Why do you change oil by yourself ?

mbar · 05-12-2016, 07:03 PM

To save money ?
Don't trust the shop to do as good job?
Enjoy doing it ?

chaacole · 05-12-2016, 07:04 PM

both

Glen e · 05-12-2016, 07:12 PM

I don't want my car anywhere near dealership if I can afford it. And changing the oil is easy especially with the valve I put in. Being in the industry for 30 years, I've seen good techs make mistakes. It's not just that the kids that do it, everybody makes mistakes and once my wheel is rashed or paint scratched, I don't want to have to fix it. The only time my car will see a dealership is when I need a warranty repair.

chaacole · 05-12-2016, 07:13 PM

glen, what valve?

Glen e · 05-12-2016, 07:16 PM

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=435646

Don't miss the links embedded in this thread… Explains completely from Stahlbus how they work. Very high precision, German, they work fantastic

97one · 05-12-2016, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glen e

I don't want my car anywhere near dealership if I can afford it. And changing the oil is easy especially with the valve I put in. Being in the industry for 30 years, I've seen good techs make mistakes. It's not just that the kids that do it, everybody makes mistakes and once my wheel is rashed or paint scratched, I don't want to have to fix it. The only time my car will see a dealership is when I need a warranty repair.

EXACTLY, NOBODY!! Cares more about your car than you!!

fighting irish · 05-12-2016, 09:14 PM

I second everything above that has been said. Growing up, my father always changed the oil on his cars. He had to have surgery once, so he decided to give the dealer a chance with the oil change on his car.

The next morning, he went into the garage to find the floor covered in a quart of oil. Turns out they didn't tighten the oil filter properly, and it leaked all over the place. That was the last time he trusted anyone to change his oil.

thescreensavers · 05-12-2016, 09:39 PM

Its not cheaper these days. But it takes me 30 min in the comfort of my own house and I don't have to drive to a dealer and then wait 2 hours.

evanescent03 · 05-13-2016, 02:55 AM

I'll let them do it sometimes but it seems like a process that is screwed up by techs sometimes bc it's so routine and no attention is given. That's my guess. The story above (loose filter) almost happened to my wife (then gf) on her pathfinder. I noticed a drop of oil.. didn't think much of it.. but easy enough to crawl under. Sure enough, the friggin' drain plug was loose to the touch. Seriously guys? Also, you see so many of these fraudulent oil change shops you wonder how much of that goes on at dealerships too since a lot (all?) Of those guys are paid on commission, right? Sad. They should let you watch as they drain the old fluid and dump in the new stuff.

The there's the videos of cars not being balanced on the lift.... haha.

vet757 · 05-13-2016, 06:52 AM

Years ago I did it myself....Now I let the dealer do it. I just rather use my time differently.

HumanWiki · 05-13-2016, 06:57 AM

Some of us aren't in a position to work on our own cars where we live. I don't have a choice. I have to bring it somewhere.

mjw930 · 05-13-2016, 07:35 AM

I've gone both routes, it really depends on which vehicle and my comfort level with the dealer.

On my Ram I use the dealer, they have a separate express lube building with full glass and don't mind me poking around and talking to the mechanics. And they included lifetime oil changes and use a good quality Pennzoil so I'm good to go.

For my Porsche I also use the dealer since I have a great relationship with them and know the mechanics who work on my car. For this car it's usually an annual event as it's not driven much so I combine services and have the alignment checked at the same time as well as having othe scheduled service done. I have factored this cost into the ownership of the car and down the line as it gets older I may start doing a lot of it myself.

For the SS, my wife's car, I have 2 choices. One local small dealer has a good oil change service where I can bring my 2 jugs of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, my oil of choice, and they will perform the labor for free under the 24 month service plan or I can simply do it myself. For the 500 mile change (something I always do regardless what the manual says) I did it myself simply because I wanted to get a good look at the oil and gauge how difficult doing the changes myself would be. For the most part I'll probably continue to do it myself, it's very simple, but I have the small local dealer as a backup in case we need it done quickly and I'm busy doing other things.

