can be 'challenging'.
-
My solution: I have 3-4 5 gallon plastic buckets.
I'm not sure I could lift a full 5 gallon bucket into my trunk - but I wouldn't want to anyway as I'd be afraid of it tipping over.
I have a plastic milk-crate. I put a heavy trash bag in it, some floor-dry / oil-zorb in the bag and four 3-liter soda bottles (with caps).
Been using the same bottles for years, and I'm obnoxious about getting my bottles and caps back from the places that don't let me pour out the used oil.
-
My solution: I have 3-4 5 gallon plastic buckets.
I'm not sure I could lift a full 5 gallon bucket into my trunk - but I wouldn't want to anyway as I'd be afraid of it tipping over.
I have a plastic milk-crate. I put a heavy trash bag in it, some floor-dry / oil-zorb in the bag and four 3-liter soda bottles (with caps).
Been using the same bottles for years, and I'm obnoxious about getting my bottles and caps back from the places that don't let me pour out the used oil.
you know they make liquid-tight lids for 5 gallon buckets, right? And 3 oil-changes-worth of oil weighs about 20 lbs...
For me it's not worth it. I would pay more for material alone than I pay at the shop. It only takes them 10 minutes to change oil + filter, clean everything up afterwards and even bring the oil dipstick to your driver's window to show you: oil level is right under maximum.
I'm surprised you can find an oil-change place for less than what you would pay for oil+ filter. Maybe that's the difference between NA and Germany. I'm always dubious about oil change 'techs' showing me my various fluids to 'prove' that they did the job right.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/oil-change-shop-caught-scamming-customers-marketplace-investigation-1.2418675 (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/oil-change-shop-caught-scamming-customers-marketplace-investigation-1.2418675)
It's easy to fake and easy for the more shady places to get away with.
-
My solution: I have 3-4 5 gallon plastic buckets.
I'm not sure I could lift a full 5 gallon bucket into my trunk - but I wouldn't want to anyway as I'd be afraid of it tipping over.
I have a plastic milk-crate. I put a heavy trash bag in it, some floor-dry / oil-zorb in the bag and four 3-liter soda bottles (with caps).
Been using the same bottles for years, and I'm obnoxious about getting my bottles and caps back from the places that don't let me pour out the used oil.
you know they make liquid-tight lids for 5 gallon buckets, right? And 3 oil-changes-worth of oil weighs about 20 lbs...
Yeah, I managed to get paint home from Home Depot in them. I figure they'll hold oil pretty well.
-
Definitely worth it and the equipment really isn't that expensive.
Rather than buying a jack, consider buying ramps. I personally feel safer crawling under the car when it's on ramps.
Never, EVER crawl under a car that is only on a jack. ALWAYS use jack stands. Give the car a good jerk first too before going under it.
I have started doing the oil myself. I buy the oil at walmart (by far the cheapest place to get oil) and get the filter from Amazon or add it to a RockAuto order for something else.
+1,000. Lost a good friend to ana auto that dropped on him. His kids lost their dad, wife lost husband, and so on...
-
I check the local dealers' web sites for service coupons and there is almost always a dealer who has a $19-29 dollar oil change deal. If the most convenient dealer doesn't have the coupon, they'll likely honor the price on their competitor's coupon.
Show up 15 minutes early and camp out in the express service lane until they open. Tell the salesman (they call them "service writers") you only want an oil change and are in a hurry. Enjoy a free cup of mediocre coffee in their waiting area and read yesterdays' newspaper or connect to their WiFi.
You'll be out in less than an hour, and while they may "note" items that could/should be done, since you're "in a hurry" they won't suggest doing them then.
-
I check the local dealers' web sites for service coupons and there is almost always a dealer who has a $19-29 dollar oil change deal. If the most convenient dealer doesn't have the coupon, they'll likely honor the price on their competitor's coupon.
at that price (I predict) you will get conventional (not synthetic) oil and a sub optimal filter.
If you want good oil and a good filter, it's going to be more.
-
Totally not worth it in my opinion. I have mine done at 6 k at Walmart while shopping. 30 bucks twice a year. Sure I could diy it for 15. But for 30 bucks a year I leave to the pros. You've more important shit to do I hope?
Bob when you find a "pro" at Walmart, please notify management, since that indicates an obvious system failure. The co. has a good system for idiot proofing a lot of their tasks, but that doesn't mean that they are not buying new engines and chasing rims down the road when bubba forgot to check the lug nuts. Like Spork correctly notes, I can service my car is less time than it takes to drive there, and secondly, I have used them about a dozen times while on the road, and know fully well that I have to double check absolutely everything they do, since they are only willing to pay bottom of the scale wages, and get what they deserve when it comes to skill and experience levels.
To specifically answer your question, If I can do the work faster, cheaper, and better than the knuckledraggers at Walmart, I do not, in fact have, better things to do. I also do not pull out of MY garage with loose lug nuts, a dry dipstick, loose drain plug, or anything else these clowns could F-up while "servicing" your vehicle. Maybe you will get lucky and never have a problem like this, or maybe not. I do know that I do business with a large independent shop that is located five minutes from a local Walmart auto care shop. At first my guy was not happy to have them move up the street. A decade later, he has more work than he can handle, and the monkeys at Walmart are an endless source of amusement and customers.
No offense to you pro change folks ------
I'll be sure to pass this along to my service Manager friend at Walmart and his assistant manager, Vietnam Vet, former trucking company owner. They'll get a big laugh out of it.
Here is the truth -- Steve and Bill are great guys with years of oil changing experience. Their staff is highly trained in oil changing (shit yeah they are). YMMV in whatever town you live in. So my total oil change time for a year is 12 minutes. (3 minutes to walk in an sign in, 3 minutes to pick up twice a year. I'm already shopping their so there is no waiting and no oil disposing.) That also includes tire rotation, which on an all wheel drive vehicle should be done at roughly the same time as an oil change. I have lifetime tire rotation with my tire purchase. They also check everything for me.
Never been "sold" anything I didn't need.
Please don't tell me that you can rotate your tires in 10 minutes as well. IMHO for the average, nonmotorhead person it is not worth it. If time is of no concern, then go for it. For a newbee, why not give it a shot. Then you can make an informed decision.
I speak from considerable experience as I have changed oil in my vehicles dozens of time. Think of it as poaching salmon --- Martha Stewart makes it look easy and indeed it is if you have the tools and expertise to do it. But my guess is Martha is pretty sick of poaching salmon. I guess that is where I'm at. Been there, done that. Not amused.
It pencils out better if you are doing synthetic oil though. So yeah, consider the price vs. convenience.
I say to the OP -- try it -- you may like it.
-
Steve and Bill are probably awesome guys with tons of experience.
I'd bet you a beer the oil changes are mostly handled by the newbie high school kid, though. He'll probably have a ton of experience one day, too.
Oil change is the drudge work they'll dole out while they tackle real work.
-
If you don't drive very often and/or need many oil changes, the ROI isn't great. I personally am slightly paranoid of dying in a really dumb way, so I'm scared to get under a car. If the car crushes me, that would be dying in a really dumb way.
Embarrassing...
That's why you use jack stands for work that requires it. And: in 99% of cases, oil changes don't require jacks. Cars don't fall when they're sitting there on their own wheels.
-
Totally not worth it in my opinion. I have mine done at 6 k at Walmart while shopping. 30 bucks twice a year. Sure I could diy it for 15. But for 30 bucks a year I leave to the pros. You've more important shit to do I hope?
Bob when you find a "pro" at Walmart, please notify management, since that indicates an obvious system failure. The co. has a good system for idiot proofing a lot of their tasks, but that doesn't mean that they are not buying new engines and chasing rims down the road when bubba forgot to check the lug nuts. Like Spork correctly notes, I can service my car is less time than it takes to drive there, and secondly, I have used them about a dozen times while on the road, and know fully well that I have to double check absolutely everything they do, since they are only willing to pay bottom of the scale wages, and get what they deserve when it comes to skill and experience levels.
To specifically answer your question, If I can do the work faster, cheaper, and better than the knuckledraggers at Walmart, I do not, in fact have, better things to do. I also do not pull out of MY garage with loose lug nuts, a dry dipstick, loose drain plug, or anything else these clowns could F-up while "servicing" your vehicle. Maybe you will get lucky and never have a problem like this, or maybe not. I do know that I do business with a large independent shop that is located five minutes from a local Walmart auto care shop. At first my guy was not happy to have them move up the street. A decade later, he has more work than he can handle, and the monkeys at Walmart are an endless source of amusement and customers.
No offense to you pro change folks ------
I'll be sure to pass this along to my service Manager friend at Walmart and his assistant manager, Vietnam Vet, former trucking company owner. They'll get a big laugh out of it.
Here is the truth -- Steve and Bill are great guys with years of oil changing experience. Their staff is highly trained in oil changing (shit yeah they are). YMMV in whatever town you live in. So my total oil change time for a year is 12 minutes. (3 minutes to walk in an sign in, 3 minutes to pick up twice a year. I'm already shopping their so there is no waiting and no oil disposing.) That also includes tire rotation, which on an all wheel drive vehicle should be done at roughly the same time as an oil change. I have lifetime tire rotation with my tire purchase. They also check everything for me.
Never been "sold" anything I didn't need.
Please don't tell me that you can rotate your tires in 10 minutes as well. IMHO for the average, nonmotorhead person it is not worth it. If time is of no concern, then go for it. For a newbee, why not give it a shot. Then you can make an informed decision.
I speak from considerable experience as I have changed oil in my vehicles dozens of time. Think of it as poaching salmon --- Martha Stewart makes it look easy and indeed it is if you have the tools and expertise to do it. But my guess is Martha is pretty sick of poaching salmon. I guess that is where I'm at. Been there, done that. Not amused.
It pencils out better if you are doing synthetic oil though. So yeah, consider the price vs. convenience.
I say to the OP -- try it -- you may like it.
I just did mine for the first time. Made a huge mess. But it was fun for me, so worth it. Doubt I saved much money.
However -- I say get jack+stands (instead of ramps) and don't consider that part of the cost. The jack+stands are handy to have around if you need to take off the wheel for whatever reason. I've used it to inspect/replace my brakes, fix a broken wheel stud, and so on. Once my AC condensation drain got clogged and water was soaking my carpet. Easier to correct with a little bit of headroom.
