How many of you change your own oil?

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JC86

Senior member
Jan 18, 2007
694
0
0
every 5k change i do myself . . .every 15l major tune up, i go to dealer, but bring my own oil
 

bluestrobe

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2004
2,033
1
0
I change my own. I don't care for some highschool dropout putting the drain plug on with an impact wrench. They did on my last vehicle and stripped the threads and denied doing it.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
I used to do it myself all the time, but I have a decent express place near me & its just not worth my trouble anymore.

I still do most of the maintenence on my motorcycle though.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
53,067
47,181
136
When I had my truck I let the oil change lackeys do it since it was cheap and the model was so common as to be impossible to fvck up.

Past the three free oil changes I got with the Legacy GT I do it myself.
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,797
5,967
146
Originally posted by: Jahee
Originally posted by: skyking
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.

Do you spill a little oil removing the filter? I have the cure for that.


Oh please do tell :)

My '98 has the filter on the front of the engine, easy to reach. It tilts upward a bit. If you just remove it, it will dump oil down the front of the engine and pan. I poke a hole in the top corner of the filter with a screwdriver and go have a cup of coffee. With the air vented in, every last drop of oil drains into the pan.
 

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81
Meh, I did it myself for the first several years of car use...but it's so cheap at Walmart that it's almost not worth doing it anymore, despite losing the huge e-penis
 

Staples

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2001
4,953
119
106
It is messy and it is not like you are paying $30 service fee.

As long as I can have it done cheaply, I will probably never do it myself.
 

Hyperlite

Diamond Member
May 25, 2004
5,664
2
76
did it for the first time a few months ago, i'll never look back. i'll miss the helpful staff at jiffylube LOL
 

Jahee

Platinum Member
Sep 21, 2006
2,072
0
0
Originally posted by: skyking
Originally posted by: Jahee
Originally posted by: skyking
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.

Do you spill a little oil removing the filter? I have the cure for that.


Oh please do tell :)

My '98 has the filter on the front of the engine, easy to reach. It tilts upward a bit. If you just remove it, it will dump oil down the front of the engine and pan. I poke a hole in the top corner of the filter with a screwdriver and go have a cup of coffee. With the air vented in, every last drop of oil drains into the pan.


Interesting, i have that same problem, i'll be sure to do that next time i do a change!

Thanks :thumbsup:

 

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81
Originally posted by: Staples
It is messy and it is not like you are paying $30 service fee.

As long as I can have it done cheaply, I will probably never do it myself.

Meh...I'd recommend at least doing it a couple times yourself so you know what right looks like.

But after that, you're right.

Buying oil and filter + changing oil + disposing of oil isn't worth the difference in price between buying oil and filter and having it changed at Walmart
 

Dritnul

Senior member
Jan 9, 2006
781
0
0
no but i dont pay others to change it
so would u still change it if u could have others do it free?
 

SmoochyTX

Lifer
Apr 19, 2003
13,615
0
0
I pay somebody to do it.

I changed oil long enough in my parent's cars and other (customer's) cars so I could do it if I wanted to in my own car.
 

WackyDan

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,794
68
91
Originally posted by: Jahee
Originally posted by: Rogodin2
I just finished my 5000 mile oil change and brake fluid flush.

I was just curious.

Rogo


You flush brake fluid after every 5000 miles too? that stuff lasts for years!

No... Brake fluid gets contaminated with moisture the minute you unscrew the cap on the bottle. It continues to degrade over time, absorbing more and more moisture. After a while, this means that it is corroding your braking system from the inside out, and that the boiling point of the brake fluid is lower, resulting in reduced capacity for high heat braking.
 

WackyDan

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2004
4,794
68
91
Originally posted by: Jahee
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I did for a while a couple years ago but it's just not worth it to me anymore. I can drop my car off at the shop and ride my bike in to work so it's not at all inconvenient. Getting rid of used motor oil is far more inconvenient.


Thats a good point, oil from my last change is just sitting in my garden in a plastic bowl, havent even thought about how i'm gonna get it across the city to dump it!

Most local recycling centers will take it. Some garages will take it and use it in special furnaces in the winter months. Lots of options.
 

zylander

Platinum Member
Aug 25, 2002
2,501
0
76
I use to do EVERYTHING on my car, all the way down to mounting tires and doing alignments, but then I stopped talking to my friend who owns a shop. Now I do what ever I can in my garage, which is still pretty much anything, just cant do the more specialized things; alignments, tires, turning rotors, ect.