What!? You change your own oil??

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Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
I think its funny the absolute disdain the service guys have for owners who do their own work. Doesn't bother me, I sell parts to both. Plus if the customer isn't a complete jerk I will print out the section of the shop manual for them.


Not all share that disdain...

The service writer at my local Mercedes dealer is a Vietnam-era Army helicopter pilot. Good guy.

We first met when I was on Active Duty, and I was wearing a flight suit when I dropped off the car.

I brought the car in a couple of years ago to have the techs do a suspension level calibration (the active body control suspension isn't like conventional springs - it's controlled by computer, and operated by hydraulics). I had replaced ball joints, lower control arms, a strut, hydraulic accumulators, and rebuilt the valve blocks.

Not only was he supportive of my work, he was surprised to find out that you could clean/rebuild the valve blocks in the S-class hydraulic suspension system (new valve block: $1,650. Set of o-rings: $12), prompting the response, "Mr. XXXXX, you're not like most S-class owners!"

No, I'm not. Most folks that own a car like mine are far better off working for an hour (lawyer, doctor, etc.) and paying the tech to do a couple hours of work.

The A service, by the way, includes a whole bunch of checks, and filters (cabin, air, oil) and 10 quarts of Mobil 1. On my car, it's under $300, and it's a reasonable price for all that's done. If I were a lawyer, it would be a lot easier to stay in my office, nice and clean, and bill for an hour, while the techs spend a couple hours crawling under my car, changing the oil, filters and checking brake linings, etc.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Truth is 99% of owners of $75K cars aren't changing their own oil. That percentage is likely much different on BITOG. Heck, 99% of all owners probably...does 1 in 100 change their oil??



^^^^ this
 
lol this is funny... I agree, not many folks that can afford the cars in your stable will change their own oil!

As a side note, I have to ask what you (OP) do for a living if I may.. you have close to $150,000+ in new(er) vehicles listed in your signature. Usually guys like me whos house didn't cost as much as your cars are the ones changing their own oil! I wouldn't think $300 would really matter to you...
 
As always, there's the subset we omit.

It's the group who claim they change their oil (and other maintenance) then never actually do it.

They're good Americans who say the right things all the time. God Bless them.
 
Originally Posted By: racin4ds
lol this is funny... I agree, not many folks that can afford the cars in your stable will change their own oil!

As a side note, I have to ask what you (OP) do for a living if I may.. you have close to $150,000+ in new(er) vehicles listed in your signature. Usually guys like me whos house didn't cost as much as your cars are the ones changing their own oil! I wouldn't think $300 would really matter to you...



He is the exception to the rule. I would gather to say most MB AMG owners do not change their own oil.
 
My sister is more than capable of changing her own oil on her 330i, however she likes to go to BMW for the "experience". Which basically means over-paying by 3x so she can feel pampered. This is why the waiting areas in the Euro dealers are so well appointed.
 
I'm the oddball I guess. I don't change my oil in my vehicles except for my motorcycles. I can't physically get down on my hands and knees to do it.
Well, I suppose I could but it only costs me 40 bucks so why bother?
 
Originally Posted By: racin4ds
lol this is funny... I agree, not many folks that can afford the cars in your stable will change their own oil!

As a side note, I have to ask what you (OP) do for a living if I may.. you have close to $150,000+ in new(er) vehicles listed in your signature. Usually guys like me whos house didn't cost as much as your cars are the ones changing their own oil! I wouldn't think $300 would really matter to you...
I am a director of IT (and author), but I did not acquire 150K worth of vehicles by paying $300 for a OC and filter checks
wink.gif
You are correct that $300 will not break the bank, but it goes against my inner self to pay it.
 
Originally Posted By: littleant
Changing our own oil can be enjoyable. Who knows our vehicles better then us.


I change my own oil and do most of my own repairs myself , because I am cheap & wish to save money .

Not because I enjoy it .

I would like to add , if it were not for youtube videos , there are a lot of repairs I would not have even attempted .
 
I'm the only person in my circle of friends, or entire family that does this. I do all the non-warranty maintenance for 3 cars, and I enjoy it. I'm a huge question mark to everyone I know. What they don't know is that they're all huge question marks to me, since they take their cars to places like Jiffy Lube and Wal Mart. I'd sooner drive it off a cliff. There's a certain satisfaction and peace-of-mind that comes along with knowing for sure what oil is in the car, and that your filter & drain plug weren't cross-threaded. It's also the cheapest way to use 'synthetics', as the up-charge for that is ridiculous at most places.
 
Originally Posted By: WylieCoyote
I'm the only person in my circle of friends, or entire family that does this. I do all the non-warranty maintenance for 3 cars, and I enjoy it. I'm a huge question mark to everyone I know. What they don't know is that they're all huge question marks to me, since they take their cars to places like Jiffy Lube and Wal Mart. I'd sooner drive it off a cliff. There's a certain satisfaction and peace-of-mind that comes along with knowing for sure what oil is in the car, and that your filter & drain plug weren't cross-threaded. It's also the cheapest way to use 'synthetics', as the up-charge for that is ridiculous at most places.


