Completely lost interest in DIY maintenance...

[JeffKeryk]

Sorry for you. There are thousands of oil changes performed daily without issues. Somebody like you needs to change your own oil to prevent these issues. It baffles me how I can have literally 100's of oil changes performed-with no issues and others like you seem to have them. Strange isn't it?

Certainly the cast majority of oil change services go well. We all get to pick our battles; what we wanna do, what we can do, how to spend our valuable time. I service numerous friends cars, for a number of reasons.
Almost 2 years ago I bought a MityVac on a lark. I was an oil change snob; let it drain forever, new filer each service, etc.
Now I just stick the tube in the oil dipstick hole and let her rip. On one vehicle, I let the Fram Ultra go for 3 services, over 15K.
Our $60K GS350 F Sport gets the 5K service with the filter swapped every other time.
The engine has not fallen out as yet... All good.

 

[BLND1]

Certainly the cast majority of oil change services go well. We all get to pick our battles; what we wanna do, what we can do, how to spend our valuable time. I service numerous friends cars, for a number of reasons.
Almost 2 years ago I bought a MityVac on a lark. I was an oil change snob; let it drain forever, new filer each service, etc.
Now I just stick the tube in the oil dipstick hole and let her rip. On one vehicle, I let the Fram Ultra go for 3 services, over 15K.
Our $60K GS350 F Sport gets the 5K service with the filter swapped every other time.
The engine has not fallen out as yet... All good.

I’m strongly considering a mittyvac to help with maintenance on my wife’s VW. The air dams and underbody covers are onerous.

I could make do with some quick jacks too…

 

[JeffKeryk]

I’m strongly considering a mittyvac to help with maintenance on my wife’s VW. The air dams and underbody covers are onerous.

I could make do with some quick jacks too…

Some people like Quick Jacks; gimme several trolley jacks, good jackstands and ramps and I am good to go. By the time you have the QJ set up you could be further along. @The Critic can chime in as he has a set.

The MityVac is just so fast and clean... Seriously. Especially if you skip the filter. Even if you also jack it up to pull the filter and optionally pull the drain plug, there is no splash and easy filling your recycle container.
I am sold.

 

[Silver]

I'm feeling the same way. I'm 48 and have the same family life you describe. Frankly it's the fact that something always needs done that turns me off to it. I used to get excited when something broke but now my heart sinks into my stomach.

The issue with paying for repairs is in my area absolutely everyone is a greedy incompetent crook. You know I might could live with greedy, or incompetent, but not both.

 

[Eddie]

I just finished changing the oil/filter on my 2021 CX5. I find it rewarding to do small jobs like this. My body prevents me from doing much more, now that I'm 83 Y/O. I take my time and do a carful under body and under hood inspection. Ed

 

[PF52]

The issue with paying for repairs is in my area absolutely everyone is a greedy incompetent crook. You know I might could live with greedy, or incompetent, but not both.

Oh, surely not. I heard somewhere there are thousands of oil changes daily and they can't all be greedy incompetent crooks.

 

[Silver]

Oh, surely not. I heard somewhere there are thousands of oil changes daily and they can't all be greedy incompetent crooks.

I was thinking about repairs. But to the point, I don't trust a lube joint to change my oil, and certainly not my wife's or children's. It only takes one loose drain plug, wrong filter or low fill.

 

[CKN]

I was thinking about repairs. But to the point, I don't trust a lube joint to change my oil, and certainly not my wife's or children's. It only takes one loose drain plug, wrong filter or low fill.

Yep-that's all it takes-and you just don't hear it happening. I'm sure it does...but not enough for some of us to have paranoia about it.

 

[eljefino]

People want a certain level of drama in their lives-- some seek out more, some seek out less.

I got a new car back in Feb for the first time ever because my work became solidly middle class and I was spending more mental energy on that. It came with a few free oil changes, which I'm taking because I'm cheap, but I actually hate it. The dealer is out of the way by like 3 miles, I have to wait around, and my kids have to take the late bus home vs me picking them up after school.

