Originally Posted By: mclasser
[censored] people actually drop $85 for a quickie lube oil change!?
5 quarts of oil at parts house = $38
oil filter = $6
$44
oil filter wrench, coveralls, safety glasses, ramps, an afternoon, socket, socket wrench, drain pan, funnel, shop rags, hand cleaner, laundry, cold drink, trip to purchase oil, trip to return used oil.
So for the $40 you spent to save yourself from those last two lines of miscellaneous items: you get-
an air conditioned waiting space
reading material
bathroom
beverage
probably tv or radio
a team of employees doing work, which probably includes, in additional to oil and filter- their time, their uniform, a pit, the lube shack itself, electric, foundation work, an inground pit (those things are so cool), tools, insurance, training, the logistics of getting all of the supplies to the lube shack, check your tire pressures, top off the wiper fluid, have a look inside and out over and under, they might check your blades and clean the windshield and then use the computer($$$$) with an internet connection to print you a bill from a tree that was cut down and processed into paper and fed into the printer($$$) using ink($$) to give you a receipt which is a nice record to keep of the vehicle and took time to make.
to the OP,
I would listen to the tech. 5000 miles sounds perfect for an Ecotec turbo. I am running 5w-30 Synpower in my 2.2 4A Ecotec and have about 4000 miles on it in about 8 months and am at about 50% on the maintenance minder. I have added a quart so far. I may just follow thru on the OLM this go-round and wait until under 5% before changing. But if I have to start adding a lot of oil, which usually means to me it is spent and needs to be changed, I may change early.