My wife had been taking the car she drove to a fast change place to get the oil / filter changed , for years .

When we purchased the little Chevy Sonic , ( Dexos required ) , I decided to go back to changing it myself .

To avoid the up charge .
 
I see MB and other "premium" brands clients as wealthy city-dwellers who don't know how to do anything and pay someone else to attend to their children, mow their lawn, do landscaping, clean the house, etc...

They won't lower themselves to do something so gross as changing oil, that's well below their status and besides, they are sooooo busy.

That's a stereotype of course, but that's how I see it.
 
I live in a neighborhood with a HOA that prohibits working on vehicles in the driveway. My garage is full of [censored] because we downsized when we bought. Anyway, the last time I was changing the oil on the truck a neighbor walked by, stopped in front of my house, and said "you can't be working on your truck, the HOA forbids it." I told him I wasn't working on it, just changing the oil. He couldn't really process that, you could see the wheels turning in his head. He said he was going to report me and have the HOA president come down and see what I was doing. I said fine, no problem and see you soon.

Never heard back from anyone. Before anyone comments, I will be moving as soon as humanly possible and getting out of the burbs. But really, I don't consider changing the oil as working on a vehicle. Routine maintenance maybe. It wasn't like I was replacing a turbo or a water pump. (I would do those myself if needed even if the HOA said it was prohibited)
 
My Uncle paid his dealer $70 dollars to change his wiper blades, but I don't know if that included the blades or not? I have always done my own mtce on most things I am capable of and will continue to do so until I am no longer able.

My son, who turns 17 soon, has a different attitude but I hope to change that soon since he just got his G2 yesterday. I will be telling him, as long as he is driving mom and dad's vehicles, he will also be maintaining them.

Of course I will show/teach him first and hopefully that goes well (I have my doubts) but if it doesn't then I will be telling him it's time to get your own vehicle then and pay your own way.

As far as people not wanting to do their own, I can understand that somewhat. When I was first learning, I was afraid of the unknown when it came to tearing things apart and doing them right. Once I got my hands dirty, I quickly realized nothing was as difficult as I was making it out to be.
Anyone remember that commercial on T.V. of the oil drain plug falling out? Clearly it was just another tactic to scare people into bring their cars in for mtce, but when the uneducated see things like this, it scares them into not doing anything associated with their vehicles.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
Originally Posted By: racin4ds
lol this is funny... I agree, not many folks that can afford the cars in your stable will change their own oil!

As a side note, I have to ask what you (OP) do for a living if I may.. you have close to $150,000+ in new(er) vehicles listed in your signature. Usually guys like me whos house didn't cost as much as your cars are the ones changing their own oil! I wouldn't think $300 would really matter to you...
I am a director of IT (and author), but I did not acquire 150K worth of vehicles by paying $300 for a OC and filter checks
wink.gif
You are correct that $300 will not break the bank, but it goes against my inner self to pay it.


Nailed it
thumbsup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
Originally Posted By: racin4ds
lol this is funny... I agree, not many folks that can afford the cars in your stable will change their own oil!

As a side note, I have to ask what you (OP) do for a living if I may.. you have close to $150,000+ in new(er) vehicles listed in your signature. Usually guys like me whos house didn't cost as much as your cars are the ones changing their own oil! I wouldn't think $300 would really matter to you...
I am a director of IT (and author), but I did not acquire 150K worth of vehicles by paying $300 for a OC and filter checks
wink.gif
You are correct that $300 will not break the bank, but it goes against my inner self to pay it.


This is spot on. Obviously I am not at that pay level, yet, however I enjoy doing things like this to know they are done right. I do however have one of the guy at the shop change the oil on my mom's Fusion for me. I hate dealing with the huge under cover with all the bolts while on jackstands in front of the house. I let him do it and the tire rotation. He lets me know when it is in the air so I can poke around under it and set the tire pressures.

I also know when to punt to a professional, like with the electrical work we are having done on the house.
 
Electrical work can be dangerous . By the Grace of God , I am still alive and kicking after close to 40 years in the trade .

But mechanical work can be dangerous if you dumb up and drop a car upon yourself .

Very little in life is safe .
 
Originally Posted By: Tdog02
I live in a neighborhood with a HOA that prohibits working on vehicles in the driveway. My garage is full of [censored] because we downsized when we bought. Anyway, the last time I was changing the oil on the truck a neighbor walked by, stopped in front of my house, and said "you can't be working on your truck, the HOA forbids it." I told him I wasn't working on it, just changing the oil. He couldn't really process that, you could see the wheels turning in his head. He said he was going to report me and have the HOA president come down and see what I was doing. I said fine, no problem and see you soon.

Never heard back from anyone. Before anyone comments, I will be moving as soon as humanly possible and getting out of the burbs. But really, I don't consider changing the oil as working on a vehicle. Routine maintenance maybe. It wasn't like I was replacing a turbo or a water pump. (I would do those myself if needed even if the HOA said it was prohibited)


Imagine his head exploding if you would have done it using a vacuum pump....
 
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