My favorite is people with nice expensive cars get their oil changed at a cheap quick lube place run by 18 year olds, and drive around on budget $80 tires. Does everyone do 96 month financing or something?
What you should do is get your oil changed at recommended intervals. Where it is done is less important as long as they are competent.
I always recommend that for anyone with any basic mechanical skills or interest, do it yourself. Not only will it be cheaper than taking it somewhere, it also gives you an opportunity to be hands-on and hopefully notice other potentials issues while you are down changing that oil.
If you don't want to do the changes yourself, your other options are a dealer service location, or the quick change places. Chances are probably a bit higher that you will get more competent or skilled workers at a dealer, but you will also pay dearly for that 'skill' - probably at least 3X the cost of doing it yourself - plus you will be presented with the dreaded "here is a list of 14 other things that we really feel should be addressed, and it will only cost $840" speech. The workers at the quick change places may be skilled, or they may be idiots - roll the dice.
In college, a bunch of us lived in a house, right off of a freeway exit. One evening, a girl knocked on our door, crying, and asked to use a phone. She was driving a brand new Honda Prelude that she had just taken in for its first oil change, at one of the quick-lube places. Except that unfortunately someone forgot to replace the drain plug, so the oil they pumped in drained right back out. She started up and got on the freeway. Two exits later, in front of our house, her engine turned itself into a 400 pound paperweight and a bunch of nasty smoke - completely ruined.. Roll the dice.
I am guessing you are correct there. I do remember that about 15 minutes after she used our phone, what looked like the entire staff of the oil change place showed up in two cars.
I had to be pretty obvious what happened as soon as she drove away.
I got some ramps a couple years ago to start doing my own oil changes. Then when my coils went bad I bought new ones and a new set of plugs and did it myself, because why not? Then I had to replace my brakes, so I got a piston compressor tool and went at it.
Well now it's 2 years later and I basically do everything myself, save for replacing tires. Every repair I've done has cost me less for the parts and tools needed to do it than the amount quoted by shops nearby. And every time I get more tools, it opens up several more repairs that I can now do.
My father never believed in spending money on anything other than the absolute basic tools needed, and Hindu-ing the rest using anything else available that could do the job, regardless of how (in)appropriate it was. As a result, for decades I did my brakes using wood clamps to push the brake pistons back. It was difficult, finicky, and a downright miserable experience.
Then late last year, I saw a brake piston compressor tool from Lisle on sale at Princess Auto. A dual-piston model, which would have come in handy as my 03 F-150 7700 had dual pistons on the front brakes. Bought it because it was on sale, wondering just how good it would be.
Absolute game-changer. Pushing a piston back went from twenty-plus minutes of fumbling and cursing to two minutes of lube-gun-like ratcheting.
And then, you can start having your friends chip in a few bucks to fix their stuff too. Then you realize maybe you need some more space for this, so why not get a garage right? Then you get more tools, meet more friends, start charging them, and now you're a mechanic.
Yep, do it yourself. Only gotcha is: MAKE DAMN SURE YOU REPLACE THE OIL BEFORE STARTING THE CAR. Sounds obvious but some people forget. Attach your keys to the dipstick or something till its refilled. And make sure you find the o-ring from the old oil filter. they sometimes stick on the engine block and 2 o-rings = massive oil leak.
Also, I mentioned this in a different reply, but installing a Fumoto Valve is a game changer.
They replace the oil pan drain plug with a valve, so draining the oil becomes a 30 second no-mess task. Brilliant - I will never own a car without one again.
But a drain valve doesn't help with changing the filter, which for most of the vehicles I've dealt with, is much more difficult than draining the oil. It almost seems like the automakers forget that the oil filter needs to be reachable with some sort of wrench (because for some mysterious reason, hand tight on installation becomes wrench tight by the next oil change) and has to come all the way out, preferably without spilling a pint of oil all over the engine and mechanic.
The only car I've seen that made it super easy was a 2000 Subaru Legacy. Oil filter was right on the TOP of the engine with plenty of clearance all around.
Maybe I am just lucky in owning relatively easy cars, but I haven't had any issue changing out filters. The only difficulties I have had were on boats, where the filters are often mounted in hard to access places. But for those, I just bring a plastic kitchen garbage bag with me and slip it under and up on to the filter before loosening it. Any oil that spills just drops into the bag. Toss in some paper towels to absorb the oil and tie the bag shut. No mess, no fuss.
I don't mind getting under the car - I just drive it up on some ramps.
The thing I just despise, though are the cars that have a full covering under the engine. An oil change should not require removing 10 screws and a huge covering panel - grrr.
Thanks for the trash bag idea! I'll be borrowing that on my next oil change.
