Anyone ever change oil in rental car?

[raaizin]

Rented a ‘23 Suburban from Budget today. This is in preparation for taking family on a 1600 mile 1.5 week trip to Mackinac Island MI. Like all rental experiences, the reservation system is a complete crap shoot. The only reason I got the Suburban that I reserved is that while I was there standing in a monstrous line to get to the counter someone returned a Suburban. Anyway, they did a half-hearted attempt to wash/clean it then put me in it.
I get in the thing and “Change Oil Soon” indicator flashes and oil life remaining is at 0%. No way I’m going on 1600 mile trip with expired oil. I couldnt swap it out with Budget since there most likely was nothing to swap to. So I figured WTH and just changed the oil by lantern light this evening. Obviously oil was bought on price alone, Supertech 0w20 Synthetic (5.3 engine in this one, not the exploder 6.2). I did put on ACDelco filter (as opposed to cheapest). Filter that was removed was application correct Pennzoil. On another note, tires are also near wear bars and I had to add Dex-Cool to bring it up to the line. Does anyone remember when renting a car was like driving a new vehicle? I swear, it matters not what agency, they all just “ship it” now.

I was on a road trip with my daughter to help relieve some stress for her as the first year of nursing school was tough for her, We were going to drive 4,000 miles starting in San Francisco, PCH, LA, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and ending in Mt Rushmore with various stops along the way. I rented with Avis and they gave me a basically new car with around 1500 miles on it a Hyundai Sonata. The person at the desk said it would be due for an oil change in about 1500 miles if I could do it. I get up early so I let her sleep and went to jiffy lube but it was a totally new model and wasn't in their computer. By the time I got back my daughter was up and ready for our next leg of our journey. Not to be defeated I looked up the closest dealer which wasn't to far and they had an express lube line. We dropped the car off walked to a McDonalds for breakfast and when we came back oil was changed and car was washed and vacuumed for $35.00 I was impressed. I was reimbursed for the cost when I returned the vehicle. I always try to do the right thing life usually goes a little easier that way

 

[TiGeo]

I've done wipers and cabin filters and just had them reimburse me. I'd never DIY change the oil.. I'd just hit a Jiffy Lube/similar on my way.

 

[NiwradND]

They may have forgot to reset the indictor after an oil change, if the oil didn't look nasty dirty, I would have run it. But I also hate to abuse vehicles engines if not necessary.........good on you.

 

[Egg_Head]

About 10 years ago I had a long term rental GMC Acadia and changed the oil (not filter) before a trip to FLA. I had some Smitty's 5W-30 laying around from a K-Mart clearance.

 

[andrew_j]

No , the oil change indicator might be a forgotten reset after an oil change. Without knowing I would not touch that.

Maybe top oil and with cheapest oil possible that matches cap requirement.

 

[Patman]

You should have put VRP in that engine

 

[Cruisin'n5thgear]

I’m with you 99% of the time. This time I just didn’t want to risk ending up with lifter/cam failure out in the middle of nowhere

You probably doubled the life on that 5.3! Well done, I would have considered doing the same. Oil light illuminated on a 3 week rental, Ford Focus back in 2017, rental shop told me to keep driving it so I did, to the tune of 2k miles as I remember.

 

[4WD]

It was sadly less virtuous, I’m about to embark on long trip with the rental and I’m not looking for any trouble. Problem with GM OLM is it doesn’t tell you how far gone you are. Could have just hit 0% that morning or 2 months ago, I didn’t want to risk it.

Yep, they don’t do minus - I normally change by 20% left to fit my schedule or better weather etc …

 

[CapitalTruck]

how did the drained oil look and smell like?

Nasty…+fuel smell. I blame some of that on stop/start. Preposterous on a V8

 

[CapitalTruck]

You probably doubled the life on that 5.3! Well done, I would have considered doing the same. Oil light illuminated on a 3 week rental, Ford Focus back in 2017, rental shop told me to keep driving it so I did, to the tune of 2k miles as I remember.

And you just dont know how overdue it is. That combined with the grenading 6.2 had me leery. However, the truck went into service on 6/15/23 and already has 78K on it! I later found that it has the 5.3

 

[CapitalTruck]

I was on a road trip with my daughter to help relieve some stress for her as the first year of nursing school was tough for her, We were going to drive 4,000 miles starting in San Francisco, PCH, LA, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and ending in Mt Rushmore with various stops along the way. I rented with Avis and they gave me a basically new car with around 1500 miles on it a Hyundai Sonata. The person at the desk said it would be due for an oil change in about 1500 miles if I could do it. I get up early so I let her sleep and went to jiffy lube but it was a totally new model and wasn't in their computer. By the time I got back my daughter was up and ready for our next leg of our journey. Not to be defeated I looked up the closest dealer which wasn't to far and they had an express lube line. We dropped the car off walked to a McDonalds for breakfast and when we came back oil was changed and car was washed and vacuumed for $35.00 I was impressed. I was reimbursed for the cost when I returned the vehicle. I always try to do the right thing life usually goes a little easier that way

That is outstanding that they left you the option.

 

[Kira]

The wash before return is on a whole other level.

There was a period when I rented locally for "740 mile weekends"...well in excess of their allowed miles.
I mentioned the exact distance of my familiar trip and the fellow upped the allowance to 2,500 miles (?).

To thank him, I returned the car cleaned, vacuumed -even the trunk- and full to the brim (as required).
When I pulled up, I popped the trunk and exited the car leaving the door and sparkling ash tray open.

Henceforward, I paid for their smallest car and was upgraded to MGM-like vehicles for free.

Maybe top oil and with cheapest oil possible that matches cap requirement.

Rental car top-ops were done with the jug of "changed earlyish" oil I always had on hand.
This was done without any regard for spec.
Back then, I helped a number of engines live longer lives.

 

[JavierH19]

Heck no. If anything I'm gonna change the oil with 0w-8 to see what happens and maybe save some bucks over 1600 miles.

 

[walterjay]

I would have done it. You didn't do the rental agency any favors. But you were a good samaritan to the future owner.

Being a thickie I would have used 5-30

 

[Jetronic]

I changed quite a few, but over here the rental companies returned the cars just before the first service was due (10k miles) and got new cars. We bought the used ones and resold them. Airport rentals all of them.

 

[ATex7239]

Ironically enough, my wife is in a rental right now while the Toyota is in the shop and the service light is currently on… I’m not touching it.

 

[ATex7239]

Public Service Announcement: do not buy previously owned rentals.

 

[ATex7239]

You should have put VRP in that engine

Nah. HPL 0w-30 and MicroGard Select. Only the best for my rentals.

 

[ag_ghost]

Did not change, but added a liter of oil to a rental (Ford Escort) in the UK back in 1986; reimbursed without comment.

 

[ATex7239]

I've done wipers and cabin filters and just had them reimburse me. I'd never DIY change the oil.. I'd just hit a Jiffy Lube/similar on my way.

If anything this. Maybe call them up and ask if they want me to hit up the VIOC or whatever and bring the invoice for reimbursement. I’m not taking on the liability.