Do you change your own oil?

[one1one]

I was always taught that changing your own oil was a great way to save money and have done so all my life. I recently noticed that there are advertisements in my area are listing oil changes for as low as $19.95 which is less than I can buy all the supplies myself. If it's cheaper for me to take my car and have someone else change the oil, is there any reason that I should continue to do it myself? Also, how can these businesses do it for less money than it costs in materials?

[isaac]

I was always taught that changing your own oil was a great way to save money and have done so all my life. I recently noticed that there are advertisements in my area are listing oil changes for as low as $19.95 which is less than I can buy all the supplies myself. If it's cheaper for me to take my car and have someone else change the oil, is there any reason that I should continue to do it myself? Also, how can these businesses do it for less money than it costs in materials?

I usually weigh time in as an expense. The time my wife and I can go about our daily errands in one vehicle as our other is being serviced beats the heck out of staying home and getting dirty and having to take the used oil to a recycling location. Also I get a parts/labor discount for services on my Toyota as I work for Toyota. I would say they're able to charge such a low price because they order the fluids and filters in such large bulk their cost is very low.

[humandraydel]

Those $20 oil changes are using the cheapest oil possible. Also, does that include a filter change? If so, it's a cheap filter. They try to get you in for a $20 oil change and then charge another $15 for an air filter change, $50 for transmission fluid change, etc.

I do change my own oil because I want to know it was done right with high quality oil and filter. Once you know how to do it on any given car it really only takes 30 minutes.

[Retired To Win]

I go to Jiffy Lube.

The service includes checking and topping off all fluids, cleaning the inside of the car and the windows, inflating the tires, and every other little thing you could imagine. And they perform a mini-inspection of your vehicle every time, so I get early warning if something needs to be repaired.

Considering the $35 reasonable retail cost, my old-fart discount, the value of my time, and the saved hassle of do-it-yourselfing, I am satisfied doing it this way.

[danthecashbackman]

I used to change the oil myself

I used to do it myself at my very beginnings. I also changed the break pads and repaired some of the faulty things here and there. I am not qualified however you can learn to do things yourself. I also did some of the house construction work. I switched to doing it into a mechanical shop because of the time value. I soon realized that in doing these jobs I was missing too much time making money. If I make more money doing something else in my job there is no more need for me to do it. And it goes with painting your house, cooking, landscaping, etc. If you make more money than a service costs, consider having somebody else doing that service while you make your money. You'll be ahead by the difference between how much you make and the cost. For an oil change consider the time to get the supplies, the tools, the specialized space and tools you need, the know how, etc. I also found that as smart and handyman I was, I could not do a good professional job at everything that is needed around the house and most often the work is inefficient, sometimes it needs to be done twice or more times just because I missed something along the way. A professional will do it right most of the times. This served me well along my life, this is how I would do it if I was to start again. Unless of course it is a hobby and that is a totally different story .

[mans442]

Sometimes shops will use an oil change as a promotional thing to get the car in the bay to complete a multipoint inspection. From there, they can report on the condition of many items, such as brakes, suspension, air filter, etc. If they find the brakes are worn, the client may be compelled to have them repaired by the shop (brake jobs are big revenue for shops - minimal labor, good mark up on parts, and the emotional factor of safety from the client - makes for good profit. If the client doesn't change their own oil, why would they consider tackling a brake job themselves?

When I worked at Jiffy Lube for a few days about 16 years ago, there were financial incentives for techs to get clients to change out air filters, belts, and other things besides the oil change.

Typically, a conventional oil change at a quick lube place is $35-$40, and semi-synthetics are around $50, and full synthetics are $70-$80 for the average car.

I have three vehicles to maintain, so I do it myself. It is messy sometimes, but I do all three cars on the same day. I opt for the name brand semi-synthetic blend or full synthetic oil that is on sale. Typically it is about $25 - $30 for oil and filter. I change the oil once the in spring, and once in the fall. Figure is costs me less than $150 per year for three cars, so I save well over $200 per year in comparison to taking it to a place.

[rennigade]

Most people who change their own oil do not do it because of the cost savings. You dont save a whole lot...you do on the other hand know what oil/filter are being used, that the bolt and oil filter are properly tightened and secure...and the fact that someone you dont know wont be toying around with things on your car they shouldnt be. For me its more of a peace of mind. Not to mention if you are familiar with changing your oil it shouldnt take you anymore than 25 minutes at most...from start to finish/clean up.

For those who do change their own oil...keep looking at advance auto parts when they run the 5 quart oil + filter deal. Last year valvoline had a rebate...so for each 5 quart oil/filter I bought I received a $20 gift card. I think the total after rebate came to approx $1.70. In this case, changing my oil was a big savings.

[corn18]

Nope. I would like to because I enjoy it, but all my cars are incredibly difficult to change the oil. If the task itself didn't involve special tools, removing skid plates and spilling oil all over myself, I would be glad to do it.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I have never changed the oil, but my husband used to do it all the time. Now we usually have our regular mechanic do it, as we want to keep him in business and stay in his good graces.

[Like2Plan]

I used to change my oil (years and years ago). Now, I just take it to Jiffy Lube.

[dawnwes]

My husband does ours. He is picky about how it is done and with what oil and prefers to do it.

[JoeP]

I change my own oil because I enjoy it, and know that I am doing it right. I simply do not trust shops to do it right.

[bjl584]

Yes. I change my own oil. I run full synthetic and change it every 5000 miles.

[rennigade]

Yes. I change my own oil. I run full synthetic and change it every 5000 miles.

You run full synthetic and change it every 5000 miles!?

This reminds me of my grandfather who loves to state how his fords never have any problems. Yeah no kidding...he replaces the vehicle EVERY 2 YEARS!!

You may as well switch to non synth oil if you're replacing every 5k miles. Thanks for stimulating the economy though.

[bjl584]

You run full synthetic and change it every 5000 miles!?

This reminds me of my grandfather who loves to state how his fords never have any problems. Yeah no kidding...he replaces the vehicle EVERY 2 YEARS!!

You may as well switch to non synth oil if you're replacing every 5k miles. Thanks for stimulating the economy though.

The oil will last longer than 5000 miles. My concern is that the filter won't. And with a 6.2 V8 putting out 400hp in my truck, I'll stick with the synthetic.