The last people who did my oil also torqued my bolt too much. I needed space under the car for a giant breaker bar to get it off. Next time I'll install a fumoto valve.
-
No offense to you pro change folks ------
I'll be sure to pass this along to my service Manager friend at Walmart and his assistant manager, Vietnam Vet, former trucking company owner. They'll get a big laugh out of it.
Here is the truth -- Steve and Bill are great guys with years of oil changing experience.
Bob, The fact that your buddy is vet, or whatever, doesn't mean a thing in this situation. As others point out, he isn't the guy making $7.25 hr. doing the work. Like I stated, they do have great protocol to double check the monkeys, and it does keep the finger tight drain plugs, loose filters, and lug nuts to a minimum. It doesn't do much for the stripped threads in the drain pan, or the cross threaded wheel stud that you have to snap off with a breaker bar. The later BTW, was a gift to me from a Walmart in Anchorage AK. while on the road one summer. It only took $5 in parts, and half an hour to fix, but it never would of happened in the hands of a skilled tech. You are also clearly an outlier, time wise, as the few times I have done business with them, they are so extraordinarily slow, it becomes evident that there is no way that the shop is functioning at a profit.
The last straw for me was a visit to my local store where I left my truck in their "capable hands" and went shopping. An hour and a half later I stopped back to pay the bill, since it was parked way out in the lot, and we had completed our grocery shopping a half hour ago. The idiot then tells me that they couldn't do the work, and just parked it there. I asked why I heard several other customers being paged to report to the auto service counter? The clerk explained that it was because their cars were done. I asked if I was supposed to learn of my vehicle being abandoned in the lot after all my groceries were rotted, and the lights were turned off at night, or if they thought paging me might of been a decent thing to do, since they told me to wait to be paged? The service manager shrugged his shoulders and walked away. The store manager was professional and apologetic, but did nothing to resolve the issue. Years later, I still occasionally see the service manager wandering through the store, with his typical slightly confused, and distant look on his face. I guess when you pay peanuts, that's the caliber of leadership you end up with?
It's good that you have a decent relationship with a reliable store, but too many of them are best avoided.
-
I don't understand the whole debate over paint buckets/soda bottles/whatever other container. What's wrong with using an old, empty oil jug from the last oil change?
I'll have to look into that. Changing oil in WI in winter can be 'challenging'.
I'm just a bit south of you (chicago suburbs). I change the oil in march/april and september/october. That way the weather's always warm enough :)
-
If you don't drive very I personally am slightly paranoid of dying in a really dumb way, so I'm scared to get under a car. If the car crushes me, that would be dying in a really dumb way.
*Most* cars you can lift and set on jackstands in a way that minimizes your exposure to that risk. I also hate doing things that require being under the car while it's not on the wheels, so transmission work is totally out for me, but I can do oil changes. The car has to be in the air to reach the filter and drain plug, but really only my arms have to go under very far and my head is at a place where if it drops there's still some room. Suspension shouldn't compress too much on a few inch drop. I hope. :-)
-
Thank you all so much! I will pass this info to my young adult sons. As I said my dh has NO interest in doing this but the info and discussion on this thread is educational and thus valuable. I have been recently ripped off at our regular service station and have now opened my eyes to not trust them and seek a second opinion on costly service quotes.
-
If you don't drive very I personally am slightly paranoid of dying in a really dumb way, so I'm scared to get under a car. If the car crushes me, that would be dying in a really dumb way.
*Most* cars you can lift and set on jackstands in a way that minimizes your exposure to that risk. I also hate doing things that require being under the car while it's not on the wheels, so transmission work is totally out for me, but I can do oil changes. The car has to be in the air to reach the filter and drain plug, but really only my arms have to go under very far and my head is at a place where if it drops there's still some room. Suspension shouldn't compress too much on a few inch drop. I hope. :-)
If you're doing work that requires taking the wheels off, you can put the car up on jack stands and then also put the wheels under the frame rails. That way, if the jack stands fail the car lands on the wheels. You'd probably ruin the rims if that happened, but it's better than ruining your skull.
Thank you all so much! I will pass this info to my young adult sons. As I said my dh has NO interest in doing this but the info and discussion on this thread is educational and thus valuable. I have been recently ripped off at our regular service station and have now opened my eyes to not trust them and seek a second opinion on costly service quotes.
What does your DH have to do with anything? Why don't you do it?
-
What does your DH have to do with anything? Why don't you do it?
My question too. I find it fascinating when people pigeon hole themselves. It's seems natural though, at my home my spouse and I have, without much planning or discussion, divided up chores... but not exactly to gender stereotypes.
-
I'd need 6 quarts + the filter, and my dealership found me a prepaid "service plan" that works out to 6 quarts of penzoil platinum full synthetc + Mopar filter + 5 tire rotation (on my unmustachian wrangler) for $47. They also do about a million point inspection, perform any TSBs/Software Updates, and top off my washer fluid.
I spend ~30 minutes there while they do this, and don't have to dispose of a thing.
-
I'd need 6 quarts + the filter, and my dealership found me a prepaid "service plan" that works out to 6 quarts of penzoil platinum full synthetc + Mopar filter + 5 tire rotation (on my unmustachian wrangler) for $47. They also do about a million point inspection, perform any TSBs/Software Updates, and top off my washer fluid.
you rotate all 5 tires? Like, you put your spare onto your jeep and pull one of your driving tires out of rotation...? :: confused::
I spend ~30 minutes there while they do this, and don't have to dispose of a thing.
... except for your $47...
-
you rotate all 5 tires? Like, you put your spare onto your jeep and pull one of your driving tires out of rotation...? :: confused::
When you have a full-size spare (which doesn't come on many cars except Jeeps these days) that's indeed how you're supposed to do it.
I wish my Ranger could use a full-size spare, but noooo, Ford decided to make the spare tire hanger not quite deep enough...
-
I'd need 6 quarts + the filter, and my dealership found me a prepaid "service plan" that works out to 6 quarts of penzoil platinum full synthetc + Mopar filter + 5 tire rotation (on my unmustachian wrangler) for $47. They also do about a million point inspection, perform any TSBs/Software Updates, and top off my washer fluid.
I spend ~30 minutes there while they do this, and don't have to dispose of a thing.
Might be a good deal if all the inspections were happening. Next time watch the work being performed, if you can. Typically you will find that the they do a quick glance at critical things like brakes and tires, and then check fifty boxes they never, ever look at. You have a box checked that they check differential and transfer case fluid levels? Well, before you go next time, find these plugs, clean them up a bit, and draw a mark across the plug and housing with a sharpie. I guarantee you will find all three plugs undisturbed, and they will remain so, until you, #1 pay to have the fluids changed, or report a noise in any of the three. It can't be stressed enough, in most cases the public is living a fantasy if they think they are getting a "fifty point inspection" when their vehicle rolls in for service. It jut doesn't happen, 99% of the time.
-
I spend ~30 minutes there while they do this, and don't have to dispose of a thing.
... except for your $47...
[/quote]
Yes, but when I look at what the cost would be for me to do it myself:
~$30 - 6 qts full synthetic oil on sale at walmart, must stockpile to have enough/supply between sales, do mail in rebate, hassle
~$8 - Oil Filter
~$9 worth of my time to get up to the $47. I'd rather spend $9 than have to dispose of the oil and dedicate an hour or so of my time (plus clean up) to a different endeavour.
And on the 5 tire rotation - yes, on a wrangler they have 5 full size/real tires. I'm trying to wear them all evenly because you get a bit more life out of the stock set, then have a new matching set that doesn't have dry rot. The Jeep is my unmustachian flaw, but my main vice so I'll indulge..
-
I'd need 6 quarts + the filter, and my dealership found me a prepaid "service plan" that works out to 6 quarts of penzoil platinum full synthetc + Mopar filter + 5 tire rotation (on my unmustachian wrangler) for $47. They also do about a million point inspection, perform any TSBs/Software Updates, and top off my washer fluid.
I spend ~30 minutes there while they do this, and don't have to dispose of a thing.
Include your time to drive there and back. That is one hour at least.
-
I change oil myself. It does not just save 10 or 20 dollars per oil change. It takes me 15 minutes to change the oil and do a quick inspection under the car. If I go to a shop, it would take me a hour (30 min wait + time to drive back and forth). If my time is worth 50 dollars/hr, that is a saving of 60 or 70 dollars per oil change. In addition, I can make sure things are done right, such as using the right amount of oil, replacing the washer, lubing the filter, using a good filter and torquing the drain plug to the spec......
-
I've changed oil a lot myself but then got tired of it. I started using a family owned and operated oil change place and had good luck. They didn't rotate tires so I took it to the dealer who has a reasonable price for oil change/tire rotation. Recently, I bought a used car for our kids and went back to changing the oil myself on that car. However, I'm back to getting tired of it - as mentioned above I have a lot of other things to do with my time.
I did have one bad experience at a car dealer who shall remain nameless . . . I went to pick up the vehicle we were getting one Friday after work. My wife and I walk in and the sales guy meets us in the hallway with a concerned look on his face. He says he was getting the car prepped for pickup - car wash, tank of gas, oil change . . . but the oil change guy forgot to put oil back in the engine! :-D The engine siezed after he had run it for a while without oil. BIG HINT - check to make sure your oil pressure gauge/light shows normal oil pressure right after engine start.
I told him it was no problem, the car is yours! I'm not signing any papers! He and the dealership owner tried to convince me that they would replace the engine. I asked them why I should trust them to swap out the engine when they can't even get an oil change done properly! :-D
-
I've changed oil a lot myself but then got tired of it. I started using a family owned and operated oil change place and had good luck. They didn't rotate tires so I took it to the dealer who has a reasonable price for oil change/tire rotation. Recently, I bought a used car for our kids and went back to changing the oil myself on that car. However, I'm back to getting tired of it - as mentioned above I have a lot of other things to do with my time.
I did have one bad experience at a car dealer who shall remain nameless . . . I went to pick up the vehicle we were getting one Friday after work. My wife and I walk in and the sales guy meets us in the hallway with a concerned look on his face. He says he was getting the car prepped for pickup - car wash, tank of gas, oil change . . . but the oil change guy forgot to put oil back in the engine! :-D The engine siezed after he had run it for a while without oil. BIG HINT - check to make sure your oil pressure gauge/light shows normal oil pressure right after engine start.