DIY oil changes are honestly more convenient-- buy the oil and filter when you buy other stuff at walmart and squeeze it into your schedule when you have not much else going on. Even in the middle of winter I can find a decent day for oil changes, who cares if I'm off 500 miles one way or the other.

 

[Nick1994]

I've been losing interest for a while. Limited time as I'm a caretaker for my grandpa as well.

Depends what it is. I'll still do an oil change or brakes. Just spent $2k on some front end work on the Grand Cherokee. That was an ouch, but I didn't want to do it. Don't have time for it to sit in the driveway for days and days torn apart.

 

[Zee09]

I just finished changing the oil/filter on my 2021 CX5. I find it rewarding to do small jobs like this. My body prevents me from doing much more, now that I'm 83 Y/O. I take my time and do a carful under body and under hood inspection. Ed

Wow and wow.

 

[ATex7239]

Caused quite the scandal.

It’s like the Scarlet Letter with a MityVac commercial thrown in.

 

[eljefino]

Some people like Quick Jacks; gimme several trolley jacks, good jackstands and ramps and I am good to go. By the time you have the QJ set up you could be further along.

I have them and leave them in my bay of the garage all summer. When collapsed they're only about 5 inches tall. My unibody "frame rails", really just a bend in the floorpan, are inboard of the tires so I only have to wrestle each jack a few inches to get under the lift points.

Ramps are also great for oil changes and don't take much time to set up.

 

[BLND1]

Some people like Quick Jacks; gimme several trolley jacks, good jackstands and ramps and I am good to go. By the time you have the QJ set up you could be further along. @The Critic can chime in as he has a set.

The MityVac is just so fast and clean... Seriously. Especially if you skip the filter. Even if you also jack it up to pull the filter and optionally pull the drain plug, there is no splash and easy filling your recycle container.
I am sold.

Both of my vehicles have top mounted filters so a mityvac would be saaaweeet.

Quick jacks would be for brake and suspension work or transmission/diff service. Enough height to use a low profile creeper.

 

[Duffyjr]

About the time I started getting tired of dealing with used oil a bar buddy and his brother opened a quick lube, for $20 I could get my vehicles serviced, to me it was a no brainer, never looked back. A few years back he retired so I found a mech a really like and only charges $10 if I bring my own oil/filter, he does charge extra is has to add any fluids but that isn't often.

I agree on finding someone besides Firestone but the one we have here is not really a true Firestone, it's a GCR, what ever that means.

 

[JeffKeryk]

The issue with paying for repairs is in my area absolutely everyone is a greedy incompetent crook. You know I might could live with greedy, or incompetent, but not both.

Spot on. I have been burned for big bucks. In one case very big bucks. Dude did joint time over it, but I'm still out.

 

[JavierH19]

Eh just use a high oci oil like m1 ep and go like 13-15k, doesn't take long when its infrequent. Other than that i wouldn't mind letting the dealer do it. Some give the option to enroll in a service plan even if its a year or two after the purchase so they can get a good deal. other dealers do it differently. If i wanted to not do my own maintenance but know it'll done well or if it isn't it will be covered the dealer service plans are a good bet.

 

[ATex7239]

People want a certain level of drama in their lives-- some seek out more, some seek out less.

I got a new car back in Feb for the first time ever because my work became solidly middle class and I was spending more mental energy on that. It came with a few free oil changes, which I'm taking because I'm cheap, but I actually hate it. The dealer is out of the way by like 3 miles, I have to wait around, and my kids have to take the late bus home vs me picking them up after school.

DIY oil changes are honestly more convenient-- buy the oil and filter when you buy other stuff at walmart and squeeze it into your schedule when you have not much else going on. Even in the middle of winter I can find a decent day for oil changes, who cares if I'm off 500 miles one way or the other.

Going to Walmart for anything is seeking out drama... I’d rather stab myself with pen.

 

[The Critic]

Some people like Quick Jacks; gimme several trolley jacks, good jackstands and ramps and I am good to go. By the time you have the QJ set up you could be further along. @The Critic can chime in as he has a set.

Not a fan. I'm open to selling mine...

 

[JC1]

I'm still DIYing my maintenance. Rather do it myself.