I do oil change myself and will still do in future.
No one cares about your own vehicle more than you do.
No one cares about your own vehicle more than you do.
I think I'm done changing my own oil.
- Thread starter JustinH
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Not to mention. Its freaking cold in winter, but I am still happy to do maintenance or repair in my own unheated garage. I guess it's my hobby.
The cost to me isn't 22, or 29 dollars. It's the entire afternoon wasted. Shuttle me home to wait there? No thanks. I'd be done by the time I drove there if I had done it myself.
I would think it should be easy enough to time your oil changes so that you don't have to do them in the snow. Having said that, I have no idea how much you drive.
Originally Posted By: TERRYDIABLO
Not to mention. Its freaking cold in winter, but I am still happy to do maintenance or repair in my own unheated garage. I guess it's my hobby.
Unheated garage is still way better than doing it outside, evei if it's really cold.
Not to mention. Its freaking cold in winter, but I am still happy to do maintenance or repair in my own unheated garage. I guess it's my hobby.
Unheated garage is still way better than doing it outside, evei if it's really cold.
I have a heated (and air conditioned) garage and ramps so I enjoy the work and the sure knowledge that the work is done correctly with the parts of my choosing. But, on the driveway in the snow? No thanks.
Originally Posted By: Bambam
A Futomo valve can make an oil chane into a simple and quick task, and if you change your oil in November I doubt you'll have to change it again before the snow melts. And, if you buy your tires at Goodyear, they rotate for free, every 6-8 k miles. Doesn't get any better than that.
Until they strip or cross-thread your wheel bolts, claim that the car came in like that, and hold you hostage until you agree to pay for the new bolts...or they just leave the cross-threaded bolts on there (happens...)....or over-torque your wheel bolts/lug-nuts to the 200+ lbft range...distorting/cracking your wheels and rotors and claim...you got it, the car came in like that...
Or, my favorite, scratch all 4 of my new wheels, and claim that they looked like that when I brought the car in.
A Futomo valve can make an oil chane into a simple and quick task, and if you change your oil in November I doubt you'll have to change it again before the snow melts. And, if you buy your tires at Goodyear, they rotate for free, every 6-8 k miles. Doesn't get any better than that.
Until they strip or cross-thread your wheel bolts, claim that the car came in like that, and hold you hostage until you agree to pay for the new bolts...or they just leave the cross-threaded bolts on there (happens...)....or over-torque your wheel bolts/lug-nuts to the 200+ lbft range...distorting/cracking your wheels and rotors and claim...you got it, the car came in like that...
Or, my favorite, scratch all 4 of my new wheels, and claim that they looked like that when I brought the car in.
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Originally Posted By: Astro14
Or, my favorite, scratch all 4 of my new wheels, and claim that they looked like that when I brought the car in.
This is a pet peeve of mine. Unfortunately, if you need to get new tires mounted, there is just no way to avoid a trip to a shop. Sadly, just about every single tire shop I've been to (both cheap and high end ones) end up causing some damage to my rims.
Or, my favorite, scratch all 4 of my new wheels, and claim that they looked like that when I brought the car in.
This is a pet peeve of mine. Unfortunately, if you need to get new tires mounted, there is just no way to avoid a trip to a shop. Sadly, just about every single tire shop I've been to (both cheap and high end ones) end up causing some damage to my rims.
I do my own mostly because I don't like other people working on my car.
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I LOVE changing my own oil. Heck,it gives me something to do :^) Plus I could just never trust anyone but me to do it,no way!
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Love this forum, a lot of great information. Over the years it seems to have gone from very technical information about lubrication, into a more general automotive forum and a good "guy hang out" forum.
I like it.
For the past 10 years I have been changing my own oil in every car. I live in Buffalo, and I have been doing it on my back in a driveway in the snow.
I have no idea what I was thinking.
The last straw was when I decided to rotate tires in the driveway with a jack and pulled a muscle in my back.
That had me really thinking what am I saving here?
I would usually go to walmart and buy the 12 dollar jug of oil and 5 bucks for a filter.
There is a goodyear, a firestone, and an independent shop all two miles from my house or less.
The goodyear changes oil every day for 22 dollars, firestone is 19 dollars, and the independent shop does a quaker state oil change and tire rotation for 29 dollars.
I went to goodyear for the oil change in my fiances car a couple weeks ago. I had an appointment but they were swamped, they said it would be a couple hours.
The service advisor then asked if I WANTED A RIDE HOME in the courtesy van instead of waiting the few hours. Two hours later the van came and picked me up to go and get the car.
This is for a $22 service. I was blown away.
Now, I know not to take a car to goodyear for ANYTHING besides a 22 dollar oil change, but for service like that I will be glad to drop the car there for an oil change.
