YACT: Do you change your own oil?

[SampSon]

except you need to keep your dated receipts so that the dealer can see that you've been changing your oil at the correct interval. if there is something mechanically wrong with the engine, there will be a big deal about whether or not you've been changing your oil to the recommended specs in the manual, and what brand/type of oil you've been using.

Dated receipts of what? If you buy oil and filters in bulk then the receipts mean nothing.
As far as I know no dealership can legally refuse to service your car under warranty because you personally change your own oil. If that were the case then they could refuse to service your car because another shop changed your oil. Hell they could refuse to service your car under warranty if anyone BUT the dealership serviced your car. Fortunatly that is not the case and a dealership could easily be served papers for refusing to service a car under warranty.

What is your problem? every time one of these threads come up, you have to come in here and troll. if you really don't like the content of the thread, stay the fvck out.

He contributes next to nothing in most threads.

 

[Ornery]

They put the oil filter above the front differential.

Just one of the MANY reasons I won't buy 4WD or AWD. That filter is easy as hell to get at without the extra drivetrain crap.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Specop 007
Expedition - Yes
Jetta TDI - No

The Expedition is a pain in the ass. They put the oil filter above the front differential. Nice place guys. Do engineers design this stuff to be intentionally a pain in the ass?

I think that's just Ford. Try changing it on an Escort or a Contour. Holy hell...the numbnuts that put the oil filter where they did needs to be beaten with a tire iron.

For all the flack that VW is given, my Passat was hands down the easiest vehicle to change the oil on. Filter was right under the front bumper and could be reached with ease. The drain plug was down and out of the way of any other parts so oil didn't splatter everywhere you popped the plug.

Just a really easy vehicle to work on in that regard.

 

[natto fire]

I have never paid anyone to do any work on my car. Except for a crap '87 Volvo that I could not figure out what was wrong with it, took it to a Volvo specialist. I always change oil in my family's cars too, except for the lease.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: Specop 007
Expedition - Yes
Jetta TDI - No

The Expedition is a pain in the ass. They put the oil filter above the front differential. Nice place guys. Do engineers design this stuff to be intentionally a pain in the ass?

I think that's just Ford. Try changing it on an Escort or a Contour. Holy hell...the numbnuts that put the oil filter where they did needs to be beaten with a tire iron.

For all the flack that VW is given, my Passat was hands down the easiest vehicle to change the oil on. Filter was right under the front bumper and could be reached with ease. The drain plug was down and out of the way of any other parts so oil didn't splatter everywhere you popped the plug.

Just a really easy vehicle to work on in that regard.

Look into a Gen 2 RX-7.

Filter is on the top of the engine towards the back on the driver side. Literally, you open the hood, reach in and unscrew the filter. I *loved* it. Best place for a filter ever.

The only reason the Stealership does the Jetta is because I need that weird ass synthetic for the diesel engine and I cant find it locally. Aside from that, its still under warrenty and I want the maintenance on record.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Ornery
They put the oil filter above the front differential.

Just one of the MANY reasons I won't buy 4WD or AWD. That filter is easy as hell to get at without the extra drivetrain crap.

Except it doesnt make much sense to get an SUV/Pickup that isnt 4WD, especially if you plan on actually using it off road.

But you know what they say.

Know the difference between 2WD and 4WD? An extra 100 yards.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Ornery
They put the oil filter above the front differential.

Just one of the MANY reasons I won't buy 4WD or AWD. That filter is easy as hell to get at without the extra drivetrain crap.

Meh. Mine is is easy reach from the bottom. Nothing in the way.

Subaru AWD FTW

Oh yeah, always myself Mobile1 + OEM filter

 

[Ornery]

Except it doesnt make much sense to get an SUV/Pickup that isnt 4WD

The hell it doesn't! Nothing like a rear wheel drivetrain for cheap, easy servicability. Nothing like reversing that advantage by adding all the cost and complexity of 4WD.

Subarus are always AWD, so of course it's designed to be in an easy to reach spot.

 

[SuperSix]

I have forever - but since I got my new(er) Cadillac, and moved to an apartment complex - I pay someone to do it.

I felt kinda ghey the first time I paid someone to change my oil.

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: Ornery

Except it doesnt make much sense to get an SUV/Pickup that isnt 4WD

The hell it doesn't! Nothing like a rear wheel drivetrain for cheap, easy servicability. Nothing like reversing that advantage by adding all the cost and complexity of 4WD.

Subarus are always AWD, so of course it's designed to be in an easy to reach spot.

ftw. I can change my oil without even putting my car up on ramps.

02 wrx

 

[edro]

No... it is so cheap and fast now a days... I would rather them do it.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Ornery

Except it doesnt make much sense to get an SUV/Pickup that isnt 4WD

The hell it doesn't! Nothing like a rear wheel drivetrain for cheap, easy servicability. Nothing like reversing that advantage by adding all the cost and complexity of 4WD.