I told him it was no problem, the car is yours! I'm not signing any papers! He and the dealership owner tried to convince me that they would replace the engine. I asked them why I should trust them to swap out the engine when they can't even get an oil change done properly! :-D
Hmm... your story seems very suspicious. First oddity - a car engine can be run for several minutes without any oil at all in the pan. Second oddity - why the heck would the service department run your car any length of time at all? Most would run it only long enough to drive it the 50 feet from their bay to the closest parking space. Third oddity - 'a tank of gas'? What sales guy drives around a car getting serviced to top off the fuel tank, and then doesn't notice there is a problem (like a giant oil-change light on the dash)? Forth oddity - that a dealership would automatically open by admitting fault and make their opening offer swapping out the entire engine for free. Then you (apparently) turned down a replacement engine because... you thought you'd get an even better deal somehow?
I can't say it didn't happen this way, but if true it just further supports the idea of changing your own oil. If dealership service monkeys can screw up that badly, and no one even notices, you'd have to chalk that up as a potential risk of letting others work on your car - total engine failure!
-
I've changed oil a lot myself but then got tired of it. I started using a family owned and operated oil change place and had good luck. They didn't rotate tires so I took it to the dealer who has a reasonable price for oil change/tire rotation. Recently, I bought a used car for our kids and went back to changing the oil myself on that car. However, I'm back to getting tired of it - as mentioned above I have a lot of other things to do with my time.
I did have one bad experience at a car dealer who shall remain nameless . . . I went to pick up the vehicle we were getting one Friday after work. My wife and I walk in and the sales guy meets us in the hallway with a concerned look on his face. He says he was getting the car prepped for pickup - car wash, tank of gas, oil change . . . but the oil change guy forgot to put oil back in the engine! :-D The engine siezed after he had run it for a while without oil. BIG HINT - check to make sure your oil pressure gauge/light shows normal oil pressure right after engine start.
I told him it was no problem, the car is yours! I'm not signing any papers! He and the dealership owner tried to convince me that they would replace the engine. I asked them why I should trust them to swap out the engine when they can't even get an oil change done properly! :-D
Hmm... your story seems very suspicious. First oddity - a car engine can be run for several minutes without any oil at all in the pan. Second oddity - why the heck would the service department run your car any length of time at all? Most would run it only long enough to drive it the 50 feet from their bay to the closest parking space. Third oddity - 'a tank of gas'? What sales guy drives around a car getting serviced to top off the fuel tank, and then doesn't notice there is a problem (like a giant oil-change light on the dash)? Forth oddity - that a dealership would automatically open by admitting fault and make their opening offer swapping out the entire engine for free. Then you (apparently) turned down a replacement engine because... you thought you'd get an even better deal somehow?
I can't say it didn't happen this way, but if true it just further supports the idea of changing your own oil. If dealership service monkeys can screw up that badly, and no one even notices, you'd have to chalk that up as a potential risk of letting others work on your car - total engine failure!
"I can't say it didn't happen this way . . ." - Yes, you are correct.
1st and 2nd oddity - Yes, the engine can run for a while without oil. I don't know why the tech ran the engine long enough to sieze it. I didn't get a chance to ask him, he was fired. They showed me the vehicle in the service bay with accessory belt removed and wrench on harmonic balancer where they tried to break free the siezed engine.
3rd oddity - The salesman did not drive the car. He had the service department prep the car. He merely informed me of the outcome.
4th oddity - The vehicle worked fine when it was delivered to the dealership. It didn't when I went to sign the papers. Pretty hard for them to not admit fault. I turned down the engine swap deal because at the time of the disaster I did not own the vehicle. And there was no way I was signing papers for a car with a siezed engine.
Oh, ye of little faith.
-
"I can't say it didn't happen this way . . ." - Yes, you are correct.
1st and 2nd oddity - Yes, the engine can run for a while without oil. I don't know why the tech ran the engine long enough to sieze it. I didn't get a chance to ask him, he was fired. They showed me the vehicle in the service bay with accessory belt removed and wrench on harmonic balancer where they tried to break free the siezed engine.
3rd oddity - The salesman did not drive the car. He had the service department prep the car. He merely informed me of the outcome.
4th oddity - The vehicle worked fine when it was delivered to the dealership. It didn't when I went to sign the papers. Pretty hard for them to not admit fault. I turned down the engine swap deal because at the time of the disaster I did not own the vehicle. And there was no way I was signing papers for a car with a siezed engine.
Oh, ye of little faith.
I have no 'faith' in what people say, especially on the internet. Everything should be taken with a grain of salt, and researched as much as is practical.
So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, and conclude that you somehow escaped a very bad situation relatively unscathed. glad to hear it!
As I said, if a dealership screwed up that badly it would make me not want to ever have someone else change my oil. What the hell were they doing?? Oh, and you did say that the sales guy was the one who was preparing your vehicle. The fact that the tech didn't notice seems even worse.
If you didn't own the car - who did? If it was a lease, then you still presumably were under some contract.... I'm still confused by how this was ultimately resolved.
-
Oh, and you did say that the sales guy was the one who was preparing your vehicle.
Actually, I didn't. I stated "He says he was getting the car prepped for pickup" That doesn't necessarily imply that he did the work himself.
If "I got my car repaired" I mean someone else did it. If "I repaired my car" I mean I did it myself.
If you didn't own the car - who did? If it was a lease, then you still presumably were under some contract.... I'm still confused by how this was ultimately resolved.
I think one point you still fail to recognize is that I did not bring the vehicle in for service. The dealership was prepping the vehicle for me to pick up that day; we were going to lease the vehicle. I'm not certain who owned the vehicle at that time other than the fact it was not me.
-
Oh, and you did say that the sales guy was the one who was preparing your vehicle.
Actually, I didn't. I stated "He says he was getting the car prepped for pickup" That doesn't necessarily imply that he did the work himself.
If "I got my car repaired" I mean someone else did it. If "I repaired my car" I mean I did it myself.
If you didn't own the car - who did? If it was a lease, then you still presumably were under some contract.... I'm still confused by how this was ultimately resolved.
I think one point you still fail to recognize is that I did not bring the vehicle in for service. The dealership was prepping the vehicle for me to pick up that day; we were going to lease the vehicle. I'm not certain who owned the vehicle at that time other than the fact it was not me.
ah, ok... so you never had the car for any amount of time. I got down the wrong track when thinking about bringing in a car for an oil change vs doing the oil change yourself. So the dealership's claim was that this destroyed engine was all due to some tech (who you never met because they supposedly fired him) didn't put the oil back in and no one subsequently noticed driving it around. Still think there's more to the story they never told you.
and ok with who was doing the work. I was confused when you said the sales guy met you and "he says he was getting the car prepped for pickup - car wash, tank of gas, oil change..." I misunderstood and thought the pronoun 'he' was referencing the sales guy in the previous sentence.
-
My value of DIYing oil changes is solely related to whether or not I can bulk-buy oil in the 5qt jug, or have to buy individual qts. WalMart usually sells Mobil 1 in 5 qt containers for $26-28, plus $10 for a filter, you're at ~$40. Dealer charges ~$75. However, my wife had a VW that required a goofy weight of oil, never available in the 5qt jug, and WalMart charged ~$8/qt (times 6 qts). That's $48, plus a $10 filter, now you're at $60 versus $75 at the dealer? I'll blow the $15 and munch a free donut while the dealer does the work. Later, WalMart started carrying her oil in the 5qt jugs, and I started DIYing it. Generally I only have the dealer do it in the winter (who wants to crawl under a filthy snow-encrusted car on a cold concrete floor?)
-
I always get a coupon for a $15.99-$19.99 oil change.......I don't see how doing it myself would be worth it in my situation.
Buying 5 QT's of oil + filter alone comes out in that ballpark.
-
I always get a coupon for a $15.99-$19.99 oil change.......I don't see how doing it myself would be worth it in my situation.
Buying 5 QT's of oil + filter alone comes out in that ballpark.
As others have pointed out, that will be non-synthetic oil at that price, which needs to be changed at 3-5k miles versus synthetic which will go more like 10k. And if that's at the dealer, no problem, but at a Jiffy Lube type place, I'd be wary of using them.
-
I always get a coupon for a $15.99-$19.99 oil change.......I don't see how doing it myself would be worth it in my situation.
Buying 5 QT's of oil + filter alone comes out in that ballpark.
As others have pointed out, that will be non-synthetic oil at that price, which needs to be changed at 3-5k miles versus synthetic which will go more like 10k. And if that's at the dealer, no problem, but at a Jiffy Lube type place, I'd be wary of using them.
...and possibly more important: You will get the cheapest filter on the market. There really is a difference in the filtration among brands. Some allow larger particles. Some have way more pleats (and thus more surface area for the oil to pass through).
-
My Chevy dealer has the following oil change and oil change/tire rotate prices. These prices are good for dexos (semi-synthetic) but it is more for synthetic (Mobil 1) or diesel oil. I think they add $1-2 for oil disposal + sales tax. It is still cheaper than what some people are listing for what they pay for oil & filter (even 5qts at a time).
The dealership is about a mile from where I work. I drop off my car and have lunch at the restaurant next door. The car is ready when I've finished lunch. So, it doesn't take any extra time because I go out for lunch anyways.
And I get a "free" car wash! :-)
LUBE, OIL & FILTER
Perform Full Service Oil & Filter Change. Check & Fill Fluids. Check & Set Tire Pressures. Reset Oil Life Monitor. Courtesy Car Wash.
$29.95
LOF W/ TIRE ROTATION
Perform Full Service Oil & Filter Change. Check & Fill Fluids. Perform 4 Tire Rotation & Reset The Tire Pressure & Oil Life Monitors. Courtesy Car Wash.
$39.95
-
LOF W/ TIRE ROTATION
Check around. I know it varies by region, but every single tire shop in my town (and there are a ton of them) do tire rotation for free. I still do it myself, because that's when I inspect the brakes and lines.
Oh.... the last free car wash I got from a dealer (getting a recall handled) blasted all the paint off my rear view mirrors. I will pass now on that offer.
