I change the oil on the motorcycle, doesn't require me to lay on the ground, no jackstands, it's simple.

Not going under any cars anymore, I used to fit but nowadays with all the low profile tires the cars sit lower to the ground so I can't wiggle under like I used to...

Prefer Sitting in the oil change place checking the news and SF while someone else gets greasy.. For the same money....

I don't mind paying a premium as long as I know the job is done right and I'm not being shaken down.

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Changing my oil with a credit card

I've always done my own preventative maintenance on our vehicles. Once, I had to use Channel Locks for the drain plug and the filter. I never thought of using a credit card instead...

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I live across from one of the ladies who works in the office

Yeah, that does kind of put a damper on the sneaky parking lot oil change approach.

I've got a mechanic who has proven himself to be honest. Almost to a fault. I take him the oil and filter, he does the change for ten bucks. Not having to crawl under my truck is worth more than that to me.

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Originally posted by Rey HRH:
I don't mind paying a premium as long as I know the job is done right and I'm not being shaken down.

And right there is the problem. Shake-downs are the new normal, work being done properly is becoming rare.

Dealers and chain businesses (lube shops, etc) are all about maximizing the profits of every sale. Cabin air filters at $60 or more, windshield wiper blades at $50 each, and (of course) the essential turn signal fluid, all receive more attention than torque on a lug nut, proper oil filter (and seated properly), proper fluids/lubricants, or attending to basic safety features.

Customer asked for tire rotation, tech decides that the customer will never know the difference anyway.

Pull out the intake air filter and cabin air filter, show them to the customer to get him to buy replacements, then charge extra labor to install the new filters on top of inflated filter prices. Hint: If Mr. Customer said "no" the old filters would have to be re-installed at no charge.

Shop advertised as "certified" auto tech center, sure the service manager has a certificate on the wall, but the $90 per hour labor charge only covers work done by a $9 per hour lot boy. Most of the staff never graduated from barber college, much less a decent community college course in auto technology. The "service writer" is more likely to be a commissioned sales person than a trained diagnostic tech.

I fired a local dealer last year because of just such experiences. Four new vehicles purchased there over 20 years, two in the past 5 years, I've been on a first name basis with practically the entire staff for years. After a few problems with the service department I made a point of explaining to everyone involved exactly why they would never see my shadow (or wallet) on their property again. The only one who seemed even mildly distressed was the sales rep I have dealt with repeatedly; service manager, dealership owner, regional rep, national customer service people, nobody else even expressed any surprise, regret, or apology.

Profits will always trump good service, and honesty has no role in the bottom line.

Lobo's post is exactly why I always use an independent service shop. I have always received good service and proper repairs at honest prices at these places, as opposed to the horror stories that I have, and others have written about, at dealer service departments.

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Originally posted by LoboGunLeather:

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Originally posted by Rey HRH:
I don't mind paying a premium as long as I know the job is done right and I'm not being shaken down.

And right there is the problem. Shake-downs are the new normal, work being done properly is becoming rare.

I agree. I didn't have to buy another Lexus when it came time to buy another car but I did. Why? Because I wanted to keep my service advisor at the dealer. I've known him for 14 years now. I can trust him to keep on top of the service on my car, not sell me something I don't actually need, and do right by me.

Do I pay dealer prices? Yes and if I ask he'll give me a discount. But he's been accommodating to me over the years - getting my car picked up or dropped off even though I'm outside their service area, etc. One time I complained of an intermittent problem, they kept the car for a week checking it daily while I drove a new loaner car. They gave up and couldn't find it, I picked it up expecting to pay something, and zero. He said, they couldn't find what was wrong, didn't fix anything so no charge and I didn't even have to fill up the gas on the loaner car.

I've dealt with other advisors in his dealership early and he's the only one I trust.

Been doing my own for over 40 yrs. and then the local dealer started giving coupons online. Never looked back.

I changed my oil on a few occasions but the cost to change the oil myself was only slightly cheaper than paying my mechanic to do it. I trust my mechanic whom I've know for decades but I wouldn't go to places like Jiffy Lube for an oil change.

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Originally posted by calugo:
I changed my oil on a few occasions but the cost to change the oil myself was only slightly cheaper than paying my mechanic to do it. I trust my mechanic whom I've know for decades but I wouldn't go to places like Jiffy Lube for an oil change.

Exactly my thoughts. For the $30 my mechanic charges, it's well worth saving myself the time, effort, cleanup, and disposal. But I wouldn't just go to any random quick lube place.

Changing oil is generally a breeze if you're fortunate enough to have your own garage or driveway. Especially on a truck or SUV you can slide right under. I hope you get your own place soon Pale Horse.
I say "generally" because it wasn't a breeze changing it in my log splitter Monday. The way MTD mounted the B&S engine, the engine would need removed to access the drain plug, and the hose on the vacuum sucker I have is too large to insert down the dip stick tube. So I did what I always do to change it which is turn the whole splitter upside down, and with about the same result.

On my gravel driveway I carefully position an oil drain pan under where I anticipate the dipstick tube should be after the splitter's turned upside down. It takes all my effort to lift up one side and push it over. Of course it skids a bit first so the wheel fender moves the drain pan, as the splitter crashes over, the fender flips the drain pan over. I watch as oil pours on the gravel not only out of the dipstick hole but the residual that was in the catch pan as well. After it stops running, and praying not to get a hernia, I turn the splitter back over, fill it with oil, and put my now empty catch pan back in the garage.

No thanks. I'll just pay some guy to do it. It's not that expensive. What's my time worth & having to climb around under the car & then dispose of the oil. For not that much in savings.

Hard pass. Now brakes. That's another story. I'll do those all day long for $100s of dollars in savings.

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Originally posted by V-Tail:
Lobo's post is exactly why I always use an independent service shop. I have always received good service and proper repairs at honest prices at these places, as opposed to the horror stories that I have, and others have written about, at dealer service departments.

I had AAA Auto service screw up an oil change 3 times in a row, believe it or not, and took the vehicle to a Ford dealer to fix the leaky pan I was stuck with after AAA "fixed" it.

The Service Manager called me up and told me I needed new ball joints.

I asked him if he had actually looked at my odometer before telling me that. I had 35K miles on it and had never been off the pavement. Ten years later it was still fine, of course.

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Originally posted by PHPaul:
No longer being a huge fan of crawling around on my belly like a snake AND not having a lift, I've been outsourcing my oil changes for 4-5 years now. However...

The sun ain't rose on the day I'll trust some zit-faced, minimum wage, cell phone addicted, saggy pantsed dipshit at the Quiki-Loob to open the hood on one of my vehicles, much less perform any actual work on it.

It goes to the full-service independent shop that does ALL my work. It'll be done right, with quality components and they'll eyeball the whole vehicle while they're at it, WITHOUT recommending a bunch of cash-cow shit that "needs doing".

Me too. I take mine to a real shop. Like Paul, I don't trust the minimum wage monkeys at Jiffy Lube. I bring him my own oil and filter, and he charges me $20 to do the work. I used to go to a one man-show place who charged me $10, but he shut down.