PolynesianPowerhouse · 05-13-2016, 09:03 AM

Over the years I've begun to trust some and I do mean some of the mechanics at dealerships less and less. However I do think changing your own oil gives you a chance to personally look up under your own car and see what's really going on and just in general check other parts that might have gone unnoticed.

Also it gives me a chance to pull my own oil samples to send in for analyzation. Every oil change I usually get one done. It's like a blood test for humans, except you can see what's going on inside your engine.

The1DoubleN · 05-13-2016, 11:57 AM

I used to change my oil myself, but after dealing with the disposal, and the fact that I have a great mechanic that charges me $10 in labor to use the discounted Mobil 1 I get off Amazon, I don't bother with it anymore. I get to watch everything he is doing, standing under the car on the lift, and I trust him more than me working on my car. It takes him 10min to do what would take me at least an hour or more with disposal time factored in.

If anything, it's a good excuse for me to get the car up in the air and take a thorough walk-thru underneath to check for leaks, damage, and tire punctures. It all depends on your mechanic though....since that's typically not allowed for customers due to liability/insurance.....

05-12-2016, 07:03 PM	#1
mbar Drives: 2016 1SS Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: DC Posts: 927	Why do you change oil by yourself ? To save money ? Don't trust the shop to do as good job? Enjoy doing it ? __________________ 1SS, Black, Black Wheels, A8, MRC, NPP

05-12-2016, 07:12 PM	#3
Glen e Retired from Car mfrs.... Drives: 2LT RS/HR-V Join Date: May 2013 Location: /Fort Lauderdale Posts: 10,048	I don't want my car anywhere near dealership if I can afford it. And changing the oil is easy especially with the valve I put in. Being in the industry for 30 years, I've seen good techs make mistakes. It's not just that the kids that do it, everybody makes mistakes and once my wheel is rashed or paint scratched, I don't want to have to fix it. The only time my car will see a dealership is when I need a warranty repair. __________________ Glen CLICK HERE for detailing a new car: detailing for non detailers CLICK HERE for how to rinseless CLICK HERE for EASY wheel sealant

05-12-2016, 07:16 PM	#5
Glen e Retired from Car mfrs.... Drives: 2LT RS/HR-V Join Date: May 2013 Location: /Fort Lauderdale Posts: 10,048	http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=435646 Don't miss the links embedded in this thread… Explains completely from Stahlbus how they work. Very high precision, German, they work fantastic __________________ Glen CLICK HERE for detailing a new car: detailing for non detailers CLICK HERE for how to rinseless CLICK HERE for EASY wheel sealant

05-13-2016, 06:52 AM	#10
vet757 Drives: ^^^This Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 747	Years ago I did it myself....Now I let the dealer do it. I just rather use my time differently. Last edited by vet757; 05-13-2016 at 12:03 PM.

05-13-2016, 09:03 AM	#13
PolynesianPowerhouse Big Samoan ina little car Drives: 2016 camaro Join Date: May 2014 Location: Tofiga Island Posts: 1,872	Over the years I've begun to trust some and I do mean some of the mechanics at dealerships less and less. However I do think changing your own oil gives you a chance to personally look up under your own car and see what's really going on and just in general check other parts that might have gone unnoticed. Also it gives me a chance to pull my own oil samples to send in for analyzation. Every oil change I usually get one done. It's like a blood test for humans, except you can see what's going on inside your engine. __________________ Don't sit around and watch everyone else live YOUR dreams...DO SUMPT'N When I see posts asking "whats the best intake, exhaust, etc" .... the answer to that is like a grandfather telling his grandkids "if you put salt on a birds tail, it'll let you catch it" #ThinkAboutIt "Winning Tip: Don't take my (or anyone else's) word for it. GO TEST IT!" - Dennis Grant

05-12-2016, 07:04 PM	#2
chaacole Drives: 2016 Camaro 1ss Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Memphis Posts: 47	both

05-12-2016, 07:13 PM	#4
chaacole Drives: 2016 Camaro 1ss Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Memphis Posts: 47	glen, what valve?

