Do you change your own oil?

[Hoosierdood]

I have always changed my own oil on all of my vehicles until this last one. It seems that the older vehicles are a breeze to change, but the newer ones are a royal pain. We recently got a GMC Acadia (last year), and the first time I changed the oil, it looked very similar to steve666's post above (minus the beer). GMC, in their vast wisdom, decided to place a frame cross member right under the drain plug, so when you change your oil, it doesn't flow into the drain pan. Half of it hits the cross member, making a terrible mess. To add insult to injury, the only access to the filter is through the engine compartment under the hood. Unfortunately, there is an engine mount directly under the oil filter, which once again makes all the oil splash and make a huge mess.

I go see my folks in Michigan a couple times a year, and they have a dealership who will do oil changes for $12.99, so I wait till I see them, and take my car there. I can't hardly do it myself for that price.

BTW, i still change my own oil in my Ranger, so I guess I'm only part wussy girl.

 

[badwolf.usmc]

It's a time vs money thing.

I used to change my own oil but now i rather spend the money to do so, plus they grease the points and such. Spending an hour to get it done is better than paying 10 less and spending several hours doing it.

I still change my own fan belts, batteries, brakes, filters & such, anything where labor cost more than the parts. For oil changes, you pay more for parts than labor.

 

[tyler34]

I use synthetic oil in my jeep so its far cheaper to do it myself than have some tard screw it up for twice as much.

 

[spasmo]

Yeah, we put high mileage synthetic oil in my Durango. It had 105K on it now.

 

[Que]

Don't have the desire to change it. Walmart does it while I get ammo, so that's good enough for me.

 

[PistolBob]

I have two vehicles, and I do most of the work (when needed, which isn't often) myself. I can change the oil and filters in both in less than an hour. I get to drink a couple of beers and listen to my garage radio while I let the oil drain. There are no women or kids in the garage when I have the jack stands out. I also do brakes, plugs, and rotate my own tires. I can jack up the car and get it on 4 stands in about 15 minutes. I enjoy it. It's fun. It's relaxing.

 

[Scutter01]

Yeah, we put high mileage synthetic oil in my Durango. It had 105K on it now.

The Durango has a cross-member under the oil plug as well, but it's got a U-shaped indentation directly under the oil flow, so when it hits it, it goes down into the pan and not all over the floor. Still an annoying design, but at least they considered the problem.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

It's a PITA to get to my filter, without having a lift. Plus, if my broken *** got down on the deck, I would probably never get back up.

 

[Martin Draco]

I understand you, I have the same problem with my Lamborgini Diablo, just sits to low. Now my Ferrari sits a bit higher but it is still difficult. With my monster truck "Ram-zilla" I can do chin-ups on the axles. So no problem there.

Thank god somebody else has the same problem. I felt like a wussy girl...

 

[Bapak2ja]

Don't have the desire to change it. Walmart does it while I get ammo, so that's good enough for me.

Now there is a wise man!!

I have four vehicles and two left hands. I can give you the history of my profession from 2000 BC to the present, just meet me at Starbucks. I can explain culture, from artifacts to ultimate allegiance. I can explain the general belief systems of every major religion in the world. But I can't remember what size wrench I need to remove that **** oil plug.

I can change my oil, but when I get done, I still wonder if it was done right — and I am the best mechanic in my shop and I have never had a beer in my life! (My wife refuses to change the oil, so really I am the only mechanic in my shop.) I am tired of cleaning up the oil from the floor of the garage.

And another thing, when I had an AC filter fail and dump all the oil on the garage floor, my wife never noticed it. She drove the kids to school, then went to the mall, and destroyed the engine before she called me. I got a beautiful rebuilt Jasper engine for free, curtesy of AC. I even got a rental car free while the job was being done. I did not have to call the shop to motivate the mechanic either. That job was done in two days! It even saved me from having to replace the timing belt—a >$500 job by itself.

I can change my own oil, but after all this, why would I?

FWIW, I am still laughing about the directions for changing oil posted above. I hate to say women are smarter, but I have to admit the instructions for the women were simpler to follow. I'm just saying . . .

 

[Scutter01]

I can change my own oil, but after all this, why would I?

My daughter helps me. That's all the reason I need to change it at home.

 

[Fletch]

My uncle had a quick-change place put the plug back in with an air wrench. Stripped out the threads, lost the plug, needed a new oil pan, almost fried the engine. I've been doing it myself ever since.

 

[Bapak2ja]

My daughter helps me. That's all the reason I need to change it at home.

I understand that totally! My daughter died two years ago. I would change oil forever just to do it once more with her. Savor the moments with her, my friend. Savor the moments.

 

[bullet]

I change my own and cuss like a sailor every time because Cummins/dodge didn't have the sense to put the filters in a decent location.

 

[shooter1054]

I do both. When I want the entire lube job done, grease the joints etc. I have it done. If I want just the oil and filter changed I do it myself. The place I take it also does a full service car wash with the oil change.

 

[Goosepond Monster]

I do both. When I want the entire lube job done, grease the joints etc. I have it done. If I want just the oil and filter changed I do it myself. The place I take it also does a full service car wash with the oil change.

Is it the place on 135?

 

[k12lts]

I change it myself.

I've heard too many horror stories about the quick lube employees, and seen some of the results. The dealer might be better but I don't know. There is a reason they don't want you to see in the shop and it doesn't have anything to do with insurance requirements.

 

[gunman41mag]

Do you change your own oil? Or do you pay someone else to do it?

I change it myself, as well as rotating the tires.


Poll incoming!


The choices made me laugh

I change my oil, cause the FORD DEALER charges $180 It only cost me about $60 for the oil-filter & the 15 quarts of oil

 

[singlestacksig]

i have 2 cars & a truck.. do them all my self.. the cars require a gasket replaced on drain plug, quick lube places don't replace it with new so old one leaks..

even dealership failed to put one on once..

 

[SideArmed]

I changed mine this past sunday and think I set a new personal best. From the time I drove up the ramps to the time I backed down was just around 15 minutes. And that was with very little preperation. But I had the sense this time to take the whole socket set with me (including metric) under the car, because I couldn't remember if the drain plug was a Stardard size or Metric.

So I do it myself, Also a full synthetic guy here. Which brings to mind, Why the Hell does synthetic oil prices go up when the price of crude does?