I've always lived in a house for most of my life but the last 2 years my wife and I have been renting in Los Angeles (life is way too expensive here) due to career reasons. Well, being a car nut and obviously a member of BITOG... I do my own oil changes. What are my options for apartment living? I definitely can't do it in the apartment parking lot so that is out of the question. I do have the option of going to a friend's house but I'd rather save this as a last option.
Apartment dwellers... where are you doing your oil changes?
- Thread starter e36andy
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Back in my Apartment days and if a friends place was not an option, I scoped out and found an industrial area that was unsed on the weekends and did it in a far corner parking spot silhouetted by some adjacent dumpsters so I was not easily visible from the road on first glance. I just made sure to not make a mess and take my waste with me.
I’ve found that with groups of friends, sometimes a few of them will get together and rent a house. If that’s the case and the house renter lets you use the garage, be extra generous and keep the place clean. You might pull some large sections of cardboard from a dumpster to use under the vehicle, then take it away when you are done. A case of beer to the house renter when done works wonders.
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When my wife and I rented, we had a storage unit that I would change it at. I've also driven the passenger side up on the curb and crawled under that way. Eventually, I bought an oil extractor pump so I didn't have to crawl under the car.
I used to do them drinking beers and hanging out with my dad at his house. I've also done them on the side of the road.
If you do it in the parking lot of the Autozone or Walmart you can just leave the used oil with them to recycle.
I'd use the friend's house. Cameras everywhere these days and sooner or later someone will get pissed.
New streets with no houses in new house developments or industrial areas
I used to be the guy that they càll the police on.
I'm old now and go to Walmart, pay my $40 for materials , pay Jiffy Lube anoher $47 to complete my oil change experience.
Mobil1 EP 5W-30 and filterfor my vehicles
I'm old now and go to Walmart, pay my $40 for materials , pay Jiffy Lube anoher $47 to complete my oil change experience.
Mobil1 EP 5W-30 and filterfor my vehicles
I used to do it at family or friend’s house. If that wasn’t possible then I just had it done. It is what it is sometimes.
Interesting that some people apparently don’t believe in property rights around here.
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
i used to wake up super early and do it on a jack before anyone else woke up
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I would just pretend my car is broken down on the side of the highway and do it there.
Jk, I pay my mechanic $20 to do it for me with the oil/filter I bring in or ~$55 for the syn blend and filter he uses.
Jk, I pay my mechanic $20 to do it for me with the oil/filter I bring in or ~$55 for the syn blend and filter he uses.
Have always lived in houses since I started driving but when I moved to Wyoming in 2016, I did maintenance whenever I went back to St. Louis, MO, or some family member's garage/driveway.
It is too cold or rather extremely windy to do much maintenance here in Wyoming but Laramie is full of large side street parking areas all over the city, and you can change your oil or work on your car without the cops ever caring...in fact, I have had many people stop by to see if I need help, which was very nice, I was never broken down but rather just doing routine maintenance.
It is too cold or rather extremely windy to do much maintenance here in Wyoming but Laramie is full of large side street parking areas all over the city, and you can change your oil or work on your car without the cops ever caring...in fact, I have had many people stop by to see if I need help, which was very nice, I was never broken down but rather just doing routine maintenance.
I mostly work on my vehicle at my parents house, but very occasionally at work with a pit mat under my car.
Find/make a friend with a garage 
. Seriously though, I have about a half dozen friends that come over to do oil changes in mine. They supply the oil and filters of their choice and I do the rest. Great time to hangout and socilize (which usually means drink beer). Most times they pop for pizza for "renting" the garage.
Extractors are golden for keeping a low profile while doing drains in a parking lot and pulling up to the curb near tall landscape hides you when it's time to get underneath if you're landlord frowns on maintenance.
. Seriously though, I have about a half dozen friends that come over to do oil changes in mine. They supply the oil and filters of their choice and I do the rest. Great time to hangout and socilize (which usually means drink beer). Most times they pop for pizza for "renting" the garage.Extractors are golden for keeping a low profile while doing drains in a parking lot and pulling up to the curb near tall landscape hides you when it's time to get underneath if you're landlord frowns on maintenance.
