oil change experience.

[Robertslowpoke]

good morning all! so, today i took my 2008 Cadillac DTS to a mechanic for an oil change. he has been there for 30 years. i have been going to him a few months, and i like him. he seems very thorough and honest.
the charge today was $146. this included 7 1/2 quarts of synthetic mobil one, filter. he had a checklist of what he did, including lube chassis, steering stops hood hinges and latch, emergency brake cable, door hinges and latch. check all fluids, check antifreeze, was good to -45 degrees, wash front and rear windows, inspect tires and pressure, exhaust,wiper blades, etc. when i asked him, he said although there are not grease fittings anymore, there ARE parts to lubricate, which prevents water from getting in.

this price seems a bit high, but I do like him! he fixed an air dam under wife's lexus for free the other day.

do you have comments? he said that lubricating certain parts would prevent water from getting in. i think i still like him!! he advised me to drive 7500 miles before changing the Mobil One oil again.

best

bob

 

[95busa]

Lube chassis.....they probably left that on there for legacy vehicles. None of that going on anymore.

 

[jcwit]

Lot more than I'd spend for an oil change but you did get alot of extra minor lubes and checks done and looks like he's thorugh also. Your vehicle also does use almost twice as much oil per change than mine does so that also is a factor. Other than the chassis lube which to my knowledge is non existant, I think you did just fine.

Hey, you say you like the guy and you imply you trust him so if you're happy I would say you should be satisified.

 

[abycat]

If the car has had steering parts replaced or suspension parts the replacement parts could be greasable. Most of the factory stuff is lifetime lubricated but I have seen servicable replacement parts around. He could have lubed bushings or even applied anti corrosion stuff to harnesses or other items under the car. If he did all those things and say he greased 0 ports that seems like an honest price and it most likely took close to 45 minutes for one person to do plus the oil change. knock off the price of the oil and the tech's wage and you dont have much left over. Id say if you like him keep him. sounds reasonably priced and not a hack.

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: jcwit
Hey, you say you like the guy and you imply you trust him so if you're happy I would say you should be satisified.


Bam. Having a mechanic you can trust is worth its weight in gold. OTOH, the majority of aftermarket steering and suspension parts I have seen come with greasable fittings. I prefer this, actually.

 

[ueberooo]

not a good sign IMO. He may be the nicest person to talk to; he may be detail oriented, but there are practical limits as to how frequently a car needs such detail oriented care, as well as limits to what you feel is acceptable business practice; having a person test for your limits is not one of them in my book.

 

[jmsjags]

about $100 more than i would spend but if you've got the money to blow..

 

[Radman]

Here's an idea: If you want to save money do the work yourself. It sounds like you paid for a pretty good inspection in which the Technician took his time to make sure it is road worthy for the Winter.

 

[user52165]

Originally Posted By: ueberooo
not a good sign IMO. He may be the nicest person to talk to; he may be detail oriented, but there are practical limits as to how frequently a car needs such detail oriented care, as well as limits to what you feel is acceptable business practice; having a person test for your limits is not one of them in my book.


Very strange thinking. So about twice a year is too much detail? If he is not capable or unwilling to get under the hood or under the car for this kind of service, then he is well served by someone who can. I do all my own service, but many others can't. The tragedy is that many think oil changes alone are the only required service............. and transmission, brakes, cooling, etc are forgotten. An inspection twice a year can head off many other problems.

 

[Robertslowpoke]

thank you guys!! I want your honest opinions!! you cannot offend me! my level of mechanical skill is quite low! i, with my friend's help, changed oil in our cars. we had no lift, so crawled around on the ground! ugh!

I did "help" my expert friend do the front pads and rotors on my Caddy DTS. i got to use his little tool and ground the gray coating off of the new rotors. i later read here we did not need to do that! ha! I handed him the tools and held the light! I did get to see, however, what goes into changing pads and rotors. interesting. he explained it as he went along.

OK, so I have learned a lot from this forum, and I am responsible for SCHEDULING the maintenance on my cars! i am learning what they need, how often. I know how to check the fluid levels, tire pressure, wax the car myself with an orbital and collinite wax. i found that you need to use Dexcool and Dexron for my car! because of this forum, i got snow tires for my son's Prius.

To me, a dummy, having a real mechanic (this guy is around 55, has been there around 30 years) put my car up on a lift and really look, once or twice a year, is worth it. he is the one who told me brakes were coming up. my friend did the front brakes, and charged me parts (original caddy rotors and pad) plus $40. i gave him $100. we will do the rear brakes soon. in summer of 2008, my car was expensive new, and I want it to be working after it is paid off! ha! I am willing to go the extra mile, to wash and wax too often, change oil often, trans. fluid, radiator, steer, brake fluid, wiper blades, etc. to me, a dummy, this is protecting my investment!

thanks, keep the ideas coming!

best,

Bob

 

[oilmaven]

If you want to give me $146 for an oil change and those "comprehensive services" I'll be so nice you'll throw up...

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: user52165
Originally Posted By: ueberooo
not a good sign IMO. He may be the nicest person to talk to; he may be detail oriented, but there are practical limits as to how frequently a car needs such detail oriented care, as well as limits to what you feel is acceptable business practice; having a person test for your limits is not one of them in my book.


Very strange thinking. So about twice a year is too much detail? If he is not capable or unwilling to get under the hood or under the car for this kind of service, then he is well served by someone who can. I do all my own service, but many others can't. The tragedy is that many think oil changes alone are the only required service............. and transmission, brakes, cooling, etc are forgotten. An inspection twice a year can head off many other problems.