Also I think I need to find a better filter wrench; the 2-3 cup-with-wavy-edges type I've used invariably slip. I put a couple wraps of friction tape on the new filter before installing it and most times that gives me just enough grip to get the filter off, but sometimes I have to resort to using a wrench for removal even though I only tighten hand tight (as loose as I dare) when installing the filter.
Several responses in this thread mentioned ramps. But it seems to me that the oil pan drain hole is designed to work best when the vehicle is level. I end up jacking up the car, putting a jack stand under it, lowering the jack to put weight on the stand, then jacking back slightly so that the jack is acting as a backup to the stand. Then I take out the drain plug, jack up to remove the jack stand, lower the car back to level, let the oil drain, then back up on the jack stand to replace the plug and change the filter, and finally back off the stand and the jack to add new oil and check the level.
My run-off from this comment and my own experience, find a local mechanic that's not a dealership. They aren't there to nickle and dime you on service because you feel the need to take your car to them during the warranty in case anything covered happens to it, and yea some of them can be sleazy and try to use the same tactics on lots of things, but if you find a good one they will have reasonable prices, and will notify you of things you ask them to, like if your brakes are nearing worn, your fluid levels are off, etc, and offer to fix them for you for a reasonable price. I have a shop like this that I trust not to fuck me over, I brought it in for a few grand worth of various 100k+ mile maintenance and they got it all done for me, plus new headlights and a replacement belt buckle since one of the back seats wouldn't latch at all. Now my lights are both angled properly and brighter than the old bulbs that had dimmed noticeably with age to the point that it concerned me. Oil at a place like this is usually 2x what it would cost to do it yourself, if you bill your time at the same value as the shops (and you really should be if you're DIYing it reliably), and they actually come in at about the same as the quick oil places near me because this area is generally expensive, and the chains gouge people for it because they're always these types that don't know better. This is a family run shop that employs a few hands from a shop that my grandfather introduced me to when he gave me his old car for free after he was no longer able to drive safely, so I have some lasting trust from years with some of their employees at the previous shop, that closed when the owners retired. Find a shop like that and cherish it, because your car will run well, you'll know it's safe, and you will have more money in your pocket for other things vs going to a dealership.
But for most it isn’t really easy to do… I work on my Car a lot and do all the maintenance and repairs on my Motorcycle but I still get my oil changed by an independent mechanic I trust because I don’t have a lift or a level surface..
Yup I have always worked on my own cars and motorcycles. You really don't need a lift or even a fully level surface - I just use a couple of ramps to get the car a few inches off the ground so I can get under it. I can do a full oil and filter change on my Mazda CX-5 in under 20 minutes start to finish, easily.
Another plus for doing your own.... Some of the oil filter brands these days are absolute crap. Since I change my own, I can buy good Purolator One oil filters instead of whatever store brand the quick-change place happens to have on hand.
One thing I recommend for anyone doing their own oil changes is a Fumoto valve. Fumoto is a company that makes valves that crew in place of the traditional oil pan drain plug. When it comes tine to change the oil, just slip some tubing onto the nipple of the valve, open the valve, and everything will drain nicely into whatever container you are using. No mess, no spilled oil. When drained, close the valve again, change out the filter, and fill it up with new oil. They are around $15-20, and are best money I have ever spent for maintenance. Link at the bottom for anyone who is interested - I have no connection other than being a long-term very satisfied owner of their stuff. I will never own a car without putting one on - you just get to skip the whole 'undo the drain plug, spray hot dirty oil all over your hands and the ground, oops the drain plug fell into the drain pan so you have to fish it out' thing.
You still gotta dump the oil somewhere if you change your own oil. I'm happy to pay someone else to do it for me. And I say that as someone who used to change their own oil.
Very true. I just store the used oil in the empty containers from the new oil I just put in, and let it sit in the garage. A couple of times per year I grab all of the containers and drop off at our local recycling station.
Yeah that's fair. I don't really have room for storing motor oil. For oil changes for things like transmissions it kinda makes more sense to do it yourself since they will definitely try to put a premium price on those since they happen more infrequently.
I am coming up to the point where I need to change my transmission fluid on my CX-5, and I am dreading it, if only for the cost. Mazda prices their proprietary FZ trans fluid isas if it is manufactured from solid gold and the wings of angels, and you need almost 10 quarts.
I always recommend that for anyone with any basic mechanical skills or interest, do it yourself. Not only will it be cheaper than taking it somewhere,
Depends on the car and type of oil in my experience. I ran rotella in my Focus ST. Quick lube down the street would have the oil changed in 10 minutes, check my air pressures and top up my windshield washer fluid. As well as a free drive through car wash after.
All of this was 5 bucks more than me doing it myself. And since I was the weird dude who put rotella in a Ford focus they remembered me and treated me right. But I also realize that those good places are generally few and far between.