I'll let someone else get greasy for 22 bucks.
I had a really great guy at a local Firestone that I really trusted and I would take my Lincoln there for oil changes.
He has left for bigger things and I sold the Lincoln a while ago. So, I started doing my own again in between the 3 free ones VW gives you.
Love this forum, a lot of great information. Over the years it seems to have gone from very technical information about lubrication, into a more general automotive forum and a good "guy hang out" forum.
I like it.
For the past 10 years I have been changing my own oil in every car. I live in Buffalo, and I have been doing it on my back in a driveway in the snow.
I have no idea what I was thinking.
The last straw was when I decided to rotate tires in the driveway with a jack and pulled a muscle in my back.
That had me really thinking what am I saving here?
I would usually go to walmart and buy the 12 dollar jug of oil and 5 bucks for a filter.
There is a goodyear, a firestone, and an independent shop all two miles from my house or less.
The goodyear changes oil every day for 22 dollars, firestone is 19 dollars, and the independent shop does a quaker state oil change and tire rotation for 29 dollars.
I went to goodyear for the oil change in my fiances car a couple weeks ago. I had an appointment but they were swamped, they said it would be a couple hours.
The service advisor then asked if I WANTED A RIDE HOME in the courtesy van instead of waiting the few hours. Two hours later the van came and picked me up to go and get the car.
This is for a $22 service. I was blown away.
Now, I know not to take a car to goodyear for ANYTHING besides a 22 dollar oil change, but for service like that I will be glad to drop the car there for an oil change.
I'll let someone else get greasy for 22 bucks.
I had a really great guy at a local Firestone that I really trusted and I would take my Lincoln there for oil changes.
He has left for bigger things and I sold the Lincoln a while ago. So, I started doing my own again in between the 3 free ones VW gives you.
Another plus about DIY is that an oil change only takes about 20 minutes. Figure in the hassle of conforming to another's schedule and driving to and from. Any place you buy the oil from will recycle it. When I was more enthusiastic about my 528e, I would use the drain time, checking out stuff under the hood. Paid off in reliability, because I was doing a good amount of preventative maintenance. I drove the car for 12 yrs, 200K miles and never had a breakdown.
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
No competent AND cost effective shops around here. But I do hear you about tire rotation - last time I told my wife "no more"! To much work for a driveway job with one jack and no power tools on HER car.
I have to agree with ARCO on this one. I have the power tools and extra jacks, but I don't feel like playing with the TPMS. Maybe on the old truck I'll do it, but not so sure about the G. As for oil changes, nope, only I get to do them.
No competent AND cost effective shops around here. But I do hear you about tire rotation - last time I told my wife "no more"! To much work for a driveway job with one jack and no power tools on HER car.
I have to agree with ARCO on this one. I have the power tools and extra jacks, but I don't feel like playing with the TPMS. Maybe on the old truck I'll do it, but not so sure about the G. As for oil changes, nope, only I get to do them.
I reached the same point, plus i just don't have the time anymore. Now I drop my truck off at the GM dealer for the $39.95 oil change and tire rotation special. I go about my day and pick it up at lunch time, all done.
I am sort of due for an oil change on the Prius. A very reputable independent shop in town said they can do it for $31 if I supplied the oil and filter. The price seems appropriate for a honest service, especially if it is only staffed by highly experienced technicians.
I may take them up on it.
I may take them up on it.
Patman
Staff member
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
I would think it should be easy enough to time your oil changes so that you don't have to do them in the snow. Having said that, I have no idea how much you drive.
Even if he drives a lot, he could still get away with using a good long drain synthetic and changing it every six months and could always time the oil changes to be during snow free months (always do the oil changes in April and October for instance)
I would think it should be easy enough to time your oil changes so that you don't have to do them in the snow. Having said that, I have no idea how much you drive.
Even if he drives a lot, he could still get away with using a good long drain synthetic and changing it every six months and could always time the oil changes to be during snow free months (always do the oil changes in April and October for instance)
I wouldn't dream of letting someone else change the oil in my car - and if I did - it would be a nightmare.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I hear you Justin. There used to be a MUCH larger gap in costs between doing it yourself and taking it in.
For less than $25 you can barely buy the supplies yourself anymore for an average, everyday 4cyl car oil change.
We used to be able to change oil ourselves with a full synthetic for the same cost as a basic shop oil change.
I'm getting to the point I enjoy it less as well.
Joel
For less than $25 you can barely buy the supplies yourself anymore for an average, everyday 4cyl car oil change.
We used to be able to change oil ourselves with a full synthetic for the same cost as a basic shop oil change.
I'm getting to the point I enjoy it less as well.
Joel
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