Do it yourself

FWIW my comments quoted above were tongue and cheek: I am well aware that fewer and fewer folks service and maintain their vehicles.

It is flat out incorrect to claim it is cheaper to have a shop change your oil than to do it yourself; I spend about seventeen bucks for 4 quarts of oil, a Mann oil filter, and a copper crush washer; this is about half of what a shop would charge these days.

Your comment that "I think its costs something like 10-20ish dollars more on average to do it yourself than taking it somewhere" shows astounding lack of first hand knowledge of the issue: obviously you're not a car guy and are not up to speed on this issue like I am.

One reason I do it myself is to give me a regular opportunity to do an under the vehicle inspection of my vehicles to see if there are any other issues needing attention; given that I drive older rigs I usually find something that needs addressing.

I do not trust oil change shops to do good work or to be honest with me; their game is to upsell, and I won't tango with them.

I recall a case I handled where a shop did a fluid change on a rear axle but forgot to put the drain plug in: yes, lots of mechanics really are that slipshod, a risk I prefer to avoid.

I know that when I do it is done correctly: hello, peace of mind.

Quote: Gandler

Even as a kid, my dad would tell me "a lot of people think this is a valuable skill for men to know, but you spend more money on supplies and time on disposal than paying somebody to do it and it eats up a lot of your day" (paraphrasing).
..

You were born in what, 1990? So your dad would have told you this when, about 2000? He was right, by then it wasn't worth changing your own oil because the automobile makers had made it 10 times harder. When I owned vehicles made in the 50s 60s and 70s and even into the early 80s I changed my own oil. After about 1990 forget it. They started making it way too hard to get at the oil filter unless the vehicle was on a lift. It just wasn't worth the time. Also in those days you had to change your oil way more often, every two or three thousand miles. Now you can go 7000 miles or even longer if you use synthetic oil. Plus in those days changing the oil on your girlfriend's car was a good way to get laid. In those days lots of women gave you sex when they were grateful. Maybe they still do I have no idea.

Here is a story. One time I was putting in a walk=in closet in a girlfriend's house. Free of charge, I was doing the labor and paying for the materials. I'm in there working one day and she comes in closes the door walks up to me turns around drops her shorts and bends over. Nothing that blatant in showing her gratitude has happened to me before or since. Let me tell you, now that I'm older, it's memories of that nature that you're glad you have. She was five foot two and weighed about a hundred pounds. Women that size can do amazing things.

Quote: missedhervee

I know that when I do it is done correctly: hello, peace of mind.

IF I tried to change my own oil it would be done incorrectly. I never understood why they put that blue water in the oil tank. Besides I like that they check my tire pressure when they change the oil. That is another job that I won't do as it will probably get my hands dirty.

Quote: missedhervee

FWIW my comments quoted above were tongue and cheek: I am well aware that fewer and fewer folks service and maintain their vehicles.

It is flat out incorrect to claim it is cheaper to have a shop change your oil than to do it yourself; I spend about seventeen bucks for 4 quarts of oil, a Mann oil filter, and a copper crush washer; this is about half of what a shop would charge these days.

Your comment that "I think its costs something like 10-20ish dollars more on average to do it yourself than taking it somewhere" shows astounding lack of first hand knowledge of the issue: obviously you're not a car guy and are not up to speed on this issue like I am.

One reason I do it myself is to give me a regular opportunity to do an under the vehicle inspection of my vehicles to see if there are any other issues needing attention; given that I drive older rigs I usually find something that needs addressing.

I do not trust oil change shops to do good work or to be honest with me; their game is to upsell, and I won't tango with them.

I recall a case I handled where a shop did a fluid change on a rear axle but forgot to put the drain plug in: yes, lots of mechanics really are that slipshod, a risk I prefer to avoid.

I know that when I do it is done correctly: hello, peace of mind.

It was an estimate from memory (I have always been told something like that), and I am certainly not a car guy. Whenever I have had to do oil changes myself the supplies are provided (either family or employers) so I have no clue on the supplies (other than what is listed), but even the most conservative estimates I could find on Google place the price well above that for doing it yourself now (cited in my post). In any case, I'll take it for free to the dealership (and deal with declining the upsells). Its not something I enjoy and have no desire to enjoy it, even if I was in a scenario where it would be slightly cheaper. I think the only "work" (very loosely) I have done on my personal cars is change wiper blades (because that is an actual scam compared to what dealerships try to charge).

Even if its just 17 (which seems low even from what I know) for you to do it yourself, its not hard to find local places in the 15-25 range if you do have to pay (which are no doubt endless upsells). Even big chains like with Lube in the name may be listed in the 30-50 dollar range, but you can virtually always find a 15+ off, making the 15-25 range to actually pay pretty realistic (again its a constant upsell, but you just hold your ground).

At the end of the day, its just not something that I enjoy, and its certainly not something that I would want to do even in hypothetical scenarios where it may save some money. There is very little about cars that I enjoy, and handling oil is probably close to the bottom of that list. If you enjoy it, I have nothing against that, its just an issue when people (not just you since you said it was sarcasm, several had said similar things) say your not a real man for coming to a determination that its more worthwhile to not deal with something on your own.

