Do you change your own oil?

[Gumby]

I usually bring my car into the shop to have my oil changed. But, I've always wondered if I'd be saving money by doing it myself. Unfortunately, I'm not finding too much evidence that self-directed oil changes actually save that much money...

http://cashmoneylife.com/change-own-oil ... t-savings/

What are your thoughts? Do you change your own oil? If so, why?

[moda0306]

I would consider changing my oil but I like my mechanic to see my car every few thousand miles anyway.

[SteveGo]

I change my own oil, and do all scheduled maintenance that I can. It does save a little money, but more importantly, it gives me the opportunity to look at things and see if anything else needs taking care of. Also, as a DIY'er by nature, I enjoy it. I am mostly retired, so the opportunity cost is not very great. We drive so few miles that I change the oil by the calendar, every six months, rather than by miles traveled.

I guess the old hippie inside my head likes to think he is "sticking it to the man" when he does something like that himself

[Storm]

I have changed it in the past but the amount of money saved was only 2 or 3 dollars, so I figured the effort required, as well as having to recycle or dispose of the used oil properly was not worth it to me.

[Bob]

I agree with Storm.  In years past, I changed my own oil all the time.  Now, I pull into Express Lube or Jiffy Lube and I'm out in 10-15 minutes or less.  I would spend at least a half an hour going to a local store, purchasing the oil and filter, and coming back home.  Then, I'd have another half hour to actually change it.  Then, another trip to recycle the oil.  I have found for the "do-it-yourselfers" that just about any Express Lube / Jiffy Lube type of business will gladly take your used oil for free.  I have established a relationship with a local Express Lube so they have my maintenance record in their computer, put the sticker in the window for the next service due, etc.

I guess another question would be:  how often do you change your oil?  Oil change businesses recommend 3,000 miles.  I normally go 5,000 miles.  Any thoughts on how often you actually change your oil? 

[l82start]

I agree with Storm.  In years past, I changed my own oil all the time.  Now, I pull into Express Lube or Jiffy Lube and I'm out in 10-15 minutes or less.  I would spend at least a half an hour going to a local store, purchasing the oil and filter, and coming back home.  Then, I'd have another half hour to actually change it.  Then, another trip to recycle the oil.  I have found for the "do-it-yourselfers" that just about any Express Lube / Jiffy Lube type of business will gladly take your used oil for free.  I have established a relationship with a local Express Lube so they have my maintenance record in their computer, put the sticker in the window for the next service due, etc.

I guess another question would be:  how often do you change your oil?  Oil change businesses recommend 3,000 miles.  I normally go 5,000 miles.  Any thoughts on how often you actually change your oil?  

"ditto" on finding jiffy lube quicker, more efficient and slightly more cost effective,
 as for how many miles, it should vary with the type of car you have, older cars 3000 is sill recommended, new cars with small motors and synthetic oils the car manufactures now sometimes recommend up to five or six thousand, i go three thousand with my jeep and five with my wife's Honda civic hybrid....

[Storm]

Not to mention the cursing and bruises when your tools slip while trying to remove the ridiculously tightly screwed in oil filter.  It's painful just thinking about how hard it is to remove parts that have been attached with hydraulic tools...

I normally change my oil around 5,000 miles in my gasoline cars, however, I had a VW diesel before this and it takes synthetic oil and only needed changes every 10,000 miles.  This is partially due to the fact that diesel fuel is close to oil and lubricates a bit on it's own.

It's funny, the oil change shops and service departments say every 3,000 miles, the car manufacturers usually say 7,500.  I figure 5,000 is a happy medium.  One department is trying to sell you oil and the other department is trying to sell you a new car.  Split the difference... 

[MediumTex]

I change my own oil.

I stock up on oil and filters, so there aren't many trips to the store for that.  I also store my used oil in 5 gallon buckets, so I don't have to make recycling trips very often either.

I have thumb valves in place of the drain plugs, so draining the oil is very easy.

I've got my oil change time down to about 20 minutes.

[Ralphy]

I change my own.  Like SteveGo, I do a lot of my own car maintenance, so changing the oil is a good opportunity to poke around and see what condition everything is in. 

I drive a lot of in-city miles, so I shoot for the lower end of the mileage range and change about every 2-3 months.

[Boeing737]

I change my own oil and just switched from Mobil 1 to extended life Amsoil. So now I will change my oil once a year. Rebalance Permanent Portfolio once a year-change oil once a year!

[Gumby]

I change my own oil and just switched from Mobil 1 to extended life Amsoil. So now I will change my oil once a year. Rebalance Permanent Portfolio once a year-change oil once a year!

I had no idea that oil could last so long. Is going that long between changes really safe for the car? I thought filters only last about 6 months.

[Storm]

I change my own oil and just switched from Mobil 1 to extended life Amsoil. So now I will change my oil once a year. Rebalance Permanent Portfolio once a year-change oil once a year!

I had no idea that oil could last so long. Is going that long between changes really safe for the car? I thought filters only last about 6 months.

Amsoil really can last that long, and not damage your car.  Good synthetic oils allow you to go 12 months or 10-12,000 miles between changes.  Of course, the price you pay for oil is almost double, but they do have other benefits like less wear and tear on your engine.  I would caution you that you still need to check oil levels and top up if needed.

[Boeing737]

Regular maintenance is still necessary when using extended drain oil. Some cars use oil so it is important to periodically check your oil! A premium oil filter can be highly efficient (99.9 %) and have synthetic fibers lasting 15k before changing. Cellulose filters need to be changed more often if using the extend life oil.

[MediumTex]

www.bobistheoilguy.com is where you will find every imaginable aspect of oil and oil changes (along with a lot of other stuff).

There are people over there who explore the intricacies of oil and oil changes the same way we dig into the PP.

There are also oil-related rivalries involving chemistry, techniques and what you could only call folklore that can be surprisingly intense.