What do you do with your old oil?

ssmokn · Mar 16, 2004

I either bring it to the local transfer station or one of the local auto parts chains. There is an Advance Auto that is close by so I often take the oil there right after I change it. I don't think I have ever left the store without buying something

Chris142 · Mar 16, 2004

I have not done anything with my old oil lately.

Thanks to the Eco nazi's here in SoCal they have made it dang near impossible to recycle used oil.

Pep Boys wants you to pour it back into their bottles to bring it back and they will only take 5 qts a day. Pouring it into the bottles turns into a messy disaster and I refuse to do it (and spill most of it) again.

Kragen will only accept it in their 6 qt jug that you must buy from them to begin with. If they cannot I.D. the jug as one that they carry they wont accept it. Sux too cause all my cars take more than 6 qts.

Autozone will usually take it in the 5-gallon gas can I have been using for 10+ years but their drum is always full.

Napa wont take used oil at all. Neither will the indepent guy.

Jeffrey Behr · Mar 16, 2004

Collect it in a 5-gallon can and empty it into Checker's or AutoZone's used-oil tanks.

I too pour engine coolant down the drain. Seems weird but the city of Phoenix says that's just fine as long as I'm an individual and not a company. BTW the ethylene glycol in coolant apparently can be fairly easily 'filtered' or removed from the effluent.

Audi Junkie · Mar 16, 2004

I buy most all my oil at Wal*Mart, so therefore I have no inhibition about returning my used oil there, no matter if it is convenient for the service guys or not.

wings&wheels · Mar 16, 2004

I also drain it into my 275 gallon home heating oil tank. I was concerned about introducing too much moisture into the tank so I usually let the oil sit in the shed for a while to settle before I pour most of it in. I'm probably being a bit excessive but you will get some deposits on the bottom of the jug after a while.

I did stop burning my aircraft oil in the furnace as I was concerned about the amount of lead that is suspended in the oil. I assume that it can get through a heating system filter if it gets through the Lycoming's. That oil goes to the local AutoZone or whoever I happen to have an oil receipt for at the time.

Ed · Mar 16, 2004

For those of you who use full synthetic and change it frequently anyway, you could probably get 50 cents a quart for it at the local race track. It's got to be better than cheap conventional oil for short term high stress applications that competition driving entails. If you lose your coolant for instance the used synthetic will definitely remain a lubricant a lot longer than brand new regular stuff.

brad_d · Mar 16, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Chris142:
Thanks to the Eco nazi's here in SoCal they have made it dang near impossible to recycle used oil.

Wow, that stinks! The situation couldn't be more different here in Long Beach, which isn't really very far away from you.

Just a few weeks ago I left old oil at a local Kragen. I brought it in the black plastic drain pan/container that I'd collected it with, and the guy took it into the back and (I assume) dumped it into their big tank. Certainly no need for a specially-purchased container.

I've used the local AutoZones in the past - sometimes they do it for you, other times they just point out the tank and tell you to have at it.

Pep Boys is also not really a problem, although their mechanism makes it incrementally more of a PITA. One must go to the service desk and fill out a line on their form, and then walk out to the service area. Once you finally get the attention of a mechanic, he'll grudgingly wheel their mobile under-car drain pan over and you can dump your oil into that. Since that's just a small amount messier & more time-consuming, I haven't left oil there in a while.

For the filters, I usually do what I can to mangle/destroy the ADBV

and let it drain overnight. After that I throw it away.

tom slick · Mar 16, 2004

i guess i'm lucky. i just set it out on the curb with my trash cans on trash day and they pick it up. they even supply the drain pan/jug and a heavy duty bag to put the filter in. it's even free!

lab1dobie · Mar 16, 2004

We have a recycling center near our neighborhood that takes waste oil. I just dump it in a old gallon milk jug, rinsed out of course, and take it to them.

Grease is the word · Mar 16, 2004

A mix between Walmart and Valvoline lube-in-the-box. Valvoline takes antifreeze and ATF. I'm not sure what they do with the AF, but oil and ATF they burn in their heaters.

Is improper dumping of used oil as big of an epidemic as it was years ago when it was so widespread? I can't imagine that in this day people are dumping it on the ground or in storm sewers anymore. Nothing ceases to amaze me anymore though.

I hope you guys that are running it in your home heating system are occasionally running some AutoRx in the home tank of yours.

SteveD2 · Mar 16, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Grease is the word:
Is improper dumping of used oil as big of an epidemic as it was years ago when it was so widespread? I can't imagine that in this day people are dumping it on the ground or in storm sewers anymore. Nothing ceases to amaze me anymore though.

A little while ago there was a post by someone on another forum I visit. He dug a hole in his yard to drain the oil from his car into. He was looking for help to get the grass growing again.

Flashlightboy · Mar 16, 2004

Kragen.

Ferb · Mar 16, 2004

My experience has been much like Brad's. The two times i've taken stuff to Kragen, it was in my 10-qt Blitz drain pan and a 1-gal jug i recycled from windshield washer stuff.

Usually i take mine to the city/county haz mat yard where you can take paint, TVs, etc. But they were closed that day.

ferb!

TheNauseator · Mar 16, 2004

My city picks up used oil when I leave it at the curb in gallon jugs on a garbage day. If you wrap the oil filter in a plastic bag that is clean on the outside (not oily) and doesn't leak, they will even take oil filters for recycling.

[ March 17, 2004, 01:56 AM: Message edited by: TheNauseator ]

T-Keith · Mar 16, 2004

Actually antifreeze is perfectly fine down the drain. Most cities recomend flushing it. It's toxic, but not neccesarily bad for the environment.

I bring my oil and filters to Wal-mart, all TLEs have dump bins.

-T

Tyrolkid · Mar 16, 2004

State of Alaska thinks it's hazardous waste:

http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ENV.CONSERV/dsps/compasst/answers/antifrz.htm

Doing research on my home state on NY right now....

Tyrolkid · Mar 16, 2004

Here's the EPA stance on the matter:

http://www.epa.gov/fedsite/vmf/antifreeze.html

RichR · Mar 16, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by darkdan:

One of the gallons I've had in the garage for literally 6 years. It was Valvoline 10w30 from when I was 17. I changed my oil in my dad's garage and didn't take it in.
Man was it ever gross!=)

Man the Valvoline critiques would of had a field day with that one.
I take my UMO to a Auto repair shop I have been taking my over my haed car repairs to.
RichR

[ March 17, 2004, 09:06 AM: Message edited by: RichR ]

bheinz57 · Mar 16, 2004

I have a huge tank of used oil at my work. So I dump it in there, then we pay for someone to suck it out and recycle it. Brian

Gary Allan · Mar 16, 2004

My mechanic/friend has a waste oil burner. He's always looking for used oil. If he's full ...the repair shop that I use when he doesn't want to, or can't (alignment, etc.), do the job has one as well. Since I'm going with 12.5k OCI next time on my wife's jeep (which I usually do at the one mechanics shop anyway, I only have to deal with my son's stuff which takes over a year or two given the 5 gallon jugs that I have.

What do you do with your old oil?

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