Quote:
Originally Posted by WarrenC12
I used to do my own oil changes when I was younger. It's easy and cheap, but a pain in the ass. You need more than one wrench.
You can save ~$20, but suddenly that seems not worth it when you spill a bit of oil or you don't have a nice heated garage to do the work in.
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I do my own oil changes in my driveway. I don't find it to be a problem, but I realize that not everybody likes to maintain their own vehicles.
For me, I use a 17mm socket wrench, an oil drain pan with spout for pouring it into an empty windshield washer bottle for transportation to the recycling depot, and an oil filter wrench. A couple old rags or paper towels come in handy to wipe off bits of the undercarriage that might have some oil drops on them.
In the meantime, you can check other stuff under there that you wouldn't see otherwise, which is a bonus. Often I apply Rust Check or similar to vulnerable areas for corrosion protection that otherwise wouldn't be covered (probably not necessary in Vancouver, though).
As far as cost savings, I suppose if you go to the cheapest Jiffy Lube or whatever and get the cheapest oil, you will only save $20, but the last oil change I got at the dealer (to keep my warranty valid) was $100, and the tech or greeter scratched my bumper cover somewhere in the process (I didn't notice it until later, so I can't prove it to them - but I know I didn't do it... so I have to live with it).
I can do mine with decent quality synthetic oil on sale for $40 for 5 litres, a filter costs $15, so I'm into it for $55. (Oh yes, an oil drain plug washer was in the 50¢ range.) So I'm saving $45, plus I don't have to worry about the tech damaging my car, getting grease spots on the interior, cross threading the drain plug or damaging the threads by skipping the collapsible washer that has to be replaced at every oil change.
But... basically, if you don't enjoy doing it, you shouldn't do it. Simple as that... it won't be worth it. I don't like the dealership/repair shop experience, so I much prefer to do it at home on my own schedule, and have the satisfaction of having done it right, myself. The money savings are a bonus.