DIY oil change VS. dealership

[southernfriedcj]

does anyone still believe in changing the factory fill out on an accelerated schedule for a new car?

We always did it on our new Jap bikes at 500 miles. We called it draining the "fish oil". The 500 miles was the factory break in period. I don't know where we came up with "fish oil".

 

[e-tek]

IMO anyone who takes their vehicle in for an oil change should be BANNED from garage journal.

The only people that get banned here are ones that pick on others for not conforming to what you think is right....well, them and spammers

When you do your own service work you know it is done to your specifications. I use full synthetic oil, in gas engines. Rotela in the tractor and my jeep. I go 5K or once a year between changes.

If you're always using "full synthetic" and changing oil at 5K, then your "specifications" are more about wasting money than saving engines...

If I buy a used car, or when my vehicles reach 70K I do FLUSH the engine. I drain the oil while hot. I add 1 gallon of DIESEL, then run the engine for a few minutes. I let it drain for the whole day.

I'd bet the damage done to your engines in a few minutes with diesel-as-lube is more than what would occur over a million miles using "cheap" kwiki-lube oil changes.

But as long as you meet "your specs", it's all good!

 

[jay50]

I have my oil analyzed and I use Dyson Analysis for that service. Terry Dyson has been a for over twenty years. I follow his recommendations since he is the one that see's all kinds of used oil's come in from all kinds of vehicles and machinery. His recommendation is to get the car home and with in the first 100 miles change out the factory oil and filter, then go another 500 miles and then change out the oil, leave the filter, go another 1000 miles and change out the oil and filter, then go to 3000 miles and do another full change. Then from there continue on as you normally would.

The wear metals that follow after this procedure are way lower than if the individual just left the factory fill oil in for the first 3000 miles and followed a normal routine.

Is it necissary, probably not, but I'm one that keeps a vehicle a long time and like the idea of the engine being clean inside. Plus I have no life and enjoy taking care of my rides.

Dayum, why don't you just give the engine an enema and get it really clean.....

 

[Dragster Racer]

While deisel isn't a very good lubricant, under idling conditions, it probably doesn't have to be. As long as you can keep the bearings from touching each other, it ought to be just fine. In fact, the bearings should always run on a hydraulic film. Deisel has a much lower viscosity than oil, but if it will built oil pressure, then probably not all that bad. Cylinder walls probably not as happy as they could be either. Just my opinion.
Most oil failures I have seen in racing have less to do with the lubricant itself, but rather the presense of it in the right places.

 

[wafrederick]

My mother's 2006 Chrysler 300 with the Hemi uses 5w20 oil and is a must.Screws the MSD system up and will not work right.I have not seen these and been told the diesels which there is a procedure to change the oil with a Cartridge type filter.Change the filter first,dumps 2 extra quarts into the crankcase.

 

[69GSCAL]

Wow, an hour and a half and on page 2 already! Like I said I don't mind spending the 30 minutes to change the oil. Just was wondering if there was a reason why the dealer can charge 2 bucks more than I am doing it for and still make money. I know they buy bulk oil and probably get a deal on filters but 2 bucks for labor? And my price is using the cheaper oil, 12 bucks for 5 quarts.

QUOTE]

They don't make any money off of your oil changes and they aren't doing it out of the goodness of their heart. The reason dealerships and mechanic shops offer such low prices on oil changes is to get your business and upsell you on something else.

If you take your car to the same Ma and Pa shop to get all of its oil changes, you're likely to take it there when it needs other services.

They also do the complimentarly tire rotation and lube so that they can check other maintenance that can be done. "By the way, we noticed during your free tire rotation your brake pads could use replacing. Would yuo like to schedule an appointment?"

 

[Ign]

They also do the complimentarly tire rotation and lube so that they can check other maintenance that can be done. "By the way, we noticed during your free tire rotation your brake pads could use replacing. Would yuo like to schedule an appointment?"

I see so many Chevy trucks running around with one burnt out DRL (pet peeve of mine), I'm convinced I could make a fortune as an oil-change place also offering to replace burnt-out DRL bulbs.

 

[dirttracker18]

Well, considering how long it takes to let all the oil drain down into the pan...forever...there's surely enough "up there" for it to not be dry. plus, i can hear the oil falling down even when there is just one quart. so i don't share this concern. good thought though.

If you ever have a pan off you would see that the pick up is almost on the bottom of the pan. It does not take much to get to it. The issue would be if you revved it up and ran dry that way. You have many quarts on the pan not so that pick up can get it but to allow for the amount of oil up in the engine at higher RPM. At idle it would not be an issue, I hope.