Quote: Evenbob

You were born in what, 1990? So your dad would have told you this when, about 2000? He was right, by then it wasn't worth changing your own oil because the automobile makers had made it 10 times harder. When I owned vehicles made in the 50s 60s and 70s and even into the early 80s I changed my own oil. After about 1990 forget it. They started making it way too hard to get at the oil filter unless the vehicle was on a lift. It just wasn't worth the time. Also in those days you had to change your oil way more often, every two or three thousand miles. Now you can go 7000 miles or even longer if you use synthetic oil. Plus in those days changing the oil on your girlfriend's car was a good way to get laid. In those days lots of women gave you sex when they were grateful. Maybe they still do I have no idea.

Here is a story. One time I was putting in a walk=in closet in a girlfriend's house. Free of charge, I was doing the labor and paying for the materials. I'm in there working one day and she comes in closes the door walks up to me turns around drops her shorts and bends over. Nothing that blatant in showing her gratitude has happened to me before or since. Let me tell you, now that I'm older, it's memories of that nature that you're glad you have. She was five foot two and weighed about a hundred pounds. Women that size can do amazing things.

Something like that.

My last vehicle a certain lube place I took it to said they could not access the oil filter because it was too complicated and something about their lift being tied up, I thought they were messing around so I just chuckled, but it turned out they were serious and I had to take it to the dealership. I am sure this is by design. Every oil change I have done were old vehicles (as a kid or ancient work trucks or equipment as an adult/teen). Another reason I have no desire to mess around with newer vehicles for something that I do not enjoy and would probably mess up. Also why I just go straight to the dealership for oil changes now (it also tends to be much faster ironically than places with names that imply "quick", especially if you make an appointment).

When it is time for an oil change, it is time for a new car.

Quote: Evenbob

You were born in what, 1990? So your dad would have told you this when, about 2000? He was right, by then it wasn't worth changing your own oil because the automobile makers had made it 10 times harder. When I owned vehicles made in the 50s 60s and 70s and even into the early 80s I changed my own oil. After about 1990 forget it. They started making it way too hard to get at the oil filter unless the vehicle was on a lift. It just wasn't worth the time. Also in those days you had to change your oil way more often, every two or three thousand miles. Now you can go 7000 miles or even longer if you use synthetic oil. Plus in those days changing the oil on your girlfriend's car was a good way to get laid. In those days lots of women gave you sex when they were grateful. Maybe they still do I have no idea.

Here is a story. One time I was putting in a walk=in closet in a girlfriend's house. Free of charge, I was doing the labor and paying for the materials. I'm in there working one day and she comes in closes the door walks up to me turns around drops her shorts and bends over. Nothing that blatant in showing her gratitude has happened to me before or since. Let me tell you, now that I'm older, it's memories of that nature that you're glad you have. She was five foot two and weighed about a hundred pounds. Women that size can do amazing things.

Nice trade!

Quote: Gandler

I don't understand the obsession with changing your own oil. Its more expensive than taking it somewhere to have it changed, its messy, and it uses up a significant portion of time, and then you have to find a place to take the used oil (which takes even more time and sometimes more money, and yes some will give you money for the used oil, but its marginal, and you have to factor the time it takes to get to such a location) and take it there (which depending on where you live can be even more time consuming, and often you end up taking it to an oil change place where this could have all been over with already....)

This was not true years ago. Even in the early 1990s you could buy the oil and filter for about $8 but a change cost $20. My buddy took his truck to a change shop once and I remember a guy there kind of wondering why he was not doing it himself.

The "obsession" about it is because when a man knows how to change his own oil he tends to know how to do other things or at least what you learn from learning to do it teaches you other things. It is about men having manly skills and knowledge.

Quote: AZDuffman

This was not true years ago. Even in the early 1990s you could buy the oil and filter for about $8 but a change cost $20. My buddy took his truck to a change shop once and I remember a guy there kind of wondering why he was not doing it himself.

The "obsession" about it is because when a man knows how to change his own oil he tends to know how to do other things or at least what you learn from learning to do it teaches you other things. It is about men having manly skills and knowledge.

If you do stuff yourself, you know it got done or even if it needed to be done. Some of the places have been known to oversell replacement parts before needed since they do like 16 point checks or whatever the number is.

Quote: rxwine

If you do stuff yourself, you know it got done or even if it needed to be done. Some of the places have been known to oversell replacement parts before needed since they do like 16 point checks or whatever the number is.

Knowing how to do the basics on your car is important. I forget the exact line of BS one shop was telling me but I replied in a way that showed I had done brake work myself with a tone of "if you want to pull that on 20 year old strippers go ahead but do not pull it on me."

The story changed completely. When I drop off a car I try to subtly drop some terms that show I know what I am talking about so if they are going to rip me off they are not going to do it by selling me headlight fluid. Even when you don't know it helps to act as if you know. I had a part went bad on my transmission. I thought they bent the linkage when they replaced the motor and said to check for that. Now, turns out there is no linkage anymore! But that I knew they took the time to explain how it works now and what caused the problem. Now I know for the future.

Quote: AZDuffman

Knowing how to do the basics on your car is important. I forget the exact line of BS one shop was telling me but I replied in a way that showed I had done brake work myself with a tone of "if you want to pull that on 20 year old strippers go ahead but do not pull it on me."

The story changed completely. When I drop off a car I try to subtly drop some terms that show I know what I am talking about so if they are going to rip me off they are not going to do it by selling me headlight fluid. Even when you don't know it helps to act as if you know. I had a part went bad on my transmission. I thought they bent the linkage when they replaced the motor and said to check for that. Now, turns out there is no linkage anymore! But that I knew they took the time to explain how it works now and what caused the problem. Now I know for the future.

Did you pay them extra for the time they spent teaching you?