Subarus are always AWD, so of course it's designed to be in an easy to reach spot.

Not all of us on ATOT are city clickers whos extent of "off road" involves parking on the lawn

Trust me, when I use my 4WD, I *use* my 4WD. Granted, its not a daily thing, but no way on Gods green Earth you'll get a 2WD where I get a 4WD, unless you have a rear locker lots of weight and are a hell of a driver.
And I have LSD on the rear too, so lets go

 

[brtspears2]

$11.99 for local shop to do it. When I change it, I have to make another trip back to auto parts store to get rid of the oil.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: brtspears2
$11.99 for local shop to do it. When I change it, I have to make another trip back to auto parts store to get rid of the oil.

Just put the old oil in the emtpy containers, and take them in when you go to buy new oil.

But for 12 bucks, hell I'll let them mess with it.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: rmrf

Originally posted by: Ornery

Except it doesnt make much sense to get an SUV/Pickup that isnt 4WD

The hell it doesn't! Nothing like a rear wheel drivetrain for cheap, easy servicability. Nothing like reversing that advantage by adding all the cost and complexity of 4WD.

Subarus are always AWD, so of course it's designed to be in an easy to reach spot.

ftw. I can change my oil without even putting my car up on ramps.

02 wrx

yea it depends on the car. the camrys i've seen have the filter up top, and u can reach the oil bolt pretty easy with ramps. civic on the other hand...damn filter placement is rather lousy..way behind the engine or something.

 

[Anubis]

no

 

[jinduy]

Originally posted by: clickynext

Originally posted by: jinduy
do you guys always replace the washer and the little plastic ring?

I'd like to know as well. How necessary is it?

nobody changes the washer?

 

[skyking]

always. The new honda pilot is about as easy as it gets, crank the wheel to the right when I park and reach the filter through the fenderwell.

 

[Ornery]

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Not all of us on ATOT are city clickers whos extent of "off road" involves parking on the lawn

Trust me, when I use my 4WD, I *use* my 4WD. Granted, its not a daily thing, but no way on Gods green Earth you'll get a 2WD where I get a 4WD, unless you have a rear locker lots of weight and are a hell of a driver.
And I have LSD on the rear too, so lets go

My brother plows, so I know full well what it takes to keep a 4WD rolling, and I don't have those kind of bucks. I'm a "bang for the buck" guy and 4WD is an extravagance I can't afford.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Ornery

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Not all of us on ATOT are city clickers whos extent of "off road" involves parking on the lawn

Trust me, when I use my 4WD, I *use* my 4WD. Granted, its not a daily thing, but no way on Gods green Earth you'll get a 2WD where I get a 4WD, unless you have a rear locker lots of weight and are a hell of a driver.
And I have LSD on the rear too, so lets go

My brother plows, so I know full well what it takes to keep a 4WD rolling, and I don't have those kind of bucks. I'm a "bang for the buck" guy and 4WD is an extravagance I can't afford.

As they say, you gotta pay to play.
Just making the point, for some 4WD isnt so much an "option" as a "requirement".
It also enhances resale value.

But your right, 90% of the people who have 4WD probably dont need it.

 

[Ornery]

enhances resale value

By God, given the facts that I want an SUV without 4WD, a domestic at that (which lose thousands in resale value yearly), a HUGE one (which NOBODY wants in this age of expensive gasoline), and that everybody is unloading their SUVs for econoboxes, I should be able to get one for almost free!

So, where's all these cheap SUVs?

 

[imported_hscorpio]

I do because I'm cheap and have plenty of time to do it.

I've been thinking of trying one of those valves where the drain plug goes so you don't have to mess with taking out the plug every time. ( like this)

Anyone here ever tried one of thoose?

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: Ornery
enhances resale value

By God, given the facts that I want an SUV without 4WD, a domestic at that (which lose thousands in resale value yearly), a HUGE one (which NOBODY wants in this age of expensive gasoline), and that everybody is unloading their SUVs for econoboxes, I should be able to get one for almost free!

So, where's all these cheap SUVs?

I never said SUV's were cheap, or anythign of the sort. I simply stated that having 4WD makes a car worth more. If you have 2 identical vehicles and one has 4WD and one does not, the one with 4WD will sell for more.

As for finding cheap ones, look for a 99-02 with around 50k-75k miles on it.

 

[ijester]

I sure don't think it is worth doing it for ~$10 or so.

 

[Ornery]

I never said SUV's were cheap, or anythign of the sort.

Only about the 2WD being cheaper. I've been looking, and they're hard to come by, especially at a decent price. If you were to go by all the miscellaneous information gleaned from this forum, the owners of SUVs would be paying you to take them off their hands!