Do you change your own oil?

[radcen]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

 

[Quag]

Yes its faster and cheaper.

 

[cpwill]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

No. I should, but I don't wish to take the time and effort.

 

[Gaius46]

Used to. Haven't done it myself in probably 25 years. The garage I use charges abotu $25 above the cost of the oil to do an oil change. Worth the extra money to not have to jack up the car, get filthy and the hassles of dealing with the waste oil.

Truthfully I do almost no maintenance on my cars myself any more for lack of time or expertise. My new car is essentially a computer on wheels that would require all manner of equipment I don't have or that probably isn't a available to consumers to work on.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

I did, got a newer car where it's kind of a bitch to get to everything.
So I pay to have it done.

Plus I'm a lazy bum.

 

[americanwoman]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

My husband does it, so yes I do change my own oil.

 

[shagg]

Always. One of the few things I can reliably do as far as car maintenance goes. If I ever did pay to have it done, I'd never be able to admit it to my old man. He's the kind of guy that refers to those dashboard warning lights (like the oil light, check engine light gets a pass though) as "idiot lights".

 

[radcen]

Used to. Haven't done it myself in probably 25 years. The garage I use charges abotu $25 above the cost of the oil to do an oil change. Worth the extra money to not have to jack up the car, get filthy and the hassles of dealing with the waste oil.

Truthfully I do almost no maintenance on my cars myself any more for lack of time or expertise. My new car is essentially a computer on wheels that would require all manner of equipment I don't have or that probably isn't a available to consumers to work on.

I don't do nearly as much maintenance for the same reasons. I still swap out brake pads and rotors and other easy stuff, but much of the things I used to do are now beyond my desire, or even capability. Shoot, sometimes even if I could do it there's so much crap in the way to be removed that that alone discourages me.

 

[mak2]

I often do on my Jeep Wrangler, it is easy to get under and the filter is easy to get to too. It is just kinda a pain to get to oil to somewhere I can dump it.

 

[Skeptic Bob]

Back when I was younger and drove cars much less sophisticated than we have today, yes, I changed my own oil. But now I am older, have more money, and drive better cars. I take my car to the dealer for full servicing every 5,000 miles anyway so that is when it gets changed. I couldn't go that long in the cars I drove 25 years ago.

 

[Anagram]

Should but don't

 

[Glen Contrarian]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

Nah. Not anymore. Like you, I used to all the time...but these days, the time saved is worth much more than the money, and besides, they vacuum the car and check a bunch of other stuff along the way and saves me even more time.

 

[DaveFagan]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

Yes. The effort makes me more conscientious as regards my vehicles. More attention to noises, vibrations, anomalies and mileage.

 

[Nilly]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

I've done it once before. Went fine, but not worth the hassle, so I just take it in now. The whole reason I have a job is so I don't have to do stuff like that anymore.

Maybe if I installed an oil drain valve I'd be more tempted to in the future?

 

[Quag]

I don't do nearly as much maintenance for the same reasons. I still swap out brake pads and rotors and other easy stuff, but much of the things I used to do are now beyond my desire, or even capability. Shoot, sometimes even if I could do it there's so much crap in the way to be removed that that alone discourages me.

There are certain things I will not do. I will never change another muffler they can do it soo much faster than I can plus national guarantee if you do it with a major player such as speedy muffler or whatever.
I change my brakes because I want it done right, same with oil. I only use synthetic and if I dont see them put it in I dont trust them to actually use synthetic I mean how would you know?
Gas filter depends on the car, I had a Saturn once that took me half a day to change it was in such a stupid place that I took it in after that. Just recently one of my headlights went on my Yaris. I started to change it then realized I had to take off the whole front end to change the bulb. Didn't have time for that brought it to the shop cost me 100$ to change a @!#$EDW$ headlight. Incredibly poor design (or very clever evil design depending on how you look at it). On the other hand the Yaris is the easiest car to change oil on ive ever owned.
Oh yeah there is also Winter. I dont do squat in winter. My garage is too small to fit my car and besides the bikes live in there so if necessary I bring car in for pretty much everything in winter.

