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How much should an oil change cost?

M

Mark R

Diamond Member
Just wondering. It's been a long time since I've just taken a car in for an oil change.

I've had a couple of quotes from local mom+pop shops of about $100 for labor/oil disposal/etc. if I provide the oil/filter.

I'd always had dealer service on my new car, until I realised just how hard they were bending me over (I'd had a bit of faith in them, until they charged me $400 for what turned out to be nothing more than an "oil maintenance service").

My car before that, well it was junk, so it didn't get maintained regularly (oil filter once rusted through, making a terrible mess). Even the local scrapper didn't want it. I eventually got him to give me $20 for it.
 
oldsmoboat said:
About $30.
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Yep. Most "oil change" places subsidize the cost of an actual oil change to the folks who fall for their numerous scams. The only time I have ever paid for an oil change it was $32 out the door at a Jiffy Lube in Nevada. Most DIY jobs will cost you at least $26 out the door if you get an oil change special (I don't count Fram, and will never use their filters).

I have a Jeep, so an oil change to me is about 30 minutes, no jacking required, and I either put a Purolator gold or regular filter depending on what the sale is at the moment. Oil is all over the place, but I think with dino oil it's all the same as far as brands are concerned. Have also used a lot of Bosch filters before the "oil change specials" became so popular at advance and autozone, which are never included in those promos.
 
My last vehicle ran $100 to change the oil at the dealer, but that was due to $75 in oil cost (strange weight 10 quarts) and whatever the filter cost.

The $75 in oil was not a quoted price, but the cheapest I was able to find it in bulk.
 
I wonder how much it would be to get it done properly on my E46. Oil changes are one maintenance item that I hate doing .. it's not fun or rewarding, it's filthy jacking the car up and crawling under and ruining whatever clothes I'm wearing with oil, and it's a pain in the ass to dispose of without making a mess.

Probably worth it if it only costs like $30-40 in labor, especially if I bring them a couple $22 Walmart 5qt jugs of Mobil-1 0W-40 and a filter
 
Oil changes are one maintenance item that I hate doing .. it's not fun or rewarding, it's filthy jacking the car up and crawling under and ruining whatever clothes I'm wearing with oil
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This. I don't have anywhere to jack the car up safely at the moment, just a soft gravel driveway and no garage; not to mention I don't have a decent jack or axle stands at the moment. I've done oil changes before, and it's something I don't miss doing.

While $100 labor is higher than I was expecting, I'll definitely pay that rather than dick around under the car pulling covers off and fighting with a filter, and then dealing with the waste oil.
 
$39.95 at Ford for Syn blend + Motorcraft filter + tire rotation + multi-point inspection

Previous car required 6 quarts of Mobil 1 Euro 0W-40 & dealer charged $130.

$100 for an IS250 seems ridiculous.
 
Fmr12B said:
$39.95 at Ford for Syn blend + Motorcraft filter + tire rotation + multi-point inspection
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Yeah, that's how much it costs at my local Ford dealership service center.

All the other places charge about $30 for just oil change around here.
 
Mark R said:
This. I don't have anywhere to jack the car up safely at the moment, just a soft gravel driveway and no garage; not to mention I don't have a decent jack or axle stands at the moment. I've done oil changes before, and it's something I don't miss doing.

While $100 labor is higher than I was expecting, I'll definitely pay that rather than dick around under the car pulling covers off and fighting with a filter, and then dealing with the waste oil.
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I agree with that when I had a few Hondas and oil changing was an ordeal. Since then I have changed oil on two Jeeps and and a couple older GM trucks with a 350. No jacking required, as I am a pretty slim person and all the vehicles have had significant ground clearance. There is only one bolt to remove in the drain pan, and the 350 has the most convenient oil filter location, even the Jeep sideways one is not too bad once you have done it a few times.

I paid once when I lived out of a national forest near Reno, but ended up panning my transmission in the same forest when I got a quote of how much it would be to do a simple operation. I just put down some tarp and had it done in one afternoon.

I have no problem with people paying to have this work done, but it is a luxury I cannot afford, amongst many luxuries that people here enjoy, and I have little knowledge of.
 
$30-$40 is normal for an oil change if you're using regular oil. Synthetic is a bit more expensive. Though some places will let you use your own oil if you have it. That way you can buy synth when it's on sale and just pay for the filter and labour.
 
Depends on the car.

At my local Valvoline drive-thru, it's $29 for my '99 Ford Escort and $74 for my 2013 Civic (synthetic). But the Civic also goes 7500 miles between oil changes, so I just get a coupon and pay the extra $30 for them to do it since it's not that often.
 
i change the oil in my camry and have used nothing but synthetic since i drove it off the dealers lot in 2004. I use Royal purple and its about 10 bucks a quart, plus about 8 for the filter and im easily pushing 70 bucks with tax.

my 2011 sienna mini van is a HUGE pain in the ass to change the filter. you even need a special tool. if i had known this I would not have bought it. hands down the most retarded design ever.

check out the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMy0EXUFvoQ
 
OutHouse said:
i change the oil in my camry and have used nothing but synthetic since i drove it off the dealers lot in 2004. I use Royal purple and its about 10 bucks a quart, plus about 8 for the filter and im easily pushing 70 bucks with tax.
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You've wasted quite a bit of money. 😀
 
"How much should an oil change cost?"

More than most charge.
As someone pointed out the $20-30 ones do so at or below cost. Many times its to try and sell you more stuff, much you probably do not need.
I still do work on the side and tell my customers its $10 plus parts for most cars.
 
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