Who does your oil changes?

[Bubba1235]

In conjunction with my thread about partnering in an oil change business I'd like to get feed back from members on who changes their oil.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I dont trust anybody to work on my toys etc. It also give me a chance to get under and insspect for leaks ,etc.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I have two Diesels, so needless to say thats ALOT of oil!! my 99 Ford F350 Powerstroke and my 06 Dodge 3500 CTD use synthetic oil and have always had their fluids changed by he same tech at the same Big O their entire lives, the Big O is 30 miles from my house so obviously there is at least a dozen other places to have the work done but this place has never served me wrong, yes we have had a mistake here and there but they have always made it right by me without anything more then a brief very friendly discussion.

My Boat, ATV's and lawnmowers etc I do the work on myself but then everything else combined has less oil then one of the trucks!

99 Ford PSD 330,000 miles
06 Dodge CTD 230,000 miles

 

[rbh]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I prefer to do it myself, but there are always some other issues that need to be dealt with so it goes to the mechanic shop.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I have an old beater I do it, the one is quick lube, and the other is dealer as he is cheepest due to filter. You might look at hrs of operation, cost, how they disposed of oil, how many employees working at one time. One here has 3 people working at any time another 2. Think that the problem might be more of a conviniance than anything else. Peoples schedule who work 3rds might want a 7 am oil change while 2nd might want 1-2 in afternoon, while first after 3. Another may have been the had specials at first that dried up an people went elsewhere.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

Today with a quart of oil costing aproximetly 3.50 a quart, 6 quarts= 22 bucks plus cost of filter. Can have it done for 19.95 with 5 quarts & filter plus lube and have to purchase extra quart, so why do it myself.

Like any changing times a place just selling gas today can not survive, have to have a variety store attached or do mechanic work and have the cheap oil change to maybe get mechanic work.

I do not belong to the PT Barnum School

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

As a rule I do my own as its a part of what I do for a living. But I have went to quicky lubes if on the road or dont have time. Also as of for cost I cant do it cheeper if I do it than a quicky lube plus they get rid of the old oil/filter.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I do 'my' car myself, but the wife and kid's cars go to the local mechanic shop.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

Quick Change.

 

[lamphega]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

Local Valvoline quick place for my truck and wifes car. Seem to be decent crew, don't always push extras but do keep track of manufacturers recommendations and I have always liked Valvoline oil. And just about time for next change I get a postcard from them with discount. Great marketing strategy- gets me thinking about oil change time and gets their name front and center in my mind. They also do inspections and I like that as well. I used to change my own but I am not getting any younger and I do value my time too. (Of course tinkering with old boat time is completely different, I always have time for that!)

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

Local Valvoline quick place for my truck and wifes car. Seem to be decent crew, don't always push extras but do keep track of manufacturers recommendations and I have always liked Valvoline oil. And just about time for next change I get a postcard from them with discount. Great marketing strategy- gets me thinking about oil change time and gets their name front and center in my mind. They also do inspections and I like that as well. I used to change my own but I am not getting any younger and I do value my time too. (Of course tinkering with old boat time is completely different, I always have time for that!)

I do the same thing and I use Valvoline quick change. A regular dealership LOF usually comes with doom and gloom since they are hunting for the $85/hr labor rate plus their part mark up.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

Right now, I can do both cars in about 20 minutes and if I watch the specials around town I can still do it cheaper than the local shops.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

My truck is a 4WD 3/4ton diesel. Oil change takes about 10 minutes. It is high enough off the ground that even an old guy like me can slide right under. Even if I am only saving ten bucks that is a pretty good hourly rate that I am paying myself. My wifes Nissan gets driven less than 2500 miles a year. A lot harder to get under but I only change it once a year. Last year she noticed that it had about 3000 miles since the last oil change and she insisted that it be changed that week. (Her farmer father instilled into her that oil should be changed every 3000 miles and who am I to argue about modern oil and disrespect a dead man). Since I was busy and was going into town anyway I decided to go to the Valvoline quick change. The pimpely faced kid with the ear ring broke off the dipstick in the tube and I had to wait over an hour for them to remove the broken piece and find a replacement that was too short. He suggested I note where the oil level is on the stick now and file a notch in it at the "new" full mark. Lesson learned!

 

[espeed09]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I went to Vo-tech school to be a mechanic, then ended up an engineer. I still change my own oil, since I don't trust anyone else to do it. To many horror stories own everything short of a lift so its no biggy for me.

 

[90stingray]

I change my own oil, on everything at my house, because I like to use quality products and inspect the vehicles for worn parts or leaks. Only time someone else would work on anything of mine would be warranty work that's free. Plus i'm a mechanic for a living.... and I like tinkering.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[nlain]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I do my own for a number of reasons, I can check things over while doing it, I know it is done right, I use the products I want and not what they want to sell me or pay twice the price if they use what I want. Now to go back in history, I grew up on a farm, in that day farmers fixed everything they could to hold down expenses. I don't trust most people to work on my stuff, have had to let others a few times and had to go behind them and straighten things out that they had not done right. I have been a mechanic all of my life, as a way of making a living since 1967, I am not making my living as a mechanic at this time although I am still in the business working for a truck dealer.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I used to get them done at a 5 minute oil change place. I got tired of being bugged about stuff that I didn't want and began to feel put out at the prices they charged. The only advantage that I saw, was being able to pop in between changes to get the oil topped off. Then again, when you change your oil every 3 to 4 thousand miles, how often do you need to do that?

I now go elsewhere and get routine oil/filter changes for under twenty bucks. Like the expensive joints, they check my tire pressures, fluids, etc.

 

[angus63]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

When time allows, I try not to pay for labor I can do or barter.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I have a couple of places a block or two from the house. I don't use them anymore. Once they changed ownership and management (all family I think), I caught them in lies on a couple of occasions.

They lied about lubing the vehicles. I showed them that a grease gun hadn't touched a single fitting. They rotated the tires on our Charger once and jammed the tire stem behind the hubcap, making it impossible to check pressure.

A young tech, that had been there since the place opened, told me he was leaving because the quality, (and the business) was crashing. He was genuinely embarrassed.

I switched to another place that is further away, but is quick and very reliable. They once took me below the bay to show me a drip from my transfer case. Not their lane, but the manager wanted me to see it. I was able to fix that seal myself. They get all my business for the vehicles. I do the boats and other machines myself with the vacuum pump.

Flawless customer service (or even fixing a flaw) scores big points for me.

 

[mommicked]

Re: Who does your oil changes?

I've seen more than one instance of friends having blown or damaged engines from bad, highspeed oilchange shops. One left the filler cap off= blown motor, others had the obviously untightened drainplugs fall out, blown motors.,.... fight w the Mngmnt to get new motor...............I have always done my own oilchngs and let the old oil drain for hours sometimes. I had a skidplate "allmost" fall off a new 4wd company truck soon after a drivethru oilchange, and as mentioned before the threads were stripped on some of the "Front" skidplate mounting holes, and a "FEW" bolts were not reinstalled at all. Try adding a Rent to Own Wheel and Tire buisness to the mix? Or add a real Garage and park your Awesome Camaro outside, and attract the local gearheads that could make a repair/upgrade type shop make money?!?