-
The tire shop a mile from my house rotates tires for free if you bought the tires there. For the used car we bought the tires were bought there so I'm all set (I got the receipt for the new tires from the seller).
But, I have gone in there a few times with our other car and they have done it for free. I think I have paid twice; they only charge $10, same differential as the dealer.
Right now, we got the first year of service on our Chevy for free so we are going to the dealer.
-
I started changing my own oil just avoid the hassle of going to the dealer to get my "free" oil change that would end up with them attempting to charge me for anything and everything they could think up. Plus it would take two hours of my time and I would get hounded by car salesman telling my car was getting old and I should take a look at the new models.
Ramps and a special oil wrench were about $100(depends on the car, at the time I had a Mazda and I had to order off the internet), but after that its dirt cheap and takes 30 minutes.
-
I do mine and put in synthetic oil to help with our cold winters. Its a bit of work but a lot cheaper.
I have a good small town mechanic i take my car to, and every year or two i will take it in and have him check it over for issues if i have not had anything happen lately, otherwise he takes a look at it when its in for repair. He doesn't BS me about stuff, and does good work. Its hard to find now a days. Had it at a big shop once, and they couldn't spot the problem, it was an odd one. My guy found it right away. and it was a whopping $10 part in the end hahaha. Paid way more than that at the big shop to be told i had nothing wrong before my cross country trek with my car.
-
Just did mine this weekend. Wanted to add that the filters with the grippy texture are well worth the extra $.50.
-
Just did mine this weekend. Wanted to add that the filters with the grippy texture are well worth the extra $.50.
I agree that grippy filters are nice (especially on my Miata, where I can barely get my hand down in there, let alone a tool), but there's a potential problem:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that filters with grippy textures are made by a particular brand, Fram. The trouble with that is the cheapest Fram filter model ("Extra Guard," with the orange can) has a poor -- or at least controversial -- reputation for quality. The more expensive filters ("Tough Guard" and above) are fine, though. Because of that, the "real" premium for a grippy filter is more than 50 cents.
That doesn't bother me, though; I use Fram Ultra on my cars and keep them on through 2 or 3 oil changes (and since I use synthetic oil with extended change intervals, that means I might keep the filter on for up to 15K miles). I'd rather pay $9 for one good filter than $3 each for 3 cheaply-made ones that (collectively) don't even last as long.
-
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that filters with grippy textures are made by a particular brand, Fram. The trouble with that is the cheapest Fram filter model ("Extra Guard," with the orange can) has a poor -- or at least controversial -- reputation for quality. The more expensive filters ("Tough Guard" and above) are fine, though. Because of that, the "real" premium for a grippy filter is more than 50 cents.
We once had a V6 engine that would rattle ominously when it was started, after a few days of sitting. After a week, it would sound like it was going to grenade. Nobody could figure it out, until I did some research and found out why I needed to stop using the el-cheapo Frams. The problem was cured instantly when I switched to a Purolator product. Turns out that the cardboard anti-drainback valve in the Fram fails soon after it's put in service, and the top of the engine is starved for lubrication, if it has been sitting for a bit.
This leads to the smirk I get when somebody jumps on a thread and brags about the place down the street does their oil change, AND a fifty point inspection for $19.95. Problem is that it takes roughly $34 in parts to do a legitimate DIY change on my Honda with a quality filter and Mobil One. So what could go wrong with a with a semi-skilled, low paid employee using the cheapest bulk oil, and filter they can get their hands on, to do the job for under $20 bucks? I have no idea what unbranded, commodity grade oil costs, by the drum, but commodity filters from my car, from RockAuto are $1.66 each. I can only guess how cheap they are when you buy them by the truck load? So, in the end you pay twenty bucks for $8 worth of questionable oil, and a garbage filter, and we don't even need to get into the fake "fifty point inspection". As a Mustachian I can think of a hell of a lot better places to save a buck.
-
You guys realize you can use a pump and don't have to use a car jack and get dirty?
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Turf-Oil-Extractor-6-Liter-OIL01/dp/B000GU0MMU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435632498&sr=8-2&keywords=oil+pump+extractor
I prefer doing mine. I buy original oil filter and use premium oil.
-
You guys realize you can use a pump and don't have to use a car jack and get dirty?
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Turf-Oil-Extractor-6-Liter-OIL01/dp/B000GU0MMU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435632498&sr=8-2&keywords=oil+pump+extractor
I prefer doing mine. I buy original oil filter and use premium oil.
No thanks, too many reports of sucking "all" the oil out, (or "top side oil changing") as it's called, then pulling the drain plug, to find a few ounces, or more, still in the pan. If you have a high level of contaminants, solids, particles etc..... in the oil, you want to guess where they are, after you allegedly vacuumed all the oil out of the pan? My guess it that they are laying in the few ounces you didn't remove. All ready to contaminate the fresh oil and filter you are installing. Seems like a lot of money wasted on an unnecessary tool that assists in doing a faster, cleaner, but questionable job. And yes, I have used one, when my buddy bought a new one and claimed that it was the greatest invention ever. He insisted that I give it a try. Once was enough.
-
You guys realize you can use a pump and don't have to use a car jack and get dirty?
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Turf-Oil-Extractor-6-Liter-OIL01/dp/B000GU0MMU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435632498&sr=8-2&keywords=oil+pump+extractor
I prefer doing mine. I buy original oil filter and use premium oil.
No thanks, too many reports of sucking "all" the oil out, (or "top side oil changing") as it's called, then pulling the drain plug, to find a few ounces, or more, still in the pan. If you have a high level of contaminants, solids, particles etc..... in the oil, you want to guess where they are, after you allegedly vacuumed all the oil out of the pan? My guess it that they are laying in the few ounces you didn't remove. All ready to contaminate the fresh oil and filter you are installing. Seems like a lot of money wasted on an unnecessary tool that assists in doing a faster, cleaner, but questionable job. And yes, I have used one, when my buddy bought a new one and claimed that it was the greatest invention ever. He insisted that I give it a try. Once was enough.
I agree. Maybe I just suck at it (pun intended), but I used one of those and had a hard time getting the thing to work properly. I still have the device, but I went back to unscrewing the drain plug. I am strongly considering trying Fumoto valves next time, though.
-
You guys realize you can use a pump and don't have to use a car jack and get dirty?
http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Turf-Oil-Extractor-6-Liter-OIL01/dp/B000GU0MMU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435632498&sr=8-2&keywords=oil+pump+extractor
I prefer doing mine. I buy original oil filter and use premium oil.
No thanks, too many reports of sucking "all" the oil out, (or "top side oil changing") as it's called, then pulling the drain plug, to find a few ounces, or more, still in the pan. If you have a high level of contaminants, solids, particles etc..... in the oil, you want to guess where they are, after you allegedly vacuumed all the oil out of the pan? My guess it that they are laying in the few ounces you didn't remove. All ready to contaminate the fresh oil and filter you are installing. Seems like a lot of money wasted on an unnecessary tool that assists in doing a faster, cleaner, but questionable job. And yes, I have used one, when my buddy bought a new one and claimed that it was the greatest invention ever. He insisted that I give it a try. Once was enough.
I agree. Maybe I just suck at it (pun intended), but I used one of those and had a hard time getting the thing to work properly. I still have the device, but I went back to unscrewing the drain plug. I am strongly considering trying Fumoto valves next time, though.
I had not heard of Fumoto valves before so I just looked them up. Interesting device. One concern I would have is that on my car the oil drain plug is angled downward so when you screw this in it will be hanging down and reducing clearance under the car. If you ran over something it might hit the valve, damage it, and cause a leak.
Fumoto USA home page (http://www.fumotousa.com/index.php)
-
I had a relative who took their car to one of those quick oil change 20min places. When she left they had cross threaded the nut on the oil pan and it started leaking. she pulled over realized it and *facepalm* tried to finish her drive. Either way she ran out of oil and ruined the engine. So the 'professional' places like those have a little disclaimer removing them from responsibility if its done wrong. I'd rather do it myself and know its done right. Even if she hadn't noticed it, she wouldn't have lasted long with it dripping oil badly
-
I had a relative who took their car to one of those quick oil change 20min places. When she left they had cross threaded the nut on the oil pan and it started leaking. she pulled over realized it and *facepalm* tried to finish her drive. Either way she ran out of oil and ruined the engine. So the 'professional' places like those have a little disclaimer removing them from responsibility if its done wrong. I'd rather do it myself and know its done right. Even if she hadn't noticed it, she wouldn't have lasted long with it dripping oil badly
If you're ever bored enough, Google "Walmart oil change screw ups" If you read enough of the suffering posted by the victims, you discover two things. First, if it's possible to do it wrong, one of their monkey wrench commandos has done it, and maybe even invented a new way to F-up, repeatedly. Second, any battle with corporate to do the right thing, like replacing engines they grenade, often involves "watching the video". The company has so little faith in the ability of their monkeys that they apparently video tape the entire process of their employees working on your car.
-
I used to have a quick oil change place do my oil change when I was in college (cant do oil change in dorm parking lot). One time they forget to grab a plastic bottle or something plastic. I drove the car for days, and the plastic thing melted on top of the engine block. Took it back and they clean them up. Another time, they fill in way too much tranny fluid. The tranny did not shift as smooth as usual. Luckily I figure out what they did pretty quick and it did not do permanent damage. And almost every time I go to oil change place, their dirty hands/gloves leave a mark on my white car. It drives me nuts.
Now owning a house and a garage, I try to do everything - oil, tranny, brakes because I want to make sure it is done correctly, and I kinda enjoy working in the garage after sitting all day in front of my workstation.
With oil change, I crack open the drain, and do something else (usually I mow the yard). When I get back, there is no more oil coming out of the engine, so I get as much old oil as I can (I know I am being picky here). I got my routine down pat, so I dont waste time. Also a chance to give visual inspection under the car - any leaks, torn boots etc.
Is it worth it? Yes.
Do I save $? Maybe...
Do I save $ because someone will not over tighten the bolt, or over fill the oil, or do some other dumb thing to my car? Absolutely.
-
Many years ago I had my new car's oil changed for the first time at a shop. The guy put oil in my washer fluid tank. I did not know it until two years later and I left that city, since I rarely used the washer and the oil is lighter than the water. It was a mess when one day I was on a freeway and started washing my window and there came oil on the window.
