When you don't feel like DIY oil changes anymore

Oillover said:
While some negative reviews appear fake/malicious, others have grains of truth and humor to them.
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I didn't go to a lube service for years, but during the pandemic I was tired and went to a local lube service with my own oil and filter.
There was nobody in the shop. The kids took about an hour and then there was oil spill all over my engine cover.

First and last time for me. Just did it myself on Sat on a school parking lot (I don't have a garage).
 
For my own cars it has been 20 plus years, when I was in a hurry. The Dodge dealer did fine. Jiffy Lube did not. My wife, I changed the oil in her '05 Sonata. When she bought her '19 Sonic, I had her take it to the dealer. But now that it is out of warranty and their price now $105.99 (!), I have reverted to doing hers as well.
 
It’s heartening to see that essentially all responders resist giving giving up DIY changes and in many cases are teaching others. I am sixty, and have six cars that I change oil on. Always searching for the perfect oil change…. The right oil, filter, acquired at the best price, and no spills whatsoever.
 
Oillover said:
Recently I've been contemplating taking my daily into a quick lube for a change, simply because I don't feel like the hassle anymore.
I have an oil extractor, but the time to take everything out and clean up, just seems to be not worth it.

Reading Yelp reviews from a local "Mr.Lube" franchise in my area, is not only entertaining but enlightening and motivating!
While some negative reviews appear fake/malicious, others have grains of truth and humor to them.
https://www.yelp.ca/biz/mr-lube-north-vancouver?osq=mr+lube

🍻
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Of the local quick places Valvoline seems to be the most up and up. My co-worker went to Jiffy lube, and (I told her not to) for an oil change. They tried scamming her for $400 in various "services" plus stole a metal trinket off of her key chain.
 
I have occasionally contemplated having basic service work performed by someone else. Then I go to get fuel, prepay with a 50.00 dollar bill, dispense 37.24 of fuel, walk back in and hand the same clerk a quarter. That's when I go right back home and put my coveralls on and do the job myself.
 
I've been doing my own oil changes and most other maintenance for the last 40 years and I think I'm nearly done with it. I enjoy the feeling of doing something myself knowing its done right, that feeling of accomplishment, but I just don't have the workspace, fitness or patience to do it anymore.

Oil changes are weird. I could give up my car to do brakes or struts or whatever, but oil changes are unique in that they are relatively easy to do, but the opportunities to screw it up are many and often and can be easily hidden. Wrong oil used, too much or too little oil used, messy oil spills, wrong filter used, doubled/no gasket, cross-threaded filter, cross-threaded drain plug, overtightened drain plug, undercowl not reinstalled correctly (or at all), etc. I just don't trust the skill level of 'technician' who ONLY does oil changes. I've read too many horror stories.
 
Oillover said:
Recently I've been contemplating taking my daily into a quick lube for a change, simply because I don't feel like the hassle anymore.
I have an oil extractor, but the time to take everything out and clean up, just seems to be not worth it.

Reading Yelp reviews from a local "Mr.Lube" franchise in my area, is not only entertaining but enlightening and motivating!
While some negative reviews appear fake/malicious, others have grains of truth and humor to them.
https://www.yelp.ca/biz/mr-lube-north-vancouver?osq=mr+lube

🍻
Click to expand...
Search podcast: Your Stupid Opinions

No affiliation, just entertaining
 
slacktide_bitog said:
If you can find a good shop to do it, great. Just find a good place. Avoid Jiffy Lube and Pep Boys :sneaky:

Honestly, Walmart isn't the worst place to go for an oil change, either. They don't do much beyond oil and tires, so they have nothing to upsell. They also use proper torque :)

The biggest reason people do it themselves is so they know it's done right, and when you're under the car, you can see problems before they become real problems :D
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Surprisingly, the local Walmart told a girl her VC gaskets were leaking on her Toyota 3.4. They weren't wrong, and I got the job. I made sure to tell the parents that the leaks were definitely noticeable but not earth-shattering, but they still wanted it done before she went to school in TN (from CO)
 
I do my own oil changes to avoid this type of thing:
how-do-i-get-this-oil-drain-plug-out-its-stripped-and-v0-u7pgkq5dvgdd1.webp
 
As I get older it's becoming harder to do thinks like gardening, working on the cars, clearing leaves from the gutters and painting on a ladder etc. I tell myself it's necessary exercise as I am one of those rare people that prefers to doing something more productive than going to the gym, although I still enjoy progressively longer walks if the environment is pleasant.

Just rotated the tires on my wife's SUV and swapped out the summer tires with winter ones on my saloon front wheel driver in anticipation of another snowy winter. At least the satisfaction of doing stuff myself and knowing it's done right are ample reward, even if I am hurting a day later. For all of us there will come a time but admit to kicking it down the road as far as I can before I acknowledge it!
 
I stopped doing mine 8-10 years ago. My mechanic lets me bring my own jug of Mobil 1 and charges me $35 for the oil change, filter, an additional quart and tire rotation.
I always pay cash and tip whichever guy does the work $5-$10.
I always pay cash for brakes or any other work he does.
I'm not climbing under any cars again.
 
I do my own oil changes not for financial reasons but more because I don't trust anyone and my vehicle is pretty easy to do. I have just encountered some health issues that had me debating taking it somewhere but I looked and due to the health issues I've only put on 2k miles in 6 months so I'm gonna wait another 1k miles and see if I can do it myself then if not then I'll take it somewhere. I'd probably bring it to a independent mechanic or the dealer over a quick lube if I have to.
 
RaymondP said:
As I get older it's becoming harder to do thinks like gardening, working on the cars, clearing leaves from the gutters and painting on a ladder etc. I tell myself it's necessary exercise as I am one of those rare people that prefers to doing something more productive than going to the gym, although I still enjoy progressively longer walks if the environment is pleasant.

Just rotated the tires on my wife's SUV and swapped out the summer tires with winter ones on my saloon front wheel driver in anticipation of another snowy winter. At least the satisfaction of doing stuff myself and knowing it's done right are ample reward, even if I am hurting a day later. For all of us there will come a time but admit to kicking it down the road as far as I can before I acknowledge it!
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Good for you to keep active. If we all keep doing some physical labor, and some stretching/strengthening activities, eat reasonably, probably most of us could get up near 75-80-85 before being unable to roll around on the ground under a car, an oil change is light work, good to keep an old guy busy!
My one neighbor kept his small beef farm going until he was 85 and only stopped when he caught pneumonia made serious with him having some lung damage from dust in his younger days working at the feed mill. I would drive by everyday on the way home from work and see him turn a few big trees into a stack of firewood over a few days.
 
goblin said:
My local Valvoline shop is great, and the one I tried in Long Island earlier this year is great as well.
They will do oil changes with my oil and filter, they follow a checklist, use a torque wrench for the filter cap and for the drain plug, and are young nice kids.
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All in all, I love having the option. It's quick, it's clean, and they so far put up with all my craziness (put the old filter in this here ziplock back, drain the oil in this here oil drain pan so I can bring it back to FCP Euro, etc).
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I had a Valvoline shop up north that I used for years back in the days when I put a lot of miles on the car. That was a great shop to get my oil changes and other fluid exchanges.
 
I can understand why a lot of older people don’t want to change oil anymore if they are doing it with ramps and have to crawl around on their backs under the car. That’s way more physically exhausting than if you were able to do that oil change standing up (if you have access to a hoist or an oil change pit)

If I were a rich man I would have my own oil change pit beside my house 🤩
 
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