Is a DIY (Do It Yourself) oil/filter change worth it ?

[GTGallop]

I know it's an ass-move but I'm going to respond having not read the comments yet. Mostly because I'm so convinced of my answer, I don't think anyone is going to change my mind.

It's like anything else in this world. Changing your own oil is definitely, absolutely, maybe, possibly and not at all worth it - all at the same time.

When I was 14 to 34 years old, 6'1", 180 pounds, lean of body and wallet - it was totally worth it. I loved it. Dollars aside it is a great way to get under your vehicle and get to know it.

Now I'm 48, 250 lbs, three knee surgeries behind me and an ankle and knee replacement on the horizon. F-NO! Any time I think about crawling under the truck I have to hire a pit-crew to stand around and help me get my fat ass up off the pavement. Too easy to just drive in and drive out at a lube shack.

So it does have value, but that value has a tripping point. And I have dun gone and tripped right over it and probably landed on something hard before rolling down the hill.

The wife always like sports cars that would take a malnourished Somali Pirate two stacks of cinder blocks to get under it. No way in hell I'm thinking about that job.

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[D Fresh]

My pay is the piece of mind that comes from knowing it was done right and the overall inspection I do on the bottom of the vehicle to ensure nothing is about to fail.

Sometimes I just drive into the garage and through my vehicle up on the lift for no other reason than the enjoyment I get poking around and checking things out.

I get that.

I have a pretty solid rapport built up at my dealerships QuickLane. I've been using them over a decade, and the manager's been there close to that long. I trust them, until I don't.

I don't have the luxury of a lift, but I'll roll around on the creeper every now again.

 

[D Fresh]

I know it's an ass-move but I'm going to respond having not read the comments yet. Mostly because I'm so convinced of my answer, I don't think anyone is going to change my mind.

It's like anything else in this world. Changing your own oil is definitely, absolutely, maybe, possibly and not at all worth it - all at the same time.

When I was 14 to 34 years old, 6'1", 180 pounds, lean of body and wallet - it was totally worth it. I loved it. Dollars aside it is a great way to get under your vehicle and get to know it.

Now I'm 48, 250 lbs, three knee surgeries behind me and an ankle and knee replacement on the horizon. F-NO! Any time I think about crawling under the truck I have to hire a pit-crew to stand around and help me get my fat ass up off the pavement. Too easy to just drive in and drive out at a lube shack.

So it does have value, but that value has a tripping point. And I have dun gone and tripped right over it and probably landed on something hard before rolling down the hill.

The wife always like sports cars that would take a malnourished Somali Pirate two stacks of cinder blocks to get under it. No way in hell I'm thinking about that job.

Nailed it!

 

[Dgc333]

I know it's an ass-move but I'm going to respond having not read the comments yet. Mostly because I'm so convinced of my answer, I don't think anyone is going to change my mind.

It's like anything else in this world. Changing your own oil is definitely, absolutely, maybe, possibly and not at all worth it - all at the same time.

When I was 14 to 34 years old, 6'1", 180 pounds, lean of body and wallet - it was totally worth it. I loved it. Dollars aside it is a great way to get under your vehicle and get to know it.

Now I'm 48, 250 lbs, three knee surgeries behind me and an ankle and knee replacement on the horizon. F-NO! Any time I think about crawling under the truck I have to hire a pit-crew to stand around and help me get my fat ass up off the pavement. Too easy to just drive in and drive out at a lube shack.

So it does have value, but that value has a tripping point. And I have dun gone and tripped right over it and probably landed on something hard before rolling down the hill.

The wife always like sports cars that would take a malnourished Somali Pirate two stacks of cinder blocks to get under it. No way in hell I'm thinking about that job.

I can understand your point of view. My wife decided I was to old to be crawling around on the floor working on my vehicles and bought me a lift for the garage 10 years ago. It's a four poster so I don't even have to get down on the floor to set the arms, just drive on and push the button. It has a trolley jack that allows me to lift the axles off the ramps for tire changes, brakes, etc. and the ramps are at the perfect height for a tool tray when working.

Certainly can't justify a lift for oil changes and routine maintenance but I have been a hot rodders since my teens and build/rebuild engines, transmissions rear ends and build vehicles as a hobby. I am 69 and retired and I am hoping that the lift will allow me to continuing working under my vehicles for another 10 to 15 years.

 

[sandog]

Don't assume that since the work is taking place at a dealer that it will be done correctly.
As others have noted, the new hires and least competent are the ones working in the lube bays.

I have had a couple of changes done at dealerships where the oil fill cap was left on top of the engine, and once the dipstick was laying across the top of the engine.
One Ford dealer in Tucson WAY overfilled my old Ranger. I believe they pump the new oil out of bulk tanks so the kid must have got distracted and kept pumping.

A Jeep dealer in southern Utah was supposed to do an oil change on my 2007 Grand Cherokee that had the 3.0 Mercedes diesel. Remembering loose caps and things not put back where they belong, I popped the hood to check things before I drove away. Filler cap and dipstick were in place, but I happened to look down and saw the edge of the oil filter and was the same dirty one, not a new one.
I pulled the dipstick and the oil was black.

When I told the service manager about it, he said "Oh, it's a diesel, as soon as you start it up the oil will get dark right away". He had no explanation as to why the oil filter wasn't new and why it wasn't a Mopar one like they would have used.
They reluctantly re-did the service properly but I wonder how many others just drive away, they would never know that the dealer took their money but did no work.

