Do you change your own oil?

[Muadib]

Nope. Free synthetic at dealer.

I agree. Mine is free until 50k miles.

 

[k3n]

I used to on all the cars I own but can't at my current apartment. Some neighbors have called the landlord for someone working on their motorcycle in their parking space.

Was the motorcyclist making noise by any chance? Such as hitting things with hammer?

Anyway, I perform some work on my car at parking lots/side of isolated roads during night time.

One representative at an indy shop told me, when rotating tire of front wheel drive cars, it 'isn't necessary' to criss-cross the tires. Another reason I prefer to work on the car myself. Also the mechanic I use to go to didn't tell me about how much oil the car was leaking, but I guess that's not a big deal, if you believe in the 3000 mile oil change myth. Also the drain bolt was torqued to like 80ft lbs instead of 30.

 

[NutBucket]

Uh, lots of folks don't criss-cross tires. In fact, many manufacturers tell you to only go front to rear.

 

[jlee]

Uh, lots of folks don't criss-cross tires. In fact, many manufacturers tell you to only go front to rear.

I don't own anything where a criss-cross rotation is possible.

 

[NutBucket]

I just go front to back. Works well enough to even out wear from cornering

 

[Yuriman]

My MR2 and Speed6 didn't have one when I got them - I haven't bothered to find replacements.

Sometimes, I put bigger ones on... :awe:

Nice pan!

Here's mine (from the back of the car):

~

My car has a magnesium oil pan, and it's stupid easy to strip. I used a dealer for oil changes in a pinch a few times, but eventually added a Fumoto valve and tube. I can actually reach the valve (and filter) from above the engine, so it's just a matter of kicking the oil catch under the car, reaching behind the engine and turning a lever, waiting a few minutes, then filling it back up.

Engine holds 2.5 quarts so it's about $12 for Mobile One 0W20, plus a filter, to do a change.

 

[sontakke]

Really?! An independent shop that will allow you to bring your own oil and filter on a service that is basically a loss leader? Not to mention if his insurance agent saw customers in the service area standing around, his policy could be canceled or raised. What would happen if you tripped on some oil and fell and broke your leg? What would happen if the filter you brought in leaked and damaged your engine?

By the time you go to Walmart, purchase your filter and oil, you will easily have almost $20 into the oil change. The Indie would need to charge you just $10 for labor to make it come out the same as other shops charging $29.95. Shops that allow customers to bring in their own parts run very big risks in liability besides losing money on parts. There is a reason why we have been seeing a decline of the independent shops.

I understand how lucky I am. But there is mutual respect and understanding between the shop owner and myself. He knows that I know and I take the responsibility for my own diagnosis. I never ever question his charges. On the contrary, I keep on telling him that he does not charge me enough. I also do not hesitate to hand him big jobs such as timing belts instead of finding a "dealer with coupon" or gravy jobs such as radiator replacement or brake job. Often he will hand me his personal car if I a job is going to take long time and I could not hang around. AND, this is the most important part, if I get "the dreaded call", I give him immediate authorization without even asking for the price. Come to think of it, I have never even asked for an estimate before any repair.

I had no prior relationship with the shop. Just going there for oil changes and inspection over a decade turned it in to this type of relationship.

When I started going there, all my vehicles were new and needed nothing but oil changes. So when the 1st brake job as done, the owner told me "now I make money off you!!"

So, yes; it is possible to find good and honest independent places.

 

[sontakke]

Really?! An independent shop that will allow you to bring your own oil and filter on a service that is basically a loss leader? Not to mention if his insurance agent saw customers in the service area standing around, his policy could be canceled or raised. What would happen if you tripped on some oil and fell and broke your leg? What would happen if the filter you brought in leaked and damaged your engine?

By the time you go to Walmart, purchase your filter and oil, you will easily have almost $20 into the oil change. The Indie would need to charge you just $10 for labor to make it come out the same as other shops charging $29.95. Shops that allow customers to bring in their own parts run very big risks in liability besides losing money on parts. There is a reason why we have been seeing a decline of the independent shops.

I understand how lucky I am. But there is mutual respect and understanding between the shop owner and myself. He knows that I know and I take the responsibility for my own diagnosis. I never ever question his charges. On the contrary, I keep on telling him that he does not charge me enough. I also do not hesitate to hand him big jobs such as timing belts instead of finding a "dealer with coupon" or gravy jobs such as radiator replacement or brake job. Often he will hand me his personal car if I a job is going to take long time and I could not hang around. AND, this is the most important part, if I get "the dreaded call", I give him immediate authorization without even asking for the price. Come to think of it, I have never even asked for an estimate before any repair.

I had no prior relationship with the shop. Just going there for oil changes and inspection over a decade turned it in to this type of relationship.

When I started going there, all my vehicles were new and needed nothing but oil changes. So when the 1st brake job came due, the owner told me "Now I make money off you!!"

So, yes; it is possible to find good and honest independent places.

 

[mizzou]

It's faster and better when I change it myself. I know exactly whats going in it.

 

[Brian Stirling]

I change my oil probably 75% of the time but it I need to change it and the weather's really bad I'll pay someone else to do it.

I use synthetic oil (Mobil-1) and I like to change the oil about every 5000-6500 miles and when I do I rotate the tires and give the car a once over. Takes me about 45 minutes start to finish. I live in an apartment complex and we're not supposed to do any work on our cars so I wait till Sunday when the staff is not here and then I have everything ready so I don't take any longer than needed.