With that in mind it always scares me when I see a vehilce with a big dent in the oil pan as it could easily knock the pick up off the pump.

 

[Graymills - Craig]

I change the oil in my wife's 911 only because the closest Porsche dealer is 180 miles away. One of the advantages of living in a small town is that the dealers depend on repeat business and tend to treat you right. When I take my late model vehicles to the dealer for an oil change, I get a loaner to drive, no charge!

Yeah, but it's 180 miles of fun roads! Ah, Durango. I actually met my wife at Farquart's bar at Purgatory.

 

[IH82BL8]

I drain my oil, put plug in and pour a qt new oil. start engine and run for a minute or less. stop and let it settle down into pan mostly and drain again..repeat probably about 4 times maybe 5 until oil draining out looks 100% new. Then change filter and top off. Everyone else pretty much has dark dirty oil right away or very soon. My oil looks, smells and feels new for ages.

I don't know why I never thought of that--especially in the classic that I invested a ton of time and money in, but gets driven very little. For that one, I'd be willing to go all four quarts to flush it.

My quandry has always been, do I drain when it's hot so the oil run out because it's thinner, even though it hasn't all had time time to drain into the oil pan - or - do I drain it when it's cold, having given it time to drain into the oil pan, even though it won't all drain out of the pan because it's thicker.

I guess I could pull the plug while it's hot and let it drain overnight.

In any case, the oil flush in between would answer that question.

 

[sberry]

Just run it a few less miles between changes if this is all a concern, in all reality there isn't enough oil left in from a change to make an ounce worth of difference, this is all mental ************. It would never, never ever have an effect on the life of the engine. You don't see any mfgs or professionals suggesting these schemes for some reason.

 

[Auzivision]

I've changes my own brakes, shocks, motor mounts, timing belt, water pump, fuel pump, coils, wires, plugs, distributor, etc... but sometimes I'm just too lazy to change my own oil. It's not worth the hassle or that satisfying.

The 5 or 10 dollars it cost over what I can source the materials for isn’t worth it to me. Plus I like having someone else 'looking' at my cars/truck. Oil changes are way easy… how hard is it for a mechanic to screw up a drain plug… really, does it happen that often?

Lately, I've been using Firestone. They let me know what else I 'might' need. Then I check it out and fix it myself if I agree. Following is a link to an evergreen oil change coupon with free tire rotation:

http://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/promotions/coupon.jsp

Hard to not let an ASME certified mechanic do it for that kind of money. Besides, it’s just across the street from my office.

 

[Denee007]

Wow, this is a busy thread!
I have no problems with changing my own oil~ just getting rid of the old oil and filters! I thought I'd be smart and buy a 15gallon drum, but that filled up quickly and is still full after a year or so! and then I started using 5 gallon gas cans. It's just pure laziness not to take the oil down to The Pit stop(oil change place).
What's the longest you've let a pan full of oil sit before you had to do something with it?? and also I feel really guilty putting an oil filter into the trash can! I let it drain upside down forever, then dispose of it. If you think of how many oil filters are discarded a year, so much for our precious Earth
So, for me, really has nothing to do with changing my own oil, it's the discarding of the old oil!

 

[Jack90210]

I have stated numerous times on engine oil related threads that it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to wear out a modern automobile engine as long as the crankcase is kept full of oil regardless of its age or quality (unless you drive a Chrysler)

...

Sorry to hijack the thread but that post sort of got to me. I think sometimes folks lose sight of the fact that the best thing we can do with our cars and trucks is to use them so that most of the systems in them are pretty much worn out at the same time and we get the most use out of them for the least amount of time and money spent on them.

Bingo.

Well, except that part about Chrysler. That 3.3/3.8l motor will run forever.

 

[Groovy]

I'm of the same mind as Mr Mark I take the Bens and BMW cars to a euro car expert on the island not the dealer its much cheaper and he does an excellent job and does a lot of extra stuff, tire pressure, pad checks, as a value add and it is quick and easier I mean just having an oil pan that holds 8.5 quarts and then dealing with taking it to the recycle place etc is a PIA as I drive 100+ miles a day so oil changes are frequent in those two yuppie mobiles’ but I do my boats, motorcycles, pickup truck, and 4 cycle engines as they are way less frequent and I like doing it.
I use those giant sourdough pretzel containers they hold about 5-6 quarts. I have a few of them and take them up with stuff like rad fluid and things you should not dump on your property periodically but its an hour round trip +/- to do that.

It would be cool to get a heater in my garage that would burn that stuff. I saw one in a auto shop in PA.

 

[jhelrey]

I change my own oil at the shop. $2 for a filter and $1.50 a qt of oil