-
Many years ago I had my new car's oil changed for the first time at a shop. The guy put oil in my washer fluid tank. I did not know it until two years later and I left that city, since I rarely used the washer and the oil is lighter than the water. It was a mess when one day I was on a freeway and started washing my window and there came oil on the window.
Did he at least change your blinker fluid while he was at it?
-
Many years ago I had my new car's oil changed for the first time at a shop. The guy put oil in my washer fluid tank. I did not know it until two years later and I left that city, since I rarely used the washer and the oil is lighter than the water. It was a mess when one day I was on a freeway and started washing my window and there came oil on the window.
Did he at least change your blinker fluid while he was at it?
He should have also checked to make sure the flux capacitor was fluxing! :-D
-
As others have mentioned, if all you are doing is putting in cheap oil, you'll never reach the cost savings to make it worth while. If you think that using a semi or full synthetic is worthwhile, then you will save a metric crap ton over shops.
I started doing my own oil changes a few years ago. My plan when I started was that to fill in the void of the "inspection" that they do, I'd rather pay $100 or whatever to get a legit inspection done. I worked at a car wash that was attached to an oil change quick change...I would never let those morons touch my car.
-
It's worth it in the sense that you can put a quality filter on and quality oil for cheaper than you can generally get at a jiffy lube.
-
I'd argue that even if you don't save much money on self-oil changes, the process can get you comfortable enough with car maintenance to move up to higher-value car work. One example is changing transmission fluid, which a local place wanted to charge me 100+ dollars for, even though it's not much different from an oil change (and you can get the fluid for around $30).
-
Usually do my own and use it as an opportunity to check out the vehicle. Last week had to have the tires rotated/balanced and had a coupon so I paid $15 to have it all done. Included a courtesy check. Two days ago the serpentine belt gave out on the highway. Courtesy check is worth what you pay for it I guess.
-
I'd argue that even if you don't save much money on self-oil changes, the process can get you comfortable enough with car maintenance to move up to higher-value car work. One example is changing transmission fluid, which a local place wanted to charge me 100+ dollars for, even though it's not much different from an oil change (and you can get the fluid for around $30).
Exactly. It's an almost identical process. But the shop will charge 3x as much to do a transmission fluid change.
-
Just did my oil... have a question and maybe it doesn't deserve it's own thread.
Basically I (stupidly) did not check the oil level before the change. I let it drain until it was dripping very slowly, stuck a fumoto valve on there, and refilled with 4 quarts (owners manual says 4.2 quarts). I stopped at around 3.8 quarts and the dipstick wasn't above min yet, so I threw the rest in and now it's around max. Honestly, the dipstick on this car kinda sucks and is hard to read.
Then I went to put the oil oil in the jugs I just used. It only filled 2.5 jugs. That's a big difference and now I'm worried I overfilled. On the other hand, I guess it's possible it was already running very low. But wouldn't 2.5 quarts cause noticeable problems in a 4.2 quart engine?
I'm letting the engine cool now so I can recheck the dipstick. If I need to remove some oil, it should be easy with my new valve... but am I missing something? My wife will be pretty mad if I damage her car.
-
It's likely that you were low, and that now you have the correct amount in there. Except for foaming the oil and possibly causing some to be sucked through the crankcase ventilation, overfilling doesn't usually cause harm. Best way to check is to run the engine until warm, turn off and check after it sits for about 20 mins.
-
Some oil trapped in the filter?
Or... Some oil sumps have more than one drain. We had a 1995 Mustang where the oil pan was split and had a front and rear drain. The first time I drained the oil I was confused. It probably only drained 2 quarts and there was no f'in way it was that low. I crawled around under there and... damn if there were not (effectively) 2 oil pans.
-
Some oil trapped in the filter?
Or... Some oil sumps have more than one drain. We had a 1995 Mustang where the oil pan was split and had a front and rear drain. The first time I drained the oil I was confused. It probably only drained 2 quarts and there was no f'in way it was that low. I crawled around under there and... damn if there were not (effectively) 2 oil pans.
It's likely that you were low, and that now you have the correct amount in there. Except for foaming the oil and possibly causing some to be sucked through the crankcase ventilation, overfilling doesn't usually cause harm. Best way to check is to run the engine until warm, turn off and check after it sits for about 20 mins.
Thanks for the help, I think it's probably a combination of what you said.
There's only one drain plug for sure, but I did make a pretty big mess when I took out the filter. The filter was also dripping oil, albeit very slowly (like 15 drips on the cardboard under the car since the last dealer oil change. I'm guessing it was either torqued on there too tight, or got clogged and started dripping. Hopefully it stops now that I've put on a high quality filter.
Because of the above, it was also probably low to begin with. I drove the car around, then took the dipstick out and let the car cool down a few hours. After further research, I learned that Subarus have basically the worst dipsticks ever, and are notoriously hard to read. After the above procedure I got a much cleaner reading, and I'm maybe 3/4 of the way to the full line. Not sure if it's worth cracking a bottle to get it dead on the full line at this point.
I also probably didn't drain it completely. I might have mentioned I drained it cold, but did wait for the dripping to slow. I now realize that probably leaves a lot in there, as I did try draining a bit from the valve, and it was already pretty dark.
The owners manual says the engine takes 4.8 quarts with filter replacement, I got two quarts out of it, plus whatever ended up in paper towels and cardboard, and put in 4 quarts (including pre-filling the filter).
Now that I know the proper procedure to get a clean reading on the dipstick, I'll be able to monitor this better next time.
-
I always warm up the car till at least the thermostat opens before I change the oil. You have to be more careful since the oil is hot but you get a much better oil drain.
-
I always warm up the car till at least the thermostat opens before I change the oil. You have to be more careful since the oil is hot but you get a much better oil drain.
I've always wondered how important that is... I mean, if I am getting 96% of the oil out draining it when it is cold, how much better would it be to warm it up and get 99% of the oil out?
It's been a family debate for us - my grandfather swore we had to heat The oil up to get every drop out we could. My dad fiercely disagreed and said the 0.1 quart extra made no functional difference, and it just add to the complexity and safety of the project (hot oil dripping on bare skin).
I've always changed it cold and replaced with synthetic, so far So good...
-
It has probably been mentioned on this thread before but my son and I had a debate with my DW this weekend. She was insisting that 3K was the optimum time for an oil change. We quickly googled that 10K is fine for light duty on her car. She didn't relinquish but I don't think she will be in a hurry.
As an aside I knew some rental car business owners who never changed the oil. They just sold the cars at 35K.
-
I've always wondered how important that is... I mean, if I am getting 96% of the oil out draining it when it is cold, how much better would it be to warm it up and get 99% of the oil out?
It's been a family debate for us - my grandfather swore we had to heat The oil up to get every drop out we could. My dad fiercely disagreed and said the 0.1 quart extra made no functional difference, and it just add to the complexity and safety of the project (hot oil dripping on bare skin).
I'd like to hear a good answer to this, too. My oil filter is on the front of the engine, right below the exhaust manifold, so I have to reach down between the (hot) radiator and the (even hotter) exhaust manifold to unscrew it.
-
It has probably been mentioned on this thread before but my son and I had a debate with my DW this weekend. She was insisting that 3K was the optimum time for an oil change. We quickly googled that 10K is fine for light duty on her car. She didn't relinquish but I don't think she will be in a hurry.
That's fine, as long as you keep in mind that "light duty" means "lots of freeway miles at relatively constant speed," not "sitting around most of the time, then used only for short trips in stop-and-go traffic."
-
I can buy a name brand filter for $1.99 on sale when ordering my other auto parts online (always handy to have a few around) and $24 will buy a case of conventional oil like Mobil or Valvoline when the local box stores run a sale, so there's definitely money to be saved, but for me the real value in doing it myself is knowing the job was done correctly. The high school kid at the lube place isn't going to know or care about the drain plug torque, nor will he find every grease zerk or bother reinstalling all the fasteners in aero panels (actually, you might be lucky if they reinstall the panels at all). In fact it's a real gamble if your filter is getting changed at all. Then there's the issue of overfilling the crankcase and the bait-and-switch oil brand/type tactics that are surprisingly common.
The worst is wheel balancing/rotation/tires. I take my rims off the car and drive them to the shop for any tire work. This avoids the "oh, those were reverse thread studs?" issue, over-torquing with the impact, egging out of the mounting holes, or downright laziness where they only swap one or two rims but charge you for the full rotation. If you ever get a flat, being able to remove your lug nuts with the wrench your car came with can be a real nice thing.
-
Some oil trapped in the filter?
Or... Some oil sumps have more than one drain. We had a 1995 Mustang where the oil pan was split and had a front and rear drain. The first time I drained the oil I was confused. It probably only drained 2 quarts and there was no f'in way it was that low. I crawled around under there and... damn if there were not (effectively) 2 oil pans.
It's likely that you were low, and that now you have the correct amount in there. Except for foaming the oil and possibly causing some to be sucked through the crankcase ventilation, overfilling doesn't usually cause harm. Best way to check is to run the engine until warm, turn off and check after it sits for about 20 mins.
Thanks for the help, I think it's probably a combination of what you said.
There's only one drain plug for sure, but I did make a pretty big mess when I took out the filter. The filter was also dripping oil, albeit very slowly (like 15 drips on the cardboard under the car since the last dealer oil change. I'm guessing it was either torqued on there too tight, or got clogged and started dripping. Hopefully it stops now that I've put on a high quality filter.
Because of the above, it was also probably low to begin with. I drove the car around, then took the dipstick out and let the car cool down a few hours. After further research, I learned that Subarus have basically the worst dipsticks ever, and are notoriously hard to read. After the above procedure I got a much cleaner reading, and I'm maybe 3/4 of the way to the full line. Not sure if it's worth cracking a bottle to get it dead on the full line at this point.
I also probably didn't drain it completely. I might have mentioned I drained it cold, but did wait for the dripping to slow. I now realize that probably leaves a lot in there, as I did try draining a bit from the valve, and it was already pretty dark.
The owners manual says the engine takes 4.8 quarts with filter replacement, I got two quarts out of it, plus whatever ended up in paper towels and cardboard, and put in 4 quarts (including pre-filling the filter).
