R
rwc101
Guest
Makes sense. Probably why the lady seemed annoyed when I mentioned the $10 off coupon on the website when my dad was paying for his oil change.
Why I change my own oil
- Thread starter T Bone
- Start date
on rare occasions it saves time to have my oil changed by someone else. that's only when the car is already in the shop for a bigger need.
time is nearly all that matters. if going to midas was cheaper than doing it myself, i'd still do it myself instead to save time. but a diy oil change takes like 20 minutes top and costs maybe 10 bucks. half that time is just letting all the oil drain out. having a big enough storage container to only have to drop off oil at the recycle center every 3-4 oil changes is huge. though you save even more time by parking over the storm sewer drain when you do it
tongue in cheek people, tongue in cheek.
time is nearly all that matters. if going to midas was cheaper than doing it myself, i'd still do it myself instead to save time. but a diy oil change takes like 20 minutes top and costs maybe 10 bucks. half that time is just letting all the oil drain out. having a big enough storage container to only have to drop off oil at the recycle center every 3-4 oil changes is huge. though you save even more time by parking over the storm sewer drain when you do it
tongue in cheek people, tongue in cheek.
$10? What, a motorcycle? 2 quarts?but a diy oil change takes like 20 minutes top and costs maybe 10 bucks.
costco full synthetic comes out to ~ 4 bucks a quart currently, filters off amazon.
10 dollars is a bit of an exaggeration. definitely used to be closer to that a few years back i think.
Jiffy lube doesn't corner the market on chitty service. I changed my own oil from when I was a kid until I turned 45. Ended up getting divorced and moved into a townhouse so didn't have a good way to change oil unless I did it in the street. Started taking my car and son's car to Meineke. I get home with my son's car and see oil drips down the driveway. Run it back up there and they replaced the 16mm with a 18mm drain plug plug but the damn thing has so much wiggle room it leaked too so they threw a rubber gasket on it as well. They shouldn't be allowed to use impacts on drain plugs, especially on vehicles with aluminum pans. Have since went back to changing my own oil. Get pissed every time I see that jerry rigged drain plug.
Nick87
Well-known member
That's what I thought
NMGuy
Well-known member
Installed a Fumoto on my last truck and put one on my current Jeep. When it's time for an oil change, just open the valve and enjoy a beer while it drains out. No more oil-soaked arm when I am inevitably too slow pulling the drain plug away from the pan. If you happen to have something like a skid plate under the drain plug (screw you to whoever designed the 2003 Chevy Silverado), you can put a piece of tube/hose on the Fumoto nipple to safely and cleanly drain the oil into a catch pan.
I had no idea those existed. Just bought one for my son's accord. Thanks.
DouglasR
Well-known member
Only takes one tree branch laying in the road...
How do you know if you’re getting metal shavings in the oil without a magnetic plug?!
NMGuy
Well-known member
I had reservations about too, but if that branch is able to 1) hit the oil pan of a lifted Jeep, 2) knock the plastic locking clip off and 3) open the valve I'm guessing I've got bigger issues.
It's a Jeep, I just assume there are metal shavings in all of my fluids!
LuketheDog
Well-known member
Took my wife's Mazda with ~8,000 miles on it (barely broken in) into a Grease Monkey in Pueblo West once to get a quick oil change before we took a road trip. The young mechanic came out after about 20 minutes with a very somber look on his face and fresh printed sheet of paper with lots of charts and graphs on it, and sat down next to me like a dr. in the hospital does when delivering bad news...he had had some concerns and, without asking permission but as a totally complimentary service, tested the engine compression for me! He pointed at various pictures on his little paper that showed my compression was at least 30% below spec and used many complicated-sounding terms that probably worked great on the little old ladies that bring their cars in, so I interrupted him to ask if the engine was running soooo badly HOW ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH HAD I MANAGED TO DRIVE IT TO THEIR SHOP THAT DAY?! Of course he had no answer for that, and I asked him very politely to take his rear end back to the bay and finish my oil change while I stood there and watched. That was the last time I went to a quick-stop place...Oh, we put another 50K on that car and sold it to my brother who has added more than that, the compression is still fine.
Last edited:
np307
Well-known member
Shoot, somebody beat me to the tip. Absolutely makes oil changes even easier. Especially on my Subaru where the filter is accessible from the top side.
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
Had a guy at grease monkey in Bozeman tell me my clutch was shot and needed to be replaced immediately.
I did eventually have to replace it... ~200k miles later
RealMuddyboots
Well-known member
I know we are talking about oil changes but how many times have you been told your ball joints are bad? Ludicrous! Tires square and track true but yet they are "ready to fall off"! Rams ball joints are checked with runout gauge so when I ask how many degrees out on gauge? Deer in headlights look. Now I just tell tire guys when in for rotation, do not touch my ball joints.
np307
Well-known member
There's plenty of oil pans where the plug isn't even on the actual bottom and it doesn't seem to be a problem for any of those engines.
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
Still doesn't help with the oil filter, which is more the issue in terms of making a mess.
At least my cars have filters that screw in on the bottom, would love it if they were inverted, but I'm just glad they aren't sidewise a bunch of stuff F- Hondas....
Last edited by a moderator:
DouglasR
Well-known member
Too complicated. -DouglasR
Still doesn't help with the oil filter, which is more the issue in terms of making a mess.
At least my cars have filters that screw in on the bottom, would love it if they were inverted, but I'm just glad they aren't sidewise a bunch of stuff F- Hondas....
ashersdad
Well-known member
The wife and I were newly married and had just moved to Oregon. Her piece of crap Dodge Neon needed the oil changed but since we were in an apartment, I didn't have a good place to change it so I told her to stop at a quick lube place on her way to school. She called me that day crying and had just got on the freeway after having the oil changed and the car had died. I told her I'd call a tow truck and meet her at a nearby grocery store. Got to the store just as the tow truck pulled in. I got under the car and sure enough, no filter. Took a picture with my phone and told the tow truck to follow me to the quick lube just down the road. Pulled in and told them what had happened. They took the car off the tow truck and pushed it into the bay and raised it up. Tried to tell us they weren't responsible and it had a filter on when my wife left. After a few choice words I'm not too proud of I told them they'd hear from my attorney in short order and we left. They called before we could get home and took responsibility. Had to replace the engine. Last time I had anyone change the oil in any of my rigs. 
