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How many of you change your own oil?

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Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: Fritzo
I've never seen the point of doing it myself. For around $20, I get 5 quarts of oil, the filter, all of my fluids topped off, and the oil gets properly disposed of. Seems like a fine deal to me.

Some places even throw in a free car wash.
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For $20, you're probably getting half your used oil changed, if you're lucky they'll use a new crappy filter (instead of just not changing the filter at all), maybe they'll bother to retighten your drain plug, and you get a friendly young guy to tell you that "while they were working" they "noticed" that you needed new muffler bearings at $200 each. For me, it's worth a few extra minutes and a bit more hassle to know that it was changed correctly, with quality fluids and parts.
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not when you have a reliable mechanic.

 
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: sao123
changing oil is easy.
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Getting rid of the used oil is a PITA though.
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I take it to the auto parts store the next time I go for oil. Quick and easy.
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Pouring it back into the containers, hauling it to the auto parts store, dumping it in the big drum and then disposing of the empty containers is more hassle than I care to deal with. Personally, I'd much rather pay the $10 extra it costs to have someone else change it for me...it's just not worth my time.
 
To all the people who do your own oil change here's a :cookie:

I personally would rather drop the car off at the shop during lunch, borrow their loaner car for the rest of the day and pick my car up when I get off work. And they even wash it afterwards too. No worries!
 
I've done it myself before, but its just so much nicer to go down the shop, pay $25, and be done in 10 minutes.
 
I change my own oil mostly because I am cheap. Paying $39.99 or more (some dealers are charging $89.99 or more for so called PREMIUM oil change service!) is just stupid.

Changing the oil in my SUV is really easy, I don't even have to jack it up - just slide under and go to work. Using ramps is far easier for changing the oil in a car then jack/jack stands. If the wheels don?t have to come off I use the ramps. I can change the oil in both of my vehicle in less than 45 minutes ? that includes cleaning up, putting all my tools away, throwing trash out, cleaning my oil catch pan, etc. That works out to about 15 minutes per vehicle plus the extra tasks.

The trick to changing your own oil and making it go smoothly is to use some common sense. This has to be about the EASIEST car maintenance task of all. Unscrew one bolt, let oil drain, unscrew filter, let oil drain. Replace bolt and filter, poor in new oil, clean up ? DONE! Anyone with half a brain can think their way through an oil change ? even if you have no experience working on cars at all.

Used oil is NOT a big deal. I buy my oil in 5 quart jugs. The used oil goes back into the jug that the new oil came from. The next day on the way to work I stop by an auto parts store that is on the way and leave the jug with them - this takes 1 minute tops. Ohh so incontinent!!
 
I have always done them on my new Camry. Besides to get a Mobil1 oil change is like $50+ screw that! I pay $24 for 4 quarts of oil plus $4 for my filter. Much cheaper.
 
I get my oil changed for $5.99 at the place I bought my tires from as a bonus from buying the tires. No reason to waste the time doing it myself and I can't get the oil for that cheap anyway.
 
Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
I get my oil changed for $5.99 at the place I bought my tires from as a bonus from buying the tires. No reason to waste the time doing it myself and I can't get the oil for that cheap anyway.
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If I had were able to get an oil change at that price I wouldn't do it myself.
 
Originally posted by: zixxer
Originally posted by: Fritzo
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: Fritzo
I've never seen the point of doing it myself. For around $20, I get 5 quarts of oil, the filter, all of my fluids topped off, and the oil gets properly disposed of. Seems like a fine deal to me.

Some places even throw in a free car wash.
Click to expand...

For $20, you're probably getting half your used oil changed, if you're lucky they'll use a new crappy filter (instead of just not changing the filter at all), maybe they'll bother to retighten your drain plug, and you get a friendly young guy to tell you that "while they were working" they "noticed" that you needed new muffler bearings at $200 each. For me, it's worth a few extra minutes and a bit more hassle to know that it was changed correctly, with quality fluids and parts.
Click to expand...

They must spend a lot of time refilling those 1 QT oil containers and resealing all the oil boxes against the wall, because they pour the oil right out of the container, plus they use Fram filters, which is what I would buy if I went to Autozone anyway. Been doing it for 15 years now and have never had a single problem. If your filter needs changed, they'll show it to you. If you want to buy one, there's like a $3 premium, or I can go buy one myself. They don't deal with any other repairs other than fluid replacement, so they don't try to find fake repairs to fix (which I've never experienced anyway). I think you guys are overly paranoid. You should be more worried about the guy making your hamburger picking his nose as it's a lot more likely.
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Fram sucks bigtime. Use purolator, it's worth buying your own filter even if they use yours rather than theirs.
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Again...15 years...never had a problem.
 
Originally posted by: Pale Rider
I change my own oil mostly because I am cheap. Paying $39.99 or more (some dealers are charging $89.99 or more for so called PREMIUM oil change service!) is just stupid.

Changing the oil in my SUV is really easy, I don't even have to jack it up - just slide under and go to work. Using ramps is far easier for changing the oil in a car then jack/jack stands. If the wheels don?t have to come off I use the ramps. I can change the oil in both of my vehicle in less than 45 minutes ? that includes cleaning up, putting all my tools away, throwing trash out, cleaning my oil catch pan, etc. That works out to about 15 minutes per vehicle plus the extra tasks.

The trick to changing your own oil and making it go smoothly is to use some common sense. This has to be about the EASIEST car maintenance task of all. Unscrew one bolt, let oil drain, unscrew filter, let oil drain. Replace bolt and filter, poor in new oil, clean up ? DONE! Anyone with half a brain can think their way through an oil change ? even if you have no experience working on cars at all.

Used oil is NOT a big deal. I buy my oil in 5 quart jugs. The used oil goes back into the jug that the new oil came from. The next day on the way to work I stop by an auto parts store that is on the way and leave the jug with them - this takes 1 minute tops. Ohh so incontinent!!
Click to expand...

Where do you live that oil changes cost $40???? I can get all synthetic oil here for $30. Standard oil changes cost between $15 and $25.
 
Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
I get my oil changed for $5.99 at the place I bought my tires from as a bonus from buying the tires. No reason to waste the time doing it myself and I can't get the oil for that cheap anyway.
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where did you manage that? thats below the cost of the oil alone. you buy expensive tires?
 
Honestly, I can do it myself for like $14 but I can get it done on special for $21. It's worth it to not spend time and effort climbing under their, disposing of the old oil, etc.
 
I used to but quit a few years back. Now my wife just drops it by the WalMart auto department while she shops.
 
Originally posted by: Yreka
I change my own.
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Good video. I'll bet the same thing happens at Valvoline Instant Oil Change too. That's probably why they always tell you to hang out in their waiting room while they "work" on your car. I usually try to stay with my vehicle when I go to those places. Yet another reason to just to it yourself.
 
I've done it before, but after taking the cost of oil/filters/ridiculously cold weather into consideration it's worth the few extra bucks to get it done. Though, after my last experience with the mechanic I don't exactly trust them anymore so things might change...
 
Originally posted by: ScottFern
I have always done them on my new Camry. Besides to get a Mobil1 oil change is like $50+ screw that! I pay $24 for 4 quarts of oil plus $4 for my filter. Much cheaper.
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Do you spill a little oil removing the filter? I have the cure for that.
 
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