05-12-2016, 09:14 PM	#7
fighting irish The Doctor is in Drives: 2016 Camaro 2SS Nightfall MRC NPP Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: NY Posts: 231 View My Garage	I second everything above that has been said. Growing up, my father always changed the oil on his cars. He had to have surgery once, so he decided to give the dealer a chance with the oil change on his car. The next morning, he went into the garage to find the floor covered in a quart of oil. Turns out they didn't tighten the oil filter properly, and it leaked all over the place. That was the last time he trusted anyone to change his oil.

05-12-2016, 09:39 PM	#8
thescreensavers Drives: SW 1SS 1LE / Jeep XJ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: WPB,FL Posts: 799	Its not cheaper these days. But it takes me 30 min in the comfort of my own house and I don't have to drive to a dealer and then wait 2 hours.

05-13-2016, 02:55 AM	#9
evanescent03 Drives: '19 SS 1LE/'19 Rubicon/'20 AT4 Join Date: May 2015 Location: USA Posts: 505	I'll let them do it sometimes but it seems like a process that is screwed up by techs sometimes bc it's so routine and no attention is given. That's my guess. The story above (loose filter) almost happened to my wife (then gf) on her pathfinder. I noticed a drop of oil.. didn't think much of it.. but easy enough to crawl under. Sure enough, the friggin' drain plug was loose to the touch. Seriously guys? Also, you see so many of these fraudulent oil change shops you wonder how much of that goes on at dealerships too since a lot (all?) Of those guys are paid on commission, right? Sad. They should let you watch as they drain the old fluid and dump in the new stuff. The there's the videos of cars not being balanced on the lift.... haha.

05-13-2016, 06:57 AM	#11
HumanWiki Drives: Car Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Place Posts: 3,361	Some of us aren't in a position to work on our own cars where we live. I don't have a choice. I have to bring it somewhere.

05-13-2016, 07:35 AM	#12
mjw930 Drives: 2015 Porsche BGTS, 2016 2SS Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Ormond Beach, FL Posts: 235	I've gone both routes, it really depends on which vehicle and my comfort level with the dealer. On my Ram I use the dealer, they have a separate express lube building with full glass and don't mind me poking around and talking to the mechanics. And they included lifetime oil changes and use a good quality Pennzoil so I'm good to go. For my Porsche I also use the dealer since I have a great relationship with them and know the mechanics who work on my car. For this car it's usually an annual event as it's not driven much so I combine services and have the alignment checked at the same time as well as having othe scheduled service done. I have factored this cost into the ownership of the car and down the line as it gets older I may start doing a lot of it myself. For the SS, my wife's car, I have 2 choices. One local small dealer has a good oil change service where I can bring my 2 jugs of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, my oil of choice, and they will perform the labor for free under the 24 month service plan or I can simply do it myself. For the 500 mile change (something I always do regardless what the manual says) I did it myself simply because I wanted to get a good look at the oil and gauge how difficult doing the changes myself would be. For the most part I'll probably continue to do it myself, it's very simple, but I have the small local dealer as a backup in case we need it done quickly and I'm busy doing other things.

05-13-2016, 11:57 AM	#14
The1DoubleN Banned Drives: Blown up '16 SS Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Chevy Dealership for Several Months Posts: 214	I used to change my oil myself, but after dealing with the disposal, and the fact that I have a great mechanic that charges me $10 in labor to use the discounted Mobil 1 I get off Amazon, I don't bother with it anymore. I get to watch everything he is doing, standing under the car on the lift, and I trust him more than me working on my car. It takes him 10min to do what would take me at least an hour or more with disposal time factored in. If anything, it's a good excuse for me to get the car up in the air and take a thorough walk-thru underneath to check for leaks, damage, and tire punctures. It all depends on your mechanic though....since that's typically not allowed for customers due to liability/insurance.....

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