Now that I know the proper procedure to get a clean reading on the dipstick, I'll be able to monitor this better next time.
Oil filters don't drip if they get clogged. They go into bypass mode and simply don't filter the oil. Dirty oil is better for a running engine than no oil.
If the filter was dripping when the engine was off, it was probably dripping a lot more when it was running. I'd bet that's where her oil went. And THAT is why it IS worth it to change your own.
I'd check the oil every week or so for a while - just to be sure.
Next time you change oil; put in the right amount. Drive it a day and check the oil level. Note where the proper amount of oil shows on the dipstick.
-
I can buy a name brand filter for $1.99 on sale when ordering my other auto parts online (always handy to have a few around) and $24 will buy a case of conventional oil like Mobil or Valvoline when the local box stores run a sale, so there's definitely money to be saved, but for me the real value in doing it myself is knowing the job was done correctly. The high school kid at the lube place isn't going to know or care about the drain plug torque, nor will he find every grease zerk or bother reinstalling all the fasteners in aero panels (actually, you might be lucky if they reinstall the panels at all). In fact it's a real gamble if your filter is getting changed at all. Then there's the issue of overfilling the crankcase and the bait-and-switch oil brand/type tactics that are surprisingly common.
The worst is wheel balancing/rotation/tires. I take my rims off the car and drive them to the shop for any tire work. This avoids the "oh, those were reverse thread studs?" issue, over-torquing with the impact, egging out of the mounting holes, or downright laziness where they only swap one or two rims but charge you for the full rotation. If you ever get a flat, being able to remove your lug nuts with the wrench your car came with can be a real nice thing.
Yeah I noticed the aero panel was missing when I did it. My naive wife always took it to the dealer so wtf
-
Hell yes, it is worth it. Do it to it, Sunny Pruet! If you get stumped, which I would be shocked if you do, check it out on Youtube. There's videos for doing every kind of imaginable car work right there.
-
I've always wondered how important that is... I mean, if I am getting 96% of the oil out draining it when it is cold, how much better would it be to warm it up and get 99% of the oil out?
It's been a family debate for us - my grandfather swore we had to heat The oil up to get every drop out we could. My dad fiercely disagreed and said the 0.1 quart extra made no functional difference, and it just add to the complexity and safety of the project (hot oil dripping on bare skin).
I'd like to hear a good answer to this, too. My oil filter is on the front of the engine, right below the exhaust manifold, so I have to reach down between the (hot) radiator and the (even hotter) exhaust manifold to unscrew it.
After warming up the car I do let the car sit on the ramps for 10-15 minutes before draining the oil (while opening hood, getting tools, drain pan, etc.) Then, after the drain plug is out I'll let it sit there for at least a half hour to get almost all of the oil out; I'll do other work while I'm waiting. I put the drain plug back in and then remove the oil filter. By then, the manifold isn't very hot.
-
I've always wondered how important that is... I mean, if I am getting 96% of the oil out draining it when it is cold, how much better would it be to warm it up and get 99% of the oil out?
It's been a family debate for us - my grandfather swore we had to heat The oil up to get every drop out we could. My dad fiercely disagreed and said the 0.1 quart extra made no functional difference, and it just add to the complexity and safety of the project (hot oil dripping on bare skin).
I've always changed it cold and replaced with synthetic, so far So good...
Part of it is that with the oil warm (agitated essentially), contaminants will be distributed evenly through the oil rather than sitting at the bottom. The difference might be larger than 3%. Course, with modern engines, oil, and filters being what they are, I don't think a larger difference in contaminants removed matters that much.
-
I've changed the oil in our '99 CR-V since new and its around ~290K miles right now. I've used Mobil 1 and a Wix filter since new. Our local NAPA has Filter Fridays once a month where I can get three oil filters for the price of two (as I recall). I buy several and put them on the shelf. I'm a BIG fan of Wix oil filters and never, ever use those Fram filters.
By the way NAPA Gold appears to be the same as the Wix filter (literally the same) with a different paint job. I toured another brand's filter plant a few years back and several commercial size oil filters for heavy equipment were coming off of the same line and getting different paint jobs and packaging.
I've also used Havoline conventional oil and Purolator filters on a Honda Accord and saw north of 300K miles. I run Havoline in my other used car.
A few reasons I don't trust shops or dealers:
Took my torque wrench to a tire store when I bought tires. They laughed when I wanted to torque my own lug nuts. His impact wrench and "dog bone" was tightening the lug nuts to 50% more than the specs called for. He assured me he could hit the torque spec right on. And he couldn't. They got really quiet after that.
Another shop - I paid for a tire rotation. They were really embarrassed when I caught them only rotating the tires on the driver's side. That was Wal-Mart. Our other Wal-Mart is generally good and I have relied on them for their evening hours. Tire patches, rotation and balancing. That's all. Two stores about ten miles apart and this store is very fastidious while the other has been sloppy for years.
Friend took her Chevy 4WD truck to Chevy ten years ago for an oil change. Followed by a detailed muti-point inspection. According to them her heavy duty truck's front end was worn out at 55K miles more or less. She brought it to me and I looked it over. Tight as could be. Still driving that same truck without a problem as it nears 90K I guess. Same dealer broke a spark plug off a friend's Saturn and tried to bill him for the repair/extraction. Head had to come off of the engine.
Another tire shop years ago tightened my Accord's lug nuts so tight that I needed a breaker bar to take it apart. They MIGHT have warped the hubs and wheels doing that. Also their front end alignment was so bad the car wandered all over the road. Took it to another shop where they put caster back into the front end and it drove like a new car.
Friend took his car to a mechanic for an oil change. Marked the oil filter with a lack marker on top. When he picked up the car they had not changed the filter as he suspected.
I do ALL my own work. I just can't justify the cost and the lack of trust these characters instill in me. I love to look all over my vehicle myself and look for leaks and rust.
Do your own maintenance. Start small. Watch YouTube. Visit forums specific to your vehicle brand and model for advice. Don't believe anything that you can't substantiate. I've heard some real fiction over the years. Was hard to educate myself past the fiction.
Oh - and buy a factory repair manual for your car. One repair in your garage will pay for it. The little $15 repair manuals are too generic to be useful beyond very basic repairs.
-
Some oil trapped in the filter?
Or... Some oil sumps have more than one drain. We had a 1995 Mustang where the oil pan was split and had a front and rear drain. The first time I drained the oil I was confused. It probably only drained 2 quarts and there was no f'in way it was that low. I crawled around under there and... damn if there were not (effectively) 2 oil pans.
It's likely that you were low, and that now you have the correct amount in there. Except for foaming the oil and possibly causing some to be sucked through the crankcase ventilation, overfilling doesn't usually cause harm. Best way to check is to run the engine until warm, turn off and check after it sits for about 20 mins.
Thanks for the help, I think it's probably a combination of what you said.
There's only one drain plug for sure, but I did make a pretty big mess when I took out the filter. The filter was also dripping oil, albeit very slowly (like 15 drips on the cardboard under the car since the last dealer oil change. I'm guessing it was either torqued on there too tight, or got clogged and started dripping. Hopefully it stops now that I've put on a high quality filter.
Because of the above, it was also probably low to begin with. I drove the car around, then took the dipstick out and let the car cool down a few hours. After further research, I learned that Subarus have basically the worst dipsticks ever, and are notoriously hard to read. After the above procedure I got a much cleaner reading, and I'm maybe 3/4 of the way to the full line. Not sure if it's worth cracking a bottle to get it dead on the full line at this point.
I also probably didn't drain it completely. I might have mentioned I drained it cold, but did wait for the dripping to slow. I now realize that probably leaves a lot in there, as I did try draining a bit from the valve, and it was already pretty dark.
The owners manual says the engine takes 4.8 quarts with filter replacement, I got two quarts out of it, plus whatever ended up in paper towels and cardboard, and put in 4 quarts (including pre-filling the filter).
Now that I know the proper procedure to get a clean reading on the dipstick, I'll be able to monitor this better next time.
Oil filters don't drip if they get clogged. They go into bypass mode and simply don't filter the oil. Dirty oil is better for a running engine than no oil.
If the filter was dripping when the engine was off, it was probably dripping a lot more when it was running. I'd bet that's where her oil went. And THAT is why it IS worth it to change your own.
I'd check the oil every week or so for a while - just to be sure.
Next time you change oil; put in the right amount. Drive it a day and check the oil level. Note where the proper amount of oil shows on the dipstick.
Well I just changed it again. Like an idiot, I never checked the level until now (10k miles). No reading on dipstick. 2 liters came out (including draining the old filter). Yikes -- hopefully her oil pressure light is functioning because it never came on.
Considering it's a Suburu*, I'm just going to assume she's burning a liter every 5k miles. The filter didn't have oil on it this time, nor is she dripping on the garage floor, so I don't think I can blame it on leaks.
Assuming she burns a 1/4 of her oil every 5k miles, should I top off the oil and keep the 10k interval, or just change to a 5k interval? It's almost all "light duty" highway driving.
*Subaru considers a quart burned every 1,000 to 1,200 miles to be acceptable
-
Well I just changed it again. Like an idiot, I never checked the level until now (10k miles). No reading on dipstick. 2 liters came out (including draining the old filter). Yikes -- hopefully her oil pressure light is functioning because it never came on.
Considering it's a Suburu*, I'm just going to assume she's burning a liter every 5k miles. The filter didn't have oil on it this time, nor is she dripping on the garage floor, so I don't think I can blame it on leaks.
Assuming she burns a 1/4 of her oil every 5k miles, should I top off the oil and keep the 10k interval, or just change to a 5k interval? It's almost all "light duty" highway driving.
*Subaru considers a quart burned every 1,000 to 1,200 miles to be acceptable
I have a good friend that works on a lot of Subarus. He just was discussing something he is starting to see on several of them. That being, they will go the first 4000 miles on a new oil change without burning a drip, then very reliably lose at least a qt. for every 1000 miles after that. If the customer is troubled by that, he just tells them to change the oil every 4K, and it will never burn oil. Like a lot of independent shops, he isn't doing this to push oil changes, since it's a break even job for them, and they don't really care if you DIY it.
