When doing Oil changes at home, a Pela oil extractor worked well on a couple vehicles but didn't on another. It all depended on whether the bottom of the oil pan could be reached from the dip stick tube. Seems like one would need to verify that before allowing that approach for an oil change.

My MINI dealer oil change was professional and affordable. Please consider the cost in view of the peace of mind, OEM lubricants and longer oil drain intervals. Why go to a convenience store for Pappy Van Winkle bourbon? You can only find Mad Dog 2020 there.

An independent shop specializing in German brands was using the suction method 15+ years ago when I got my first Audi. That car was so low that I couldn't safely get under it to drain the oil myself, so I had them do it. Removing the bottom cover was a real pita, and they found the suction was as effective as the drain plug.

So it's been a thing for a while.

I use suction on the wife's car. I measured the volume removed and it was within a cup of the fill.

I was told years ago by my trusted then-mechanic to NEVER go to these places because you'll have some minimum wage dummy overtightening things or not tightening things enough.

I had a 2000 Dodge Neon with aluminum oil pan and some Jiffy Lube idiot stripped the drain plug on it and I ended up having to replace the entire drain pan and this was a brand new car.

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Originally posted by PASig:

I had a 2000 Dodge Neon with aluminum oil pan and some Jiffy Lube idiot stripped the drain plug on it and I ended up having to replace the entire drain pan and this was a brand new car.

Please tell me that Jiffy Lube paid for the drain pan replacement.

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Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

I had a 2000 Dodge Neon with aluminum oil pan and some Jiffy Lube idiot stripped the drain plug on it and I ended up having to replace the entire drain pan and this was a brand new car.

Please tell me that Jiffy Lube paid for the drain pan replacement.

No, I was young and dumb and really didn't know better like now. My mechanic did try to repair the threads but it wasn't working because of the soft aluminum material. I should have fought them to pay for it but I didn't. Now I would for damn sure.

I used a quick change place for years for my work vehicles . I accompany my niece now when she has hers done . Never had an issue with any of them other than the price .

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Originally posted by ScooterX:
To this shops credit, I frequently used it with no issues with a different vehicle when working as I drove a lot. But when did engine oil suction become a thing???

I do mine that way all the time, I hook it to my air compressor and let it do the work. The only messy part is the filter.

FWIW, my Titan is the same engine as the Armada and it holds max 6.5 qt but it's a Gen 1, maybe later models hold more.

I don't know why you only got 4.5 qts out unless they didn't do it right by inserting the tube deep enough. I would be concerned too.

Otherwise, sucking it out works for me, never had a problem.

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Originally posted by smschulz:

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Originally posted by ScooterX:
To this shops credit, I frequently used it with no issues with a different vehicle when working as I drove a lot. But when did engine oil suction become a thing???

I do mine that way all the time, I hook it to my air compressor and let it do the work. The only messy part is the filter.

FWIW, my Titan is the same engine as the Armada and it holds max 6.5 qt but it's a Gen 1, maybe later models hold more.

My 2018 Titan holds 6.5 qts

Since I have a Mity-Vac and, because curiosity, I did my wife's Grand Cherokee Eco-Diesel with it once. You do the filter from the top as well. I got ~2 gallons out. A full drain and filter is supposed to be 2.2 Gallons per the book. I usually get about 2.1 gallons with a conventional filter and drain. I would be pretty OK with that... but it takes a while through a 1/4" tube. I expect the lube place has a lot stronger vacuum.

Bubba tip for using an oil extractor with a transversely mounted engine:

Park the car in a ditch or across the driveway so the engine is leaning towards the dipstick.

I tried once before to use a fluid extractor on my daughter’s Beetle, but only got maybe 4.5 - 5 quarts out. Today, I saw a video where a guy pulled his Beetle up one ramp on the driver’s side and said he got almost the full 6 quarts out. Not having a ramp at the house, I tried the ditch. Got almost the full 6 quarts out!

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Originally posted by RogueJSK:
I'd never use a "quick lube" type place like that. Too many horror stories of half-ass work and huge mistakes, not to mention the inevitable upselling.

This is my position as well. Quick oil change shops are to auto mechanics as fast food restaurants are to high school students. My body can handle most mistakes done in the back of the restaurant with minimal cast to me; I’m not willing to take that chance with my car.

I don't use them now but did when I was young and poor.

Here's the thing - I wasn't mechanically inclined. That being said, I learned to do my own oil changes. It's not rocket science. But these quick lube places back then was $20 for LOF. That was good enough for me for my cheapo beater, my wallet and the effort/time spent, including getting rid of the spent oil (buying filter / oil and then getting rid of the waste was additional effort). $20 and I was done in 30 minutes.

I can't understand how someone could screw up the job if even I could to it.

But I've found since then that even the dealer could screw it up. Repeatedly. They kept forgetting the crush washer. And so I'd have to bring it back after each oil change since it was dripping onto my garage floor. After 3 times, I went elsewhere.

There’s a chain in my area - one of those drive over the pit yourself and stay in your car type places. I can do my Cherokee flat on the ground, and do 90% of the time, but maybe once a year or so if the weather is nasty or I’ve neglected to take my used oil to the recycling place and have no more capacity, I’ll go to them.

Cameras below let me see exactly what the pit guy is doing and more importantly, I replaced the bolt with a Fumoto valve as soon as I bought it, so there’s really nothing they can screw up.

In the meantime, I get free coffee or water or whatever and I’ve already told the service advisor write-up person that I do my own work and they don’t need to / can’t sell me on anything but the oil change.

Don’t think I’d ever use a traditional JiffyLibe type place.

-Rob

I think most quick lube horror stories are either fabricated or regurgitated from the Internet. I said most , not all.

An oil change is a seemingly simple operation, often done by the lowest-paid guy ("general service" as we say in the business) in the shop, but there are a lot of things that can go wrong, with disastrous consequences for an engine. All it takes is a single moment of inattention or distraction. Although Walmart and "quickie" shops get the worst rep for screw-ups, in part because they do so many oil changes, NO. ONE. IS. IMMUNE. Even I have done it.

Had an Audi A4 wagon several years back which had the filter on the top of the engine. I could use a PELA oil extractor and remove every drop of oil from the pan (first time I tried it I pulled the plug after to confirm and nothing came out, so while not truly every drop, every drop I was going to be able to get out from pulling the drain plug…) and then remove the filter without spilling anything. All done just by popping the hood and no mess. Wish all vehicles could be done that way!

I believe the worst/most costly error I ever saw a quick lube place goof up was a big one ton truck.
They had checked the rear axle lubricant and neglected to reinstall the plug.
The truck (less than one year old) needed the entire rear axle assembly replaced.
When it ran out of rear axle lubricant, several internal bearings seized, and spun several bearing races in the rear axle housing.
When the truck arrived in the Dealership where I worked, the spilled/spewed hypoid gear lubricant slopped all over the HOT rear axle housing was smoking.

I picked up my Porsche from the dealer's service department (not a "quick change" location), and went on to run some errands.

I parked across the street from my first stop. When I came out, I noticed a puddle under the car. Checked it, found fresh oil.

Called the dealer, they sent a flat-bed two truck to take the car back to the shop, install the missing drain plug, and top off the oil.

For a while I was successful using Jiffy Lube despite hearing horror stories, Jiffy Lube was affordable, quick and convenient. Then one day they changed my oil and didn't screw the oil filter down tight so oil leaked all over the top of the engine. After that no more Jiffy Lube for me and I just started taking back to my mechanic where I knew it would be done right.