I have a compressor I could use to drive an impact gun, but doing so consumes the tank and I have no power to refill the tank in the parking lot so instead I use my electrical impact gun for tire changes and the compressor is for pressuring the tires. I generally use the Ryobi but if the nuts are stuck (rusted on) I bring out the IR W7150 and that has over 1000' lbs to break the nuts loose.


Brian

 

[HeXen]

I still chuckle at the importance people place on synthetics over non synths. The piston rings, camshaft and crankshaft bearings..etc inside of motors will outlast the rest of the car on average, most people have long sold the car before it wears that badly anyway. Meanwhile most people never change their shocks when they go bad or even realize it, same with bushings, seals, lines....but oh, gotta use synthetic oil.

I've rebuilt a lot of motors, trannies and rear ends when I was young, I'm amazed at the things people neglect vs the things they would have been better off neglecting instead. If it's same price fine, but don't waste money on synth otherwise. The Consumer Reports teardown of NYC taxi cabs project to compare wear and tear proves that you can just replace with cheap oil and it lasts just the same.

 

[Engineer]

Just changed my 2015 Jeep Patriot's oil. 50 minutes. Would have been quicker had I not dropped the damn funnel at the end spilling about 4 oz. oil all over the engine cover, damnit. Cleanup on aisle 1 please!

 

[Herr Kutz]

I agree. Mine is free until 50k miles.

Free, kind of like how 2-day shipping is free when you're an amazon prime member (i.e. it's not free, you pay upfront).

 

[desura]

So would it be better to change oil on a sloping driveway to better drain it out of the plug? And for that matter, most commercial places suck he oil out from the top, right? Does it drain worse that way?

 

[jackofalltrades]

I don't trust anyone to do my service work and have seen lube places get caught not doing the work too many times. When I was 18 I told my mom To scratch her oil filter and take to the dealer, when she got back home same scratch on the filter, no more business and had to give a refund.

 

[Raizinman]

So would it be better to change oil on a sloping driveway to better drain it out of the plug? And for that matter, most commercial places suck he oil out from the top, right? Does it drain worse that way?

A sloping drive way can assist you as long as your oil drain plug is facing down the slope. Would certainly make draining the oil faster. As for places that use the vacuum machine to suck it out the dipstick; in an emergency or such, sure it works for getting about 90% of the oil out of the pan. But keep in mind that the dirtiest, crudiest oil is at the bottom of your oil pan, which is where this vacuum tool cannot get. It will leave about a half cup of oil in your pan.

 

[Crono]

Yes, though I'm lazy enough that I'll probably get my oil changed at same time as upcoming state inspection.

 

[Chapbass]

Nope. I don't have a garage (live in a highrise) so no real room to do it, and to save $20 minus the cost of the oil + filter, meh.

 

[Phynaz]

Nope. Dealer a mile away does $9.95 oil changes. Drop off car, walk across the street for lunch, pick up car.

 

[Ackmed]

On 3 out of 4 vehicles I do not. Only one I change is my old muscle car. I enjoy taking my time doing that, tinkering. I let the shop do the others because they check all fluids, air, etc. The cost savings is not an issue for me on them.

 

[k3n]

I change my oil probably 75% of the time but it I need to change it and the weather's really bad I'll pay someone else to do it.

I use synthetic oil (Mobil-1) and I like to change the oil about every 5000-6500 miles and when I do I rotate the tires and give the car a once over. Takes me about 45 minutes start to finish. I live in an apartment complex and we're not supposed to do any work on our cars so I wait till Sunday when the staff is not here and then I have everything ready so I don't take any longer than needed.

I have a compressor I could use to drive an impact gun, but doing so consumes the tank and I have no power to refill the tank in the parking lot so instead I use my electrical impact gun for tire changes and the compressor is for pressuring the tires. I generally use the Ryobi but if the nuts are stuck (rusted on) I bring out the IR W7150 and that has over 1000' lbs to break the nuts loose.


Brian

One of the reason I use synth, is the interval of 8,000 miles rather than 5 thousand miles, and also they don't expire with age.

Also switching back to conventional oil decreased my fuel economy by ~1.75 mpg. Car's an 01 integra with 200k miles.

 

[who?]

I changed the oil in the Subaru I used to have but my Focus has the filter up the back of the engine so I take it to the dealer. I like synthetic in the winter because of the easier starting with no paraffin in the oil.

 

[who?]

If you get it up to normal operating temperature and keep driving for a while a lot of the crud build up evaporates and the pcv system sucks it into the intake to get burned up with the fuel and air.

 

[mizzou]

If you buy your own oil & filter, look for good deals at autoparts stores or online. If it's really good, buy as many as the good deal as you can.

I always try to keep a stock of enough oil and filters for 2 oil changes. Rarely I will have a oil filter mess up, but I typically use the extra oil to top off burnt oil in my old engine.

 

[_Rick_]

My Lotus has a completely flat bottom. Even on a lift, the mechanic took nearly 45 minutes to undo the cover, drain oil. install the filter, redo the cover, prevent rattling and then fill it up with oil again.

Not something I want to do under some jackstands lying on my back in the murky shadow.

For more normal cars, I might do it myself, if I don't need a big service anyway and just get it done while I'm at a mechanic for a belt replacement or what not.