I hate paying to have my oil changed. Until 2 years ago I had never paid for one. But now I’m living in an apartment and can’t do one there so I’m forced to pay someone.

I still crawl underneath and check the drain plug and filter as soon as I get it home so at least I don’t have to worry about that. But I miss changing my own.

quote:

I still crawl underneath and check the drain plug and filter as soon as I get it home so at least I don’t have to worry about that. But I miss changing my own.

Not good enough. In years past I have had the oil filled 2 quarts low, as well as loose drain plugs. Drive 1 block & pull over onto clean concrete, check the oil level, then look under for any oil dripping. When you get home again check under the vehicle after it has sat for a few hours.

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".

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

they'll eyeball the whole vehicle while they're at it, WITHOUT recommending a bunch of cash-cow shit that "needs doing".

I'm pretty sure that you need a new cabin air filter.

How long has it been since you've changed your blinker fluid?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

they'll eyeball the whole vehicle while they're at it, WITHOUT recommending a bunch of cash-cow shit that "needs doing".

I'm pretty sure that you need a new cabin air filter.

How long has it been since you've changed your blinker fluid?

Probably both, now that you mention it. I cracked the right rear taillight lens, all the fluid leaked out.

Couple of years ago, the Tundra started smelling nasty...well, nastier than usual... when I ran the defrost. Turns out a contractor had build a meece motel in the airbox behind the cabin filter. The waste disposal system, while convenient for the occupants, wasn't all that efficient...

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
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.

Great observation. I gotta remember that.

I won’t do quick lube places, Ford dealers in my area offer a quick serve oil change and multipoint inspection for only about $15 more than the Jiffy Lube joints.

I get points that make about every 6th change free, everything is documented and in Ford’s system so if any issues come up no question about maint history.

Having a 2017 Mustang, 2018 Escape, and 2019 Ranger, just makes sense for me. Spent MANY years doing my own stuff and past the point of enjoying it and thankfully reached the point where paying for it doesn’t hurt.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Couple of years ago, the Tundra started smelling nasty...well, nastier than usual... when I ran the defrost. Turns out a contractor had build a meece motel in the airbox behind the cabin filter. The waste disposal system, while convenient for the occupants, wasn't all that efficient...

Ah yes, the smell... I pulled a nest out of the cabin filter on my daughter's corolla last spring along with a few deceased tenants. Nasty buggers had gotten into the glove box and chewed up a spare roll of TP. Daughter wasn't very impressed. No problems since, however she keeps a metal box with a sticky trap in her car just in case.

It would be easier to use an oil filter wrench and socket versus a credit card.

I've always changed my own oil. There's a sense of satisfaction knowing that I did it. My father in law pays for oil changes and I tell him that his air filter is super easy to change and can be bought for half the price but he gets suckered every time.

Where ya at in FL? You're welcome to use my yard.


Rick

I have the dealership do mine. They have the resources to fix it if they screw it up.

I've always done my own until I bought my Nissan Titan . It has a skidplate with 12 bolts in it that has to come off . Screw that . I've been taking it to the dealer and have no complaints .

Since the two closest Jeep dealers pissed me off I now take ours to the local Ford dealer.

First one blew me off when I requested out of warranty repair assistance, the service writer was a dick. Their sales department despite my request to not call me did so, the second time their general manager got a nice letter from me detailing my dissatisfaction with their service department, the ignoring of my request to not be phone solicited and a promise of the next time to file a FTC complaint. Scratch dealer number one.

Second dealer. I would take our two Jeeps in a week apart for oil changes. My Wrangler got the wrong weight oil. I brought it to their attention, service advisor said it was "approved", I told him to show me the TSB and I would go away. He then took it back in the shop and changed it again. Our Liberty the next week was fine.

Next oil change, Wrangler first again. And again, wrong weight oil again. This time different advisor, other one quit a month before. This writer did not argue, probably because he worked with me at the GM dealership I retired from in '17 and he knew me well enough not to try that "it's fine" line. Now the next week the Liberty got changed, two weeks later I notice a leak under it.

So I go back, the writer that I used to work with has now quit, another new one to deal with. "Official" problem was that the area was not cleaned after the oil change. Two days later it still leaked. Leaked until the next oil change three months later. Problem seemed to be the filter from what the Ford dealer tech saw.

Anyway, starting to think maybe it's F-150 time!

I used to do my own on my last Expedition, didn't even have to jack it up.....but between the cost of a motorcraft filter and 7 quarts of oil......it cost about the same to have the dealer do it, so that's what I do.

quote:

Originally posted by Anush:

quote:

I still crawl underneath and check the drain plug and filter as soon as I get it home so at least I don’t have to worry about that. But I miss changing my own.

Not good enough. In years past I have had the oil filled 2 quarts low, as well as loose drain plugs. Drive 1 block & pull over onto clean concrete, check the oil level, then look under for any oil dripping. When you get home again check under the vehicle after it has sat for a few hours.

Yes, I also check the oil level too. I also don’t do a quick service place. I take mine to a dealership in the area. They still try to upsell me of course.

It’s really not the money as much as that I really just like doing it. I enjoy working on cars and miss having a house and a garage. I loved spending days out there with the radio on screwing around. I planned on getting a house this year but some Chinese fucker decided to eat a bat and so that plan went to shit.

Maybe next year.

Barring extraordinary circumstances, nobody but me touches my cars. When I drove through Oregon a couple of years ago, I HATED letting some guy pump my gas. One of them even screwed that up...tried to send me off without replacing my gas cap. Thankfully I was watching him like a hawk the whole time and told him to put it back on first.

Back in my apartment days, I did plenty of oil changes on the ground in the parking lot. I remember one cold winter night changing the starter on my buddy's truck on a sheet of ice in the street in front of his parents' house. I've done way worse than oil changes in parking lots, side-streets, and driveways, in all weather conditions. It's far from ideal...but it still beats letting some minimum-wage lube tech mess with my truck.

It’s not that I can’t physically do it here. It’s against the rules. And I live across from one of the ladies who works in the office. I hate letting someone else work on my car but I’m not going to risk being evicted over it.

quote:

Originally posted by RIC.45:
Where ya at in FL? You're welcome to use my yard.


Rick

I appreciate the offer!

I’m a bit too far away unfortunately but thanks. Hopefully I’ll have my own yard next year and I won’t have to worry about it.

I still change my oil.
I was about to give it up until I bought one o9f those suction-extraction tools that I hook to my air compressor.
Makes like much easier and less messy.
The problem was disposing and collection the oil in a pan then pouring it back into containers.
Now no pan, don't even have to take off the drain plug only mess is a little drip from the taking off the filter.
Then it easily pours back into the containers.
Saved me at last an hour or more.
YMMV