-
Well I just changed it again. Like an idiot, I never checked the level until now (10k miles). No reading on dipstick. 2 liters came out (including draining the old filter). Yikes -- hopefully her oil pressure light is functioning because it never came on.
Considering it's a Suburu*, I'm just going to assume she's burning a liter every 5k miles. The filter didn't have oil on it this time, nor is she dripping on the garage floor, so I don't think I can blame it on leaks.
Assuming she burns a 1/4 of her oil every 5k miles, should I top off the oil and keep the 10k interval, or just change to a 5k interval? It's almost all "light duty" highway driving.
*Subaru considers a quart burned every 1,000 to 1,200 miles to be acceptable
I have a good friend that works on a lot of Subarus. He just was discussing something he is starting to see on several of them. That being, they will go the first 4000 miles on a new oil change without burning a drip, then very reliably lose at least a qt. for every 1000 miles after that. If the customer is troubled by that, he just tells them to change the oil every 4K, and it will never burn oil. Like a lot of independent shops, he isn't doing this to push oil changes, since it's a break even job for them, and they don't really care if you DIY it.
I might just try 5k intervals -- even with full synthetic, the cost per mile is still negligible compared to other maintenance costs (<1 cent per mile).
-
I don't need jacks or ramps. I can fit underneath enough to change the oil. It is kinds tight, but I make it work
I can just fit under my Mazda 3... and I am not tiny, so you may be able to fit too. But no way would i fit with a rolling mechanics cart - just a tarp, me and the oil pan. I am nervous about driving the car on ramps and I don't trust jacks except for changing tires.
-
I don't need jacks or ramps. I can fit underneath enough to change the oil. It is kinds tight, but I make it work
I can just fit under my Mazda 3... and I am not tiny, so you may be able to fit too. But no way would i fit with a rolling mechanics cart - just a tarp, me and the oil pan. I am nervous about driving the car on ramps and I don't trust jacks except for changing tires.
Just curious - why are you nervous about driving the car onto ramps? If you miss and drive off them it won't hurt the car (its about the same as driving slowly over a curb on the sidewalk). It's also pretty hard to do wrong - make sure your wheel is straight, align the ramps just in front of each front tire and then slowly drive up them until you feel the wheels come to the flat part (it's obvious).
There's no danger to your or the vehicle.
Another idea - I agree that you shouldn't get under a car that's lifted on a jack, but that's where jack stands (https://www.amazon.com/Torin-T42002-Jack-Stands-pair/dp/B0028JQYPG/ref=sr_1_1/184-1082802-2112265?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1465901112&sr=1-1)comes into play. There's no mechanical part to fail so they won't fall down on you, and they are cheap. Lift the vehicle up with your jack, place the stand, lower the jack. Repeat on the opposite side of the car.
-
Typically if you get a decent sized trolley jack.. Get a big one from Harbor frieght for about $140.
Usually there is a lifting point under the middle of the front of the car where you can lift both wheels at once. This is most cars, but a few newer cars seem to be doing away with central lifting points I have noticed these days.. Thats a pian cus its far easier to lift the whole front of the car than one side at a time.
Then put your ratchet axle stand under a frame member on each side.. Harbor Freight again.. You can then lower the car onto the stands and remove the jack if you need the extra room.
HF has a low frofile jack.. like just over 2inches tall, ideal for some of these lowered modern cars..
-
I don't need jacks or ramps. I can fit underneath enough to change the oil. It is kinds tight, but I make it work
I can just fit under my Mazda 3... and I am not tiny, so you may be able to fit too. But no way would i fit with a rolling mechanics cart - just a tarp, me and the oil pan. I am nervous about driving the car on ramps and I don't trust jacks except for changing tires.
Just curious - why are you nervous about driving the car onto ramps? If you miss and drive off them it won't hurt the car (its about the same as driving slowly over a curb on the sidewalk). It's also pretty hard to do wrong - make sure your wheel is straight, align the ramps just in front of each front tire and then slowly drive up them until you feel the wheels come to the flat part (it's obvious).
There's no danger to your or the vehicle.
Another idea - I agree that you shouldn't get under a car that's lifted on a jack, but that's where jack stands (https://www.amazon.com/Torin-T42002-Jack-Stands-pair/dp/B0028JQYPG/ref=sr_1_1/184-1082802-2112265?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1465901112&sr=1-1)comes into play. There's no mechanical part to fail so they won't fall down on you, and they are cheap. Lift the vehicle up with your jack, place the stand, lower the jack. Repeat on the opposite side of the car.
Yeah, but I would be pretty embarrassed if I missed the ramps. And if loud enough to have DH and neighbors come over, you get a dose of 'women shouldn't try mechanical things'. I like to fail in private, you know? ( not that they would say it, I would just think that they are thinking it). I try lots of new things like this and the first time you can look pretty inept, so I am careful about not showing fails in public as much as I can because many still get through.
Also ramps cost money.
I think we do have an extra proper jack already. But I also like reducing the steps to set up work if I can. I am only under the car once or twice a year, so as long as I fit without I will likely keep looking like an idiot. :-)
-
I don't need jacks or ramps. I can fit underneath enough to change the oil. It is kinds tight, but I make it work
I can just fit under my Mazda 3... and I am not tiny, so you may be able to fit too. But no way would i fit with a rolling mechanics cart - just a tarp, me and the oil pan. I am nervous about driving the car on ramps and I don't trust jacks except for changing tires.
Just curious - why are you nervous about driving the car onto ramps? If you miss and drive off them it won't hurt the car (its about the same as driving slowly over a curb on the sidewalk). It's also pretty hard to do wrong - make sure your wheel is straight, align the ramps just in front of each front tire and then slowly drive up them until you feel the wheels come to the flat part (it's obvious).
There's no danger to your or the vehicle.
Another idea - I agree that you shouldn't get under a car that's lifted on a jack, but that's where jack stands (https://www.amazon.com/Torin-T42002-Jack-Stands-pair/dp/B0028JQYPG/ref=sr_1_1/184-1082802-2112265?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1465901112&sr=1-1)comes into play. There's no mechanical part to fail so they won't fall down on you, and they are cheap. Lift the vehicle up with your jack, place the stand, lower the jack. Repeat on the opposite side of the car.
Yeah, but I would be pretty embarrassed if I missed the ramps. And if loud enough to have DH and neighbors come over, you get a dose of 'women shouldn't try mechanical things'. I like to fail in private, you know? ( not that they would say it, I would just think that they are thinking it). I try lots of new things like this and the first time you can look pretty inept, so I am careful about not showing fails in public as much as I can because many still get through.
Also ramps cost money.
I think we do have an extra proper jack already. But I also like reducing the steps to set up work if I can. I am only under the car once or twice a year, so as long as I fit without I will likely keep looking like an idiot. :-)
"Women shouldn't try mechanical things".. That really pisses me off! I have a number of gal pals that I have encouraged to do exactly that.. One of them changed her own timing belt the other day and does brakes oil changes that sort of thing.
I guess as a mechanical engineer that sees the value of women in the role I like to see them thrive doing "boy" stuff. I just hate when I see ladies that are told they should let their men do it.. F them!..Grr.
-
"Women shouldn't try mechanical things".. That really pisses me off! I have a number of gal pals that I have encouraged to do exactly that.. One of them changed her own timing belt the other day and does brakes oil changes that sort of thing.
I guess as a mechanical engineer that sees the value of women in the role I like to see them thrive doing "boy" stuff. I just hate when I see ladies that are told they should let their men do it.. F them!..Grr.
Ditto. One of the things that attracted me to my wife was that she could trouble-shoot an outboard engine, swap out car batteries and a number of simple tasks that the good-ol'-boys will say aren't for women.
Goldielocks - there's no reason for embarassement and it's virtually impossible to miss. Just place the ramps directly in front of the tires and don't turn the wheel when you drive onto them. The ridge along the back end will keep you from driving too far.
If somehow you miss there won't be any loud sounds or damage... just turn the car off, re-position the ramps and try again. On one will he the wiser.
As for cost... true they cost some money, but they're truly a BIFL product, very cheap and you can often find them for free or nearly free (try freecycle, craigslist, etc). You can recoup the cost after just an oil change or two, and unlike jacks, you can put your car on ramps in under 2 minutes.
-
FWIW, jack stands are still a good investment if you plan to do your own car maintenance, even if you have ramps. If you're doing brake or suspension work, or other work that requires removing a wheel, you'll need 'jacks.
-
Yeah, but I would be pretty embarrassed if I missed the ramps.
Also ramps cost money.
Miss the ramps?!?!? IMPOSSIBLE!!
You move the car to where you have room to move forward - onto the ramps.
You put the ramps RIGHT in front of the tires.
You driver the car straight forward, onto the ramps.
Cost money?
I do have store-bought ramps, somewhere. They were a gift.
The ramps I use are 3.5' long 2x10s bolted to 2, 14" 2x4s (ea), about a foot apart at one end.
And I only use one to change the oil.
A tarp is easy to slide on.
A carpet remnant is better in winter (in Wisc).
-
FYI - Both Costco and Walmart are running deals right now on Mobile1 synthetic. Costco $26.99 for 6x 1QT case and Walmart 22.88 for 5QT jug (around $4.5 per QT). Good time to stock up!
Hmm... I'm point out that I have had vehicles with 200k miles that have "probably" never seen synthetic oil in their lives. I did put it in my Neon Manual transmission because you never change it so why wouldn't you?
In the engine though?.. thats a lot of very spendy oil over 200k miles and both the absolute cheapest stuff I can find has the same API rating on the bottle as does the synthetic stuff.. (What are we up to N rated now?).
$22.88 is good for synthetic but I think I paid $12 the other day for a 5QT jug of the normal stuff.
Note I am not crying "BS" (yet) and if I had an expensive car that the manufacturer said I HAD to have synthetic I probably would.. But my suspicion is it make very little if any difference.
Of course the price of engine oil will come back up at some point.
-
FYI - Both Costco and Walmart are running deals right now on Mobile1 synthetic. Costco $26.99 for 6x 1QT case and Walmart 22.88 for 5QT jug (around $4.5 per QT). Good time to stock up!
Hmm... I'm point out that I have had vehicles with 200k miles that have "probably" never seen synthetic oil in their lives. I did put it in my Neon Manual transmission because you never change it so why wouldn't you?