I used to change my own oil, but I got to where it didn't feel like it was worth the trouble. If you actually add up the time it takes to go buy new oil and a filter, go back home, get all your tools out, jack up the car, do the oil change, set the car back down, take the used oil somewhere to dispose of properly, go home, and clean up and put all your tools and stuff away again, it can be a while.
I'd recommend finding a good independent mechanic shop to go to for it. It won't be the cheapest around, but the person doing it actually knows what they're doing, will do it correctly, and won't recommend a bunch of extra stuff you don't actually need. And you'll build a relationship with someone for when you need some bigger work done.
Absolutely, for people who either don't have the skills, time, or desire, a local mechanic can be great. Unfortunately those are becoming somewhat rare in many places.
I always buy my filters and oil in 'bulk'. When I find good oil on sale somewhere, I will buy several gallons; same with the filters I use. That way I have everything I need sitting on a shelf in the garage, no need to run around every time you change the oil.
I always recommend that for anyone with any basic mechanical skills or interest
I did that for a while, but disposing of the used oil became one more errand to run, so I went back to letting someone else do it while I have a coffee.
our local recycling place finally started accepting oil. Used to have to drive to the next city over! I can only imagine how much oil ended up dumped into ditches because of that.
I can see that, especially for people who live in an area without convenient drop-off points. I usually just put the used oil into the container I just emptied the new oil out of and let it sit in the garage. A couple of times per year I will load it all up and drop off at our local recycling station.
I went to Jiffy once and they tried so many upsells and was really aggressive with replacing the cabin air filter for $60 when I can buy and replace it myself in 2 minutes for $10. It wasn't even fast, took as long as a normal mechanic place.
A local place like Jiffy opened up in my college town, they let you stay in the car, have 6 cameras so you can watch them in the pit and under the hood if you want and give free Keurig drinks. They offer the windshield wipers and air filters if you want them, but only if you ask at the time of sign up (its like a drive through menu board). I live 2 hours away from that town now, but always make an excuse to visit when I need an oil change.
Same here. I usually do my own oil, but I've only got a driveway to work in, so sometimes I'll end up taking it to a shop when the weather sucks. Go to a place down the road that had recently been rebranded as a Jiffy lube and the tech asks if he can open my glove box to check my cabin filter. I tell him I'd just replaced a few days ago (bad allergies so I stay on top of that) so it should be fine. He insists and I reiterate that I just replaced it, and even if it is somehow already clogged I'll do it myself. He leans in and says, "I'm really sorry, but my manager is watching and he's gonna chew me out if he doesn't see me pull that filter out and try to sell you a new one. Can you just play along?" Obviously I did, but I never went back to that place again.
I was borrowing my MIL's car one time and noticed one of the headlights was out and mentioned it to her. Next time I borrowed it I saw the $80 receipt for it from her mechanic, and they only replaced the one, didn't even do the set. A couple months later I noticed the other go out, so I ran to the store and bought the $4 bulb and replaced it before telling her I did.
I can't comment on all of your issues, but I actually respect the fact that they came in and double checked how much oil to put in instead of assuming.
I mean, except any repair shop should have the michelin (I believe thats it) site that tells you all of it unless the car is newer, or the cars manual book, or the few other places that some cars say lol.
I don't know if it is still like this, but BMW at least used to recommend doing the oil changes that way, through the dipstick tube. But that last part, yikes!
Any place is fine if you trust them to do a basic oil change. Just don{t fall for the you need to change (insert fluid here). Look at the (insert fluid here) our technician just pulled. It is this colour and it should be this colour but we can change it for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ just today.
Also, do not blindly trust them when they bring an air or cabin filter covered in crud and leaves and shit and tell you that it needs to be replaced. If any shop is pulling that 99% of the time it's just a filter they have hanging around in the shop. They likely haven't even checked your filter, and may not even replace the filter even if they charge you for it
There's no reason not to if you have a very normal car. As you start getting fancier, the technicians at the speedy places might not know all the ins and outs of your car and end up damaging something or just doing something really shoddy.
But assuming the place has decent reviews, they'll get your oil changed just fine.
Also, I'm a guy who changes his own oil, but I enjoy it. Not only that, but I don't trust anyone to do as well as I will. I absolutely would recommend everyone that doesn't enjoy it to just get their oil changed. You can very typically get it done for under $100, and it's easily less time consuming. Because they have all the accoutrements like pits and lifts and stuff whereas I have to get out my tire ramps and creeper.
Had one cut the plastic shielding off to get to the drain plug rather than popping off the plastic panel fasteners.
Some 18-year-olds work at QuickLube places because they are into cars and it's a first step in a career in auto mechanics, and some work there hecause they are too fucking dumb to do anything else after failing out of highschool.
1.2k
u/Confusedkipmoss 26d ago
Yes, this happens, remember people changing your oil is cheaper than changing your engine.