No More Changing My Own Oil

[Benzadmiral]

Jim,

I may be boarding the same vessel that you're sailing on. I've had some neck and right shoulder pain on occasion over the last 12 years. Previously several sessions with the chiropractor fixed me up. But, obviously, it never lasted.

I developed more nagging pain this summer. My new doctor X-rayed me and said there is some degeneration of the neck vertebrae. I take Advil, and a mild muscle relaxer at night, and now the pain (which usually doesn't come up until late in the day) just seems like somebody tapped me hard on the side of the neck.

The doctor hasn't advised me against it, but I'm worried about the contractions and contortions I'll have to go through in changing my own oil. Jacking the Buick up, crawling under, undoing bolt and filter, scrabbling back out, putting on the new filter, et al. might cripple me up, and I don't deal well with pain.

I can bring my regular mechanic the oil and filter, and he'll charge me $10. But I miss doing it! It's kind of like bonding with your car!

 

[GEWB]

Do you have children / grandchildren / neighborhood kids who would LOVE to learn how to do these things? You could be a great mentor to a girl or boy who is just about to get their drivers license or first beater.

Wish someone had been willing to teach me how to do simple maintenance on my car.

Regards,
GEWB

 

[IntegraVT]

Originally Posted By: GEWB
Do you have children / grandchildren / neighborhood kids who would LOVE to learn how to do these things? You could be a great mentor to a girl or boy who is just about to get their drivers license or first beater.

Wish someone had been will to teach me how to do simple maintenance on my car.

Regards,
GEWB


I was thinking the same thing: an apprentice.

 

[ARB1977]

Life is over as we know it, hope your recovery goes well. I would see if a shop will charge you labor if you brought in your own oil and filter...I would help you out if i could.

 

[FZ1]

Done told you,once. Buy the oil you want installed and take it to the Nissan dealer,negotiate a $5-10 price reduction for the oil you provided,and let the dealer install your oil and oem filer. Now how hard could that be?

 

[Bryanccfshr]

Yep, best not mess with those problems. This kind of pain can be quite debilitating. It is worth it to take into a shop to not risk an episode.

 

[javacontour]

There are government programs to buy scooters for those who can't walk anymore, so why not look into a government program that will put a four post lift into your garage

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: JimFitzpatrick
Originally Posted By: NHSilverado
I am curious why you let the dealer talk you out of synthetic? What did they tell you that scared you off?



The service guy at the dealer explained,in some detail,that Nissan/Infiniti manufactures the 3.5 somewhat differently than do most manufacturers.Supposedly they use one or more metals and use one or more methods that are atypical.He said that using a synthetic wouldn't void the warranty,but....

Originally Posted By: NHSilverado
Oh - Where in NH do you live? I may be able to recommend a mechanic for you if you don't want to have the dealer do it. My own personal back problems won't let me do it for you but I will help you out if I can.


I'm down around Nashua but I work in Boston so service stuff is likely to be done around there.And thanks a lot for your generous offer!


Synthetic voiding warranty? I seriously doubt it. Also doubt that there is anything so different inside the engine. Your call but to me that sounds like a lot of [censored].

Nashua is a bit far away for me to know a mechanic, sorry. I live out on the seacoast( Exeter ). I do have family in Nashua though so I can ask around for you. Actually, my Dad is from Nashua. He even taught school there for a couple years.

 

[SilverC6]

I bought some RaceRamps that let me get under my extra low vehicle.

Low approach angle means no scraping.

 

[Rico567]

Boy, this is a tough one. After over 40 years of changing my own oil, having to hang up my coveralls and get rid of my Rhino Ramps would be cutting out a very familiar, if not essential ritual from my life. I have a friend with one of those oil extractor gizmos that takes it out through the dipstick tube, and it DOES work, so that might be a dodge you could use there....but it hardly solves the problem of filter changes (I'm assuming your car, like most, must be changed from underneath).

 

[Gary Allan]

I've mostly taken on a policy of "advise and consent" overseeing my son on most DYI garage activities. It allows us to spend some time together and he gets the real experience that he didn't get with me when he was at home. I do get dirty, but it's usually when the youngsters get into trouble and get frustrated. Then I pull myself out of reserve/mothballs and show them the proper misery to get out of the jam that they're in.


I just used the oil extractor pump that came with my Spectre oil change kit yesterday. I needed it to install the fluids in my neighbor's Rubicon. It works well and was a screaming deal when at the lowball price on Amazon.com. The hardware alone is worth more than they charge for it.

If you can remote mount the filter, this is a great way to manage your physical limitations.