In the engine though?.. thats a lot of very spendy oil over 200k miles and both the absolute cheapest stuff I can find has the same API rating on the bottle as does the synthetic stuff.. (What are we up to N rated now?).
$22.88 is good for synthetic but I think I paid $12 the other day for a 5QT jug of the normal stuff.
Note I am not crying "BS" (yet) and if I had an expensive car that the manufacturer said I HAD to have synthetic I probably would.. But my suspicion is it make very little if any difference.
Of course the price of engine oil will come back up at some point.
With 200k+ miles I wouldn't change anything, but on a lower mileage car, I'd say synthetic oil lasts about 2x as long, so the extra money isn't going nowhere. ~5k mile oil change on regular or ~10k with synthetic you should be golden. I change mine when the little computer light tells me to (which is actually a little less often than I'd expect).
-
Suburu now "requires" synthetic oil. Do you really think they are doing that just for profit? I'd suspect an engineering basis for this requirement (if only to counteract their oil-eating engines)
-
"Women shouldn't try mechanical things".. That really pisses me off! I have a number of gal pals that I have encouraged to do exactly that.. One of them changed her own timing belt the other day and does brakes oil changes that sort of thing.
I guess as a mechanical engineer that sees the value of women in the role I like to see them thrive doing "boy" stuff. I just hate when I see ladies that are told they should let their men do it.. F them!..Grr.
Ditto. One of the things that attracted me to my wife was that she could trouble-shoot an outboard engine, swap out car batteries and a number of simple tasks that the good-ol'-boys will say aren't for women.
Goldielocks - there's no reason for embarassement and it's virtually impossible to miss. Just place the ramps directly in front of the tires and don't turn the wheel when you drive onto them. The ridge along the back end will keep you from driving too far.
If somehow you miss there won't be any loud sounds or damage... just turn the car off, re-position the ramps and try again. On one will he the wiser.
As for cost... true they cost some money, but they're truly a BIFL product, very cheap and you can often find them for free or nearly free (try freecycle, craigslist, etc). You can recoup the cost after just an oil change or two, and unlike jacks, you can put your car on ramps in under 2 minutes.
Okay, you convinced me. I think my dad may still have a set of ramps, and as he is 74 now and prefers to spend his time building things rather than repairing vehicles, maybe he will let me "store" them for him.
BTW - I am an engineer, too, and I work in Industrial Building Design -- think manufacturing plants, fertilizer plants, bus repair depots, military helicopter repair shops, that sort of thing. I am just a bit more "brainy" than "handsy" so a bit clumsy before I practice with tools.
-
Cool.. I'm a mechanical P.E. in Oregon.. I spent the last 30 years building wafter fabs.. its been a fun job.
I don't personally like ramps myself..:)
-
Cool.. I'm a mechanical P.E. in Oregon.. I spent the last 30 years building wafter fabs.. its been a fun job.
Wafter fabs? Is that a new thing for wine snobs? :P
-
Cool.. I'm a mechanical P.E. in Oregon.. I spent the last 30 years building wafter fabs.. its been a fun job.
Wafter fabs? Is that a new thing for wine snobs? :P
Haha.. Wafer fabs I meant to say.. Factories that silicon chips are made in..:)
-
Yeah, but I would be pretty embarrassed if I missed the ramps.
Also ramps cost money.
Miss the ramps?!?!? IMPOSSIBLE!!
You move the car to where you have room to move forward - onto the ramps.
You put the ramps RIGHT in front of the tires.
You driver the car straight forward, onto the ramps.
Cost money?
I do have store-bought ramps, somewhere. They were a gift.
The ramps I use are 3.5' long 2x10s bolted to 2, 14" 2x4s (ea), about a foot apart at one end.
And I only use one to change the oil.
A tarp is easy to slide on.
A carpet remnant is better in winter (in Wisc).
Pretty sure this is how you miss.
(http://www.imgtree.net/files/xmyfrhe5gsxzslsux5uz.gif)
-
We borrowed my sister-in-law's car while she's out of the country, and part of the deal was taking care of the oil change it needs. In my mind, an oil change takes 20 minutes and can be done in my driveway whenever I damn well please.
This had to be scheduled at the Toyota dealer (because warranty) almost a week in advance at a stupid time, half an hour away. So next Tuesday at 8pm I get to drive half an hour each way, let them do their thing, and probably charge me fifty bucks. Likely will end up being 1.5-2 hours of my Tuesday night.
I'm glad I normally just DIY on our own cars. It's so much easier. This just feels asinine.
-
We borrowed my sister-in-law's car while she's out of the country, and part of the deal was taking care of the oil change it needs. In my mind, an oil change takes 20 minutes and can be done in my driveway whenever I damn well please.
This had to be scheduled at the Toyota dealer (because warranty) almost a week in advance at a stupid time, half an hour away. So next Tuesday at 8pm I get to drive half an hour each way, let them do their thing, and probably charge me fifty bucks. Likely will end up being 1.5-2 hours of my Tuesday night.
I'm glad I normally just DIY on our own cars. It's so much easier. This just feels asinine.
"because warranty"
-
We borrowed my sister-in-law's car while she's out of the country, and part of the deal was taking care of the oil change it needs. In my mind, an oil change takes 20 minutes and can be done in my driveway whenever I damn well please.
This had to be scheduled at the Toyota dealer (because warranty) almost a week in advance at a stupid time, half an hour away. So next Tuesday at 8pm I get to drive half an hour each way, let them do their thing, and probably charge me fifty bucks. Likely will end up being 1.5-2 hours of my Tuesday night.
I'm glad I normally just DIY on our own cars. It's so much easier. This just feels asinine.
"because warranty"
Those were her words, and it's her car, so we'll do it the way she wants. Even though it's obnoxious.
-
Indeed.. Actually the only new car I ever bought I was allowed to do the maintenance without voiding the warranty as long as I kept the log filled out.
It went back for a few warranty claims and they always honoured it.
But as you say.. Her words..:)
-
Indeed.. Actually the only new car I ever bought I was allowed to do the maintenance without voiding the warranty as long as I kept the log filled out.
It went back for a few warranty claims and they always honoured it.
But as you say.. Her words..:)
Yeah, I'm sure everyone here is aware of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson%E2%80%93Moss_Warranty_Act
-
For years we had a trusted mechanic (a man and his son) who did all the work on our cars. The oil change cost about the same as my husband doing it, and they rotated the tires. Occasionally they would even throw in a free oil change. They got to know the car intimately and were great to work with. In that case, letting them do it made sense.
Then we moved. I took my car to the local mechanic who had been highly recommended. Picked it up later -- he charged $85 for the oil change. Taken aback, I asked why so much. His daughter was behind the counter and she was honest "Dad hates doing oil changes." Now my husband does the oil changes. He takes the car in when it needs its tires rotated to the place where we bought the tires -- another small local shop that has so far proved honest.
-
For years we had a trusted mechanic (a man and his son) who did all the work on our cars. The oil change cost about the same as my husband doing it, and they rotated the tires. Occasionally they would even throw in a free oil change. They got to know the car intimately and were great to work with. In that case, letting them do it made sense.
Then we moved. I took my car to the local mechanic who had been highly recommended. Picked it up later -- he charged $85 for the oil change. Taken aback, I asked why so much. His daughter was behind the counter and she was honest "Dad hates doing oil changes." Now my husband does the oil changes. He takes the car in when it needs its tires rotated to the place where we bought the tires -- another small local shop that has so far proved honest.
Ah tire rotation... Yet another item I'd prefer to do myself due to the dealership crossthreading my wife's lug nuts (requiring cutting and replacement of the bolt) and the fact that everyone over torques. I'd like my wife to actually be able to get the tire off if she ever finds herself stranded-- not happening when people go crazy with Power drivers
-
Always worth doing yourself if you are physically capable.
I use a 12$ Extended Drain Filter by Mobil, and Toyota Genuine 0w20 Synthetic (Best oil for the price as per Bob is the Oil guy Forum) in my Mazda2. Total Cost about $40 for 4L oil with filter, and When I do it myself I use all 4 L of Oil. I will run this stuff about 12-15K kms or 1 year with no worries about extending the interval. Oil comes out very clean even after all those kilometers, if you aren't driving short trips and are driving in such a manner that gets you above typical MPG.
Reasons to D.I.Y.
1. It can be done in LESS time than it takes you to go to a dealership or quick lube place.
2.Your Drain bolt and doesn't get overtorqued (tightened) by minimum wage worker that barely knows how to turn a wrench, and you therefore wont have to repair or replace your oil pan.
3. You get more oil out on the change than a shop technician would, and you can fill to the proper level.
4. It costs less. No one does anything for free. If you can get it done for 40$ labour included, they are not using anymore than 20$ worth of materials, and will upsell you to death to make money.
5. You can monitor your engine's oil consumption better. My 2013 believe it or not was using oil when I decided to try Mobil 1 0w30. Doesn't burn a drop with the Toyota Oil.
Now, as far as cold or hot, I always do STONE cold, meaning I don't start the vehicle for at least 8hrs before draining, I always get a TON of old oil out. If you're doing it hot, its gotta be piping hot, and you've gotta wait for all the oil to drip down off of the valve train, which takes forever. Ambient temperature oil flows slowly, but it's all sitting in the lower part of the engine. If you lift the front end of the car you will get more oil out (hot or cold). Either way is fine, just don't run the vehicle for a few minutes before and expect it to drain properly, (worst is just moving the car just a bit before the drain).
As for relying on a pro to inspect things while under there, there isn't a whole lot that could go wrong that would fall under preventative maintenance, except for torn CV joint boots which can be replaced before you need expensive new CV Joints, have a look at them and if they are spraying grease everywhere, you need new ones. All other suspension/steering joints/bushings you should feel while driving before any novice technician is going to notice while under the car doing an oil change. As for brake inspections, when changing/ rotating wheels you can have a peek through the little window on the caliper to see how much Pad is left, if you have drums they rarely ever need servicing, you could have a more knowledgeable person help you inspect them. Any Oil leaks you may notice you would probably ignore if they are a slow leak since most oil leaks are very expensive to repair and require engine overhaul or transmission overhaul (usually game over on an old Mustachian Car)