Now the above is an extreme example. I'm sure most oil changes even at Jiffy Lube go without incident, but as long as I am able, I prefer to do simple fluid changes myself.
It's amazing how some can screw up even a simple procedure.
Always look over your truck when they bring it around to you before you drive off.

 

[RedlandRanger]

My general point is this, though. Don't forget to pay yourself when you do your calculations, guys. At my hourly rate the time it takes to purchase, change, and recycle the oil quickly triples the cost of oil and a filter. And I don't make a lot. Of course if you're retired, that might not matter.

For me it isn't as much about the cost as making sure it was done correctly and with quality oil and filter. I've seen WAY too many stories/reports of filters not being changed, caps missing, drain plugs cross threaded, the absolute lowest quality oil and/or filter used, etc.

 

[D Fresh]

For me it isn't as much about the cost as making sure it was done correctly and with quality oil and filter. I've seen WAY too many stories/reports of filters not being changed, caps missing, drain plugs cross threaded, the absolute lowest quality oil and/or filter used, etc.

I can understand that. If I didn't have a dealership I trusted I'd do the same.

 

[jsphlynch]

For me it isn't as much about the cost as making sure it was done correctly and with quality oil and filter. I've seen WAY too many stories/reports of filters not being changed, caps missing, drain plugs cross threaded, the absolute lowest quality oil and/or filter used, etc.

This is the main reason for me to do it myself. I know multiple people who have had instances of filters not being changed (which makes one wonder if the oil was changed) and over/under filling. There also occasionally weird things that happen. For example, one time my dad was talking to an older lady after church, and found out she was going to take her car to Walmart for an oil change that afternoon. He offered to do the change for her. During the process he had a really hard time getting the oil drain plug out, and after finally getting it loose he could see what the issue was: there was threadlocker on it!

Another time a family friend took her Cadillac to a new small-town shop for an oil change and a few other routine things, and when she got it back she had engine trouble. The shop initially denied any responsibility (saying the timing of the issues was coincidence), but eventually they admitted that one mechanic had drained the oil then left the car for a bit, and in the meantime another mechanic needed to get the car out of the way so he started it and moved it. That shop went out of business soon after.

 

[Bob902]

I just like to save some money and get dirty?

 

[Dgc333]

Now the above is an extreme example. I'm sure most oil changes even at Jiffy Lube go without incident, but as long as I am able, I prefer to do simple fluid changes myself.
It's amazing how some can screw up even a simple procedure.

Many many years ago my roommate took his brand new car (about 1000 miles) into Jiffy Lube for it's first oil change. After the tech had filled with oil he reached in through the window to start the car. It was in gear (manual before there was an interlock on the clutch) and the car lurched forward through the rear door of the bay. The door was partially open and the hood was too. The bottom end of the door dragged across the top of the fenders, bent the hood back over the windshield breaking and bent it down onto the roof denting it in. He was watching it all happen through the window from the waiting room.

He asked the Jiffy Lube manager how they were going to handle paying for the repairs and was told he would have to file a claim with his insurance company. He had to lawyer up to get Jiffy Lube to pay for the repairs without getting the insurance company involved.

Needless to say he learned how to do his own oil changes after that.

 

[aeroshots]

The hassle of disposing of used oil is what does it for me.

I'm not driving around for a week with a pan of used oil in the bed while I try to find somebody to take it.

Secret formula to enjoy the disposal process.

 

[Radioman]

Are we supposed to replace the oil drain plug at every oil change? in 30 years of doing my own oil changes, I have never replaced one.

I purchased a spare just to have but I inspect the original and reuse it.

 

[VegasRanger]

With all the horror stories from dealerships/quick lube places, no thanks. I do them on my own and have been for years.

The ONE time I didn't do the oil change on my wife's Tucson because I was really sick, she took it to the dealership and they overtighten the bolt pan, crushing the washer. A few days later the entire contents of the oil pan was drained on the road and we had to it get towed to the dealership.

They took off the oil pan off to look for metal shavings per my request as I thought the loss of oil could have caused damage to the engine. Well the oil pan seal leaks and have taken it in twice for repairs and it's still leaking. Never going to the dealership again unless it's warranty repairs.

 

[sandog]

In the 90's I bought a brand new F-150 from a Tucson Ford dealer. Dark Green short box 4x4 with 17 miles on it.
It had highway tires on it though, so right after driving it off the lot, I took it to a big tire place nearby and bought some BFG All Terrains. Won't mention the name of the tire store but they share a name with a famous Arizona Indian tribe.
While it the waiting room I heard the employees out in the bay laughing and hollering at one guy.
The guy that was putting the tires on my new F-150 had his impact wrench laying on a metal milk crate, and he had lowered the truck down with the driver door open.
The open door came down on the crate with impact driver and it crunched the bottom, and the door wouldn't even close.

The tire store paid for a body shop to fix things but that door never did close right. I took it back a few times but they just couldn't fix it any better. I only kept the truck a year.

 

[Joeiconic]

The problem was the mechanic would put conventional oil in their vehicle & keep the full synthetic oil for their own vehicle. Customers were not getting what they paid for.

That‘s the kind of behavior that should only happen once. Hopefully you reported the thief to your superiors.

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