Been a while since I posted here.
I don't change my own oil as often as I used to, and when I do I typically buy Mobil 1 5W-30 at Costco when they have a "no-clip coupon" special. That typically makes it about $27, which is only a bit more than I remember paying for it in the late 90s.
I used to take a lot more interest in motor oil and changing my own oil. I'd change the oil in my folks' cars and it was relatively easy and cheap to do it myself. However, I have less time these days, but recently I decided to at least try and change the oil in my wife's 2003 Civic (still can't reach the &*^% oil filter).
I remember when I first started changing my own oil, Mobil 1 was typically $4/quart and I could find it on sale for way less. I saw some special gallon jugs (actually a special kit with a catch pan) selling for $12. "Conventional" oil was pretty cheap, and it wasn't unusual to see even the name brand oils selling for under $1 depending on specials. I even remember when CSK had rebates that could bring it down as low as 60 cents a quart. Commercial oil changes were typically about $20-25 (although $10 "get the customer in the door" specials weren't unusual at the time), so spending $4-5 on oil and $3 on a filter for a DIY change made financial sense.
Now I walk in to even a discount store like WM and regular Pennzoil/Valvoline/Castrol sells for $4+ a quart with the 5 quart jugs $15. Even with these retail prices, I can find a shop that can do an oil change for about the same $20-25 that I could when the retail price of motor oil was cheaper. I thought that the bulk motor oil sold in drums was identical to that in the retail bottles.
When did the prices start going up and up? Any reason why? I know the price of crude oil has gone up, but for years I remember the price of motor oil was stable even with the price of crude oil making wild fluctuations. I know the costs of meeting the latest oil standards might even be a concern, but 3-4 times is even more than the relative price increase of gasoline.
I don't change my own oil as often as I used to, and when I do I typically buy Mobil 1 5W-30 at Costco when they have a "no-clip coupon" special. That typically makes it about $27, which is only a bit more than I remember paying for it in the late 90s.
I used to take a lot more interest in motor oil and changing my own oil. I'd change the oil in my folks' cars and it was relatively easy and cheap to do it myself. However, I have less time these days, but recently I decided to at least try and change the oil in my wife's 2003 Civic (still can't reach the &*^% oil filter).
I remember when I first started changing my own oil, Mobil 1 was typically $4/quart and I could find it on sale for way less. I saw some special gallon jugs (actually a special kit with a catch pan) selling for $12. "Conventional" oil was pretty cheap, and it wasn't unusual to see even the name brand oils selling for under $1 depending on specials. I even remember when CSK had rebates that could bring it down as low as 60 cents a quart. Commercial oil changes were typically about $20-25 (although $10 "get the customer in the door" specials weren't unusual at the time), so spending $4-5 on oil and $3 on a filter for a DIY change made financial sense.
Now I walk in to even a discount store like WM and regular Pennzoil/Valvoline/Castrol sells for $4+ a quart with the 5 quart jugs $15. Even with these retail prices, I can find a shop that can do an oil change for about the same $20-25 that I could when the retail price of motor oil was cheaper. I thought that the bulk motor oil sold in drums was identical to that in the retail bottles.
When did the prices start going up and up? Any reason why? I know the price of crude oil has gone up, but for years I remember the price of motor oil was stable even with the price of crude oil making wild fluctuations. I know the costs of meeting the latest oil standards might even be a concern, but 3-4 times is even more than the relative price increase of gasoline.