BINGO.
The same people that demand cheap service will wonder why the technician did not catch something during the oil change. They just don't get that a $20 oil change special will have the technician tick off boxes without even being under the car.

If you want good service, you have to pay for it or do it yourself.

 

[Vikas]

What is the retail price on the Mobile 1 oil and the filter? I think the price is reasonable although little bit on the high side. How long the car was on the lift? If it was being looked after for more than 30 min, then it is not an outrageous price. The labor is going to be anywhere between 85-135 /hour.

Why not use the guy who did your brakes? Buy your oil and filter and give him $20.

- Vikas

 

[sciphi]

It could be done cheaper. But, since this guy has been honest and on the up and up with you, I'd keep going back to him. You said your level of mechanical skill was low, so having somebody you trust to give you the straight talk on what needs doing is worth it.

Many of us on this board are DIY'ers, so paying for a mechanic except when necessary is alien. Then again, it's sometimes nice to pay somebody else to worry about your problem!

 

[MONKEYMAN]

Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke

this price seems a bit high, but I do like him! he fixed an air dam under wife's lexus for free the other day.


To me, that is a sign he is not just out to get your money.

I think you could do a lot worse. You do not sound very knowledgeable about the maintenance or repair aspect of cars. That is also my weak point. It sounds like you have found someone you trust. He was thorough and appears competent. To me, that has monetary value. Not everyone is cut out to maintain cars. You are paying for his 30 years experience. Now, compare that to an oil change person with limited experience. You may get a better price for the oil change, but you do not get the experience. Some places up sell things you do not need. The question is, was the lubing really needed? Maybe he is old school and used to the days where things were lubed. Maybe he likes to lube things and is longing to find a forum where he could learn more about lubrication.

If I had the money, I would rather pay a little extra for service if I was treated right.

 

[hattaresguy]

Oil and filter alone were probably $70. Price isn't bad, if you want to own a high end car you have to pay, $20 oil changes are for cheap cars.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke
i have been going to him a few months, and i like him. he seems very thorough and honest.
the charge today was $146. this included 7 1/2 quarts of synthetic mobil one, filter.


I'd consider that price on the high end, but if you're not doing the work yourself, I wouldn't sweat it much. If you trust him and he's doing all those little checks and using quality oil and filters, I'm sure you're okay. For reference, the Infiniti dealer up here charges over $60 for a conventional oil change and inspection. That's for five quarts, not seven and a half, and definitely not synthetic.

Our local quick lube shops tend to charge in the $70 range for a synthetic oil change. I would bet that they would charge a premium for seven and a half quarts, and they wouldn't be as meticulous and cautious as your guy, either. And if he's promoting a 7,500 mile OCI instead of the 3,000 mile OCI, you know he's not trying to get you in constantly to spend a bunch of money on expensive synthetic.

 

[ueberooo]

Originally Posted By: user52165
Originally Posted By: ueberooo
not a good sign IMO. He may be the nicest person to talk to; he may be detail oriented, but there are practical limits as to how frequently a car needs such detail oriented care, as well as limits to what you feel is acceptable business practice; having a person test for your limits is not one of them in my book.


Very strange thinking. So about twice a year is too much detail? If he is not capable or unwilling to get under the hood or under the car for this kind of service, then he is well served by someone who can. I do all my own service, but many others can't. The tragedy is that many think oil changes alone are the only required service............. and transmission, brakes, cooling, etc are forgotten. An inspection twice a year can head off many other problems.


$30 to $40 for a very decent semi synth (easily capable of 6k given that oil capacity) at Firestone (including the 2.5 extra quarts) will get you the oil changed and, from what I've found to be generally very thorough, the optional but free courtesy checks. (The full synth may be an extra few bucks.)

In fact I've learned to take their advice more seriously after a friend blew his radiator hose a road trip or two after the mech there warned that the radiator hose is getting old. They even catch minor things like dead bulbs on little lic plate lights and 3rd eye brake lighting elements. Your mileage may vary with the mechanic that happens to be working on your car; but if he's doing his job right these checks are quite thorough.

Call me cheap but I still believe anything over $80 seems high, even for Mass.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: user52165


Very strange thinking. So about twice a year is too much detail? If he is not capable or unwilling to get under the hood or under the car for this kind of service, then he is well served by someone who can. I do all my own service, but many others can't. The tragedy is that many think oil changes alone are the only required service............. and transmission, brakes, cooling, etc are forgotten. An inspection twice a year can head off many other problems.



BINGO.
The same people that demand cheap service will wonder why the technician did not catch something during the oil change. They just don't get that a $20 oil change special will have the technician tick off boxes without even being under the car.

If you want good service, you have to pay for it or do it yourself.


THIS. Its worth it to have everything checked over if you aren't mechanical. Just because there aren't grease zerks doesn't mean something can't be lubricated to help it last longer or prevent rust. That guy has been around for 30 years for a reason. You don't usually stay in business very long when you rip people off or do [censored] work. Is it cheap? No... but I can only imagine what the dealership would charge for checking not even half of the stuff he probably did.

 

[440Magnum]

Does he charge that EVERY oil change? I can see getting something that thorough done once every few OCIs, but the hood pins and E-brake cable don't need lubing every oil change. And as others have said, there aren't any chassis lube points on that car like there used to be on all cars (and still are on some trucks and offroad vehicles).

Since you like the guy, I'd just talk to him. I'd ask, "can we just do a basic oil change this time and skip the chassis inspections since you did them last time?"