Comments on: Hot Or Not? Quick-Lube Oil Changes

By: Travis

Travis — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 02:03:11 +0000

I live in Texas where we have two seasons: summer and January. I’d rather let someone else bake or freeze when it comes to changing the oil.

By: Teacher

Teacher — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:48:51 +0000

Always do it myself. I enjoy doing it, I can do it anytime I want, no waiting, no sales pitch, no driving to get there, I can check other things on the car while it drains, I can watch football while it drains, I can mess around with my other tools while it drains, I know it’s done the way I want, my wife thinks hubby getting dirty is “hot”, 3 year old daughters think daddy’s superman for “Fixing the car”, and a good way to teach my son and daughter how to use tools when they get older.

Plus I can do it a lot cheaper than the quick lube places. Around here the cheapest is Wal Mart($18 but a 3 hour wait). Jiffy Lube etc charge $40+. I can do it for $7. I buy oil on sale for $1/quart and Purolator/Wix filters on sale for $2 a piece.

Advance and Auto Zone take old oil so I just empty a 5 gallon container every couple months when I’m there for something else.

By: TL

TL — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 23:33:24 +0000

Not.

For all the usual reasons… don’t trust unskilled grease monkeys, I want control of what oil and filter are used, and it’s really not that tough a job. Mostly though it’s a chance to connect with my inner gearhead. He gets ignored a bit too much since I started buying “fixer” houses.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:16:26 +0000

NOT!!!

I tool my last car to one of these places regularly, they were quick and cheap. One day I noticed 3 of them in the pit looking up at my engine. They told me that “someone” had put the wrong size drain plug on the oil pan, and I would need to get it rethreaded. Never mind that the last oil change was done in that very place and I had a receipt for it, I ended up having to replace the oil pan, and never took my car there again. Plus some of their workers made the guy in the photo look like Pat Boone. I figure the business they lost from me since then evens out the repair cost.

By: Fletcher

Fletcher — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:31:33 +0000

Another vote for not. I’m probably not saving any money (buying higher grade oil and a Purolator or Wix filter over whatever generics the quickie lube places use) but at least I know I’m using quality materials.

By: Bren R.

Bren R. — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 19:50:17 +0000

I have a late 80s GM “in the pan” filter… it’s worth the extra $10-$15 to have someone else replace my oil for that reason alone.

The drive-thru lube place I use hires mainly current or former Power Mechanics students and they’re pretty good.

By: Ronnie P.

Ronnie P. — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:21:55 +0000

There is something manly about changing your own oil, that sense of accomplishment for a job well done by yours truely. I’m not to sure I’d want to part with that or the $20 hanging around in my wallet.

Chicks dig guys with greasey hands and extra lube. So guys, ask her often if she’d like her oil changed…. and she’ll think your her hero for about 10 minutes until something around the house breaks.

I know that Fram makes a quick drain product (that I totally reccomend), it’s a spring loaded valve you perminantly leave pluged into your oilpan and when its time for a change, simply unscrew the cap, screw on the hose adapter and presto! A quick and controlled drain! I think I paid $12 for it and it’s saved me countless T-shirts.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:02:27 +0000

So far I have been doing them myself with the exception of the winter months as I really don’t feel like changing oil on the driveway in minus degrees of weather.
On the other hand, I’m always waiting for the 99cent/quart deals from Murray’s so I get a pretty good deal on the oil change. However, last I purchased more expensive oil and was wondering that it didn’t make sense to do my own anymore as the combined total of oil plus filter is more than a cheap oil change.

And yes, I really don’t care about the oil as long as it is 10W30 in the summer and 10W40 in the winter. My motto: oil is oil and as long as you change it every 3000 miles it really doesn’t matter. By the way, I have 2 cars and the one is 8+ years with around 120K miles on it. So that’s a proof that it doesn’t work.

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:11:09 +0000

I do mine myself becasue it keeps me in better tune with my vehicle and aware of potential problems. By that I mean, noticing the belts and/or hoses are worn. Or the while lubing behind the tire noticing my tread is wearing un-evenly on the tire or a front end part is wearing. You just notice more about what’s going on with your vehicle. Most places recommend everything besides the kitchen sink every other change, so most people shut them out. (including me) But I will admit it actually costs me 5-10 dollars more to do it myself, so I’m not saving any money.

By: Hot

Hot — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:51:29 +0000

Hot. When I was a teenage ‘motor head’ I did all my own work including rebuilding a couple of engines and a transmission that I kept blowing out. Now my truck is just transportation and gets replaced every few years so there is no love lost in letting someone else do the dirty work. I’m getting the itch to restore a classic muscle car now which will be a different story.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:09:30 +0000

Don’t think I’ve responded to this one yet..

NOT
I do my own.. Walmart for the oil - Mobil 1 in the big 5qt jugs. - and then online for the filters - I use OEM Mahle filters for the BMW (comes with the two o-rings and two metal washers that need to be replaced at each change as well) and AC Delco filters for the Trailblazer. I’m not a fan of non OEM filters. From what I’ve heard FRAM is garbage.. the only thing good about them is their marketing firm.