 

[Josie]

Yeah... I started using coconut oil and then changed to argan oil.

Oh.

Is that not what you meant? :2razz:

Sincerely,
A girly girl

 

[radcen]

Yes its faster and cheaper.

How do you quantify faster? As far as just the act of oil changing, I'd say taking else where is faster. By the time I get my ramps out, blah blah blah, while they already have all that stuff out and ready to go. Plus, they have either a lift or a pit, which I do not. (A lift or pit would be in my garage after I built my dream house after I win the lottery [if I played], of course. :lol

 

[Grand Mal]

I often do on my Jeep Wrangler, it is easy to get under and the filter is easy to get to too. It is just kinda a pain to get to oil to somewhere I can dump it.

Any place that sells new oil should have to take back the used stuff.

 

[KevinKohler]

Not on the new car. It would void the warranty.

 

[RetiredUSN]

I still do my own oil, air filter, tires, gaskets, engine flushes, brakes .... etc. etc.

I do not do rebuilds or other large repairs like I used.

 

[Cephus]

I used to, now I don't bother, I just take the car to the dealership and let them do it. Easier, faster and I don't have to get my hands dirty.

 

[Quag]

How do you quantify faster? As far as just the act of oil changing, I'd say taking else where is faster. By the time I get my ramps out, blah blah blah, while they already have all that stuff out and ready to go. Plus, they have either a lift or a pit, which I do not. (A lift or pit would be in my garage after I built my dream house after I win the lottery [if I played], of course. :lol

I have to drive there, wait till they are ready, have them do it then drive home. Heck I dont even have to jack up the Yaris, the drain plug and filter are right at the front. Easiest thing in the world.
As to the lift/pit it would be nice, but I dont let cars into my garage that is for motorcycles.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Do you change your own oil?

I used to all the time. For many years. Now I do it myself only about 1/3 of the time.

I've always owned cars of SUV or pickup build and so I change oil myself (they have enough ground clearance to crawl my overweight a$$ under)

if I bought a lower riding car like a sedan I'd pay someone to do it.

but I would watch them do it, or insist on doing so, I don't trust oil change shops, I was watching a CBC news documentary on how an established oil change place in Canada was charging customers for services never performed, in one case they actually topped off the engine coolant in a modern car that uses the orange dextrol coolant with green coolant, no bueno.

 

[beerftw]

I always change my own oil, I have heard too many horror stories on oil change places, plus I are a mechanic. Quick lbe places like jiffy lube tend to tighten drain plugs with impact wrenches, and use the wrong oil. They are on commission and get paid crap per job, which means they need to knock out as many jobs as possible to make a decent paycheck, which leads to cutting corners.

If I did not change my own oil, or rebuild my own engines and transmissions, I would choose either the dealership, or an independant shop. Independant shops usually loose money per oil change, but do it to keep customers happy and returning, so they tend to take more care. Dealerships are hit or miss, they may have god guys working there or complete idiots, but at a dealership unlike a quicklube place, if they strip your drainplug threads and the plug falls out on the highway and your engine siezes up, they have the money to fix it, and the manufacturor to force them to do so.

 

[beerftw]

I've always owned cars of SUV or pickup build and so I change oil myself (they have enough ground clearance to crawl my overweight a$$ under)

if I bought a lower riding car like a sedan I'd pay someone to do it.

but I would watch them do it, or insist on doing so, I don't trust oil change shops, I was watching a CBC news documentary on how an established oil change place in Canada was charging customers for services never performed, in one case they actually topped off the engine coolant in a modern car that uses the orange dextrol coolant with green coolant, no bueno.

Topping off orange dexcool with green is hit or mis, some green collants are universal and some are specific. Personally I would never put dexcool in any vehicle I owned, it is highly corrosive, has a low life despite gm's claims, and it's corrosive nature can cause many leaks.

I usually push draining them and using universal red coolant, they make universal green but it confuses people, making them wonder if it was the right coolant or not. And dexcool mixes with green universal, but is catastrophic with conventional green ethylene glycol coolant.