When I didn’t have a place to wrench I would take it to the Valvoline oil change place… but I’d watch them like a hawk. Or I’d do it on some weekend when I went to visit my parents. They were ok. But I don’t trust anyone except one independent mechanic that is like the car whisperer - he once identified my tire by brand and model as we were driving down the street and he was in the passenger seat.. Since then, he’s the only one I really trust with my car - wish he was closer.

By: Mel

Mel — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:49:44 +0000

I usually let Wally-World do mine. $18.94 + tax, and the wife can do it!

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:44:24 +0000

I change it cause I at least feel that I’m saving money even though I know I”m not. Figured 5 quarts of the Mobil 1, a decent oil filter, Fram or something along those lines, right there along costs about $25 bucks, not to mention the time (which i dont mind cause I love wrenching). I once took it to a shop and asked for them to put my own mobil 1 and filter in and it still ran me $20 bucks in labor from them. Blaaa

By: Brau

Brau — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 05:46:38 +0000

Lukewarm. I do my own oil mostly as it costs a lot less (I wait for sales at Walmart and get the oil for about $6 and a filter for $2). I have used Mr lube a couple of times when travelling or too busy, and they’ve only botched it once by failing to remove the old oil filter seal meaning it blew out shortly after. There’s not a lot to an oil change and not much to bugger up so I feel fairly safe going to these places.

By: Evan N.

Evan N. — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 03:30:13 +0000

Sorry, meant if Kragen’s tank is FULL.

By: Evan N.

Evan N. — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 03:29:27 +0000

I always change my own oil. Since places which change oil always have room in their used oil tank, I take it there if Kragen’s is empty. Even dropped off antifreeze at the Jiffy Lube once. I think that Quick Lube and Jiffy Lube are sketchy as far as quality goes. Plus you can’t get Rotella T at those places (use it to prevent cam wear on a gen I/II 350. Lastly, even the freakin’ dealer can screw up, as I had the Honda dealer strip my oil pan plug when I had a Civic. Had to yell at them for a while to fix it.

By: TomCat

TomCat — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 03:13:02 +0000

I get together with some of the guys from my church, and we change oil in the church parking lot. Nothing brings guys together like bangin’ knuckles, and fixin’ machines!

By: Smee

Smee — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:36:25 +0000

I lost faith in the local Jiffy Lube when the tech running through his checklist told me that he didn’t check the transfer case in my Jeep because I didn’t have 4 wheel drive.

I did have 4 wheel drive. Somehow, when he was underneath the Jeep he didn’t notice all the extra parts?

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:59:49 +0000

I do it myself, because then I know that it’s completely empty before I spin the drain plug back in, and so I can control the quality of the products I’m putting on/in. And I certainly wouldn’t go to Wal-Mart if I gave up and farmed it out, because we (family-business Auto Repair shop) had to replace a customers oil pan because some genious at Wally World put the drainplug back on with an IMPACT GUN, and WAY screwed up the threads.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:28:08 +0000

HOT!!!

Changing oil isn’t rocket science. In 15 years of regular changes on 3 cars I’ve never had a problem and my local lube shop has every lube that I could ever want. They also recycle the waste which saves me a trip to the local hazardous waste disposal facility.

Oh, I also have better things to do with my time … like play with my kids.

By: Old Donn

Old Donn — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:18:19 +0000

Not. Of all the driveway jobs, this is one of the easiest. Choice of oil & filter, plus tightening the drain plug with a torque wrench, (Yes, even the drain plug has a torque spec). Yeah, it’s a PITA sometimes, (especially in winter), but well worth the trouble.

By: Abe

Abe — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:03:43 +0000

NOT!!! Let somebody else touch my car…are you kidding?

The only other person that touches my car is an alignment tech and that’s only because I don’t have the space for a rack in my garage.

Abe

By: James B Brauer 66

James B Brauer 66 — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 22:26:02 +0000

NOT
I’ll take vehicles to those places for transmission fluid changes and fuel filters because those are the really messy jobs, and I can’t stand the smell of fuel on my hair.

I do oil on three vehicles at once and some economies of scale kick in versus three trips to the lube place - mostly in terms of time spent. And while there are some yo-yos working at those places, most of the guys around here are OK to work with.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 21:51:33 +0000

Hot, sometimes. Essentially when I get lazy or the weather doesn’t cooperate then I’ll head to the local oil change shop. The one that I use lets you bring your own oil/filter and gives you a discount off the cost of the change (so I can use my preferred oil which they don’t carry and I can pick up on sale by the case to save more $s). After checking their work a few times after going there I felt pretty good about it so it’s become a reliable option for the occasions when I otherwise might let it slide (bad idea).

By: John Laur

John Laur — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 21:49:47 +0000

I find it odd how many people seem to claim that they do it themselves because they want a specific oil and filter used — If that’s the only reason, you can take in your own oil and filters and ask them to use those instead.

A better reason for not using them is that they are crappy places with unskilled workers (note I didnt say mecahnics) who are notorious for doing a bad job (if they do it at all) and ripping customers off.

While I am fully capable of changing my own oil, it’s a real pain to do it — but since I dont trust the lube places either and I want specific parts used I make an appointment in advance with my mechanic and bring him all the stuff for the job. I pay a little more I guess, but I dont have to worry about having to sit there and look over someone’s shoulder to make sure the work is even getting done!

Oddly though, I really enjoy changing the oil in the lawnmower. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction… Maybe that’s because it’s a lot easier.