Anyone bring their own fluids to the dealership?

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: Realtech214
Here on bitog we live to change oil ourselves!


I think you mean Here on bitog SOME OF US live to change oil ourselves!

I get no thrill out of changing oil. $10 at my dealer using my parts. No muss no fuss and no old oil to deal with.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
After working at 5 different dealerships unless I was watching them pour the oil into my car I wouldn't trust them. Odds are the good oil goes into the tech's trunk and bulk oil goes into my car. No thanks I'll do it myself.


+2 totally believable. Screw stealerships


Not the dealer I use nor some of the ones we have dealt with in the past. Not every dealership is a stealership.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: SwedishRider
Given the feedback, maybe I should change my typical scenario and either DIY or just use their fluids and pull the dipstick when work is completed.


It all depends. BITOG members as a group are pretty paranoid and have major biases against certain things. Dealerships are one of them. Not all dealers are crooks.

 

[RISUPERCREWMAN]

I go to my friendly local Motorcraft Quick Lane. I bring my own syn oil & filters. They only charge $12.00 for a OC, + they have a big window that lets me see my own syn oil going into my vehicles! No fuss & no mess!

 

[SwedishRider]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
It all depends. BITOG members as a group are pretty paranoid and have major biases against certain things. Dealerships are one of them. Not all dealers are crooks.


I have had negative service department experiences at two dealerships I no longer utilize, and excellent service department experiences at the two dealerships I currently frequent (one Ford and one Chrysler). Every time I have brought in a fluid, I get whatever is left over back. And I've periodically checked filters, and the new one is always put on. I have no problem with DIY, but I like to support reputable local businesses when possible.

I have also found that the sales department of a dealership tends to be more generous with a customer who frequents the dealership's service department- an added bonus for repeat customers.

 

[fdcg27]

Heck no.
It's too easy and too quick to do the changes in my own driveway or garage for me to bother with taking any of the cars to a shop and waiting for the work to get done.
Getting a little dirty isn't a problem.
Hand cleaner and some clothing dedicated to car work takes care of that.
I can do a change from the car showing up to my being cleaned up in probably forty minutes.
Taking the car somewhere and waiting for someone less attentive to doing the job right than you'd be to do the work gains you nothing and costs you time and money.
I consider routine maintenance a relaxing break from a typical day at work.

 

[NO2]

We use our local Honda, Subaru and Ford dealers. With Honda, we provide oil & filter. They charge around $15. Subaru, oil only, and they charge $25. Total cost either way is around $50 with a jug of WM PP or M1 synthetic. Rotation free at tire store. Ford charges only $30 for MC semi-syn, filter, and rotation so we get it from them.

I've never had an issue providing parts to the dealers. They return the 5Q jug with whatever isn't used. They'll even fill sample bottles, but they are used to it in a town full of auto and university labs.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Dealerships are only good for purchasing and warranty work. The rest is done by me or my preferred shop. Neither my personal rides nor my commercial trucks ever see a dealership except for warranty issues or as a trade in on a newer version. Documenting services and such is easy. I prefer a spreadsheet used just like a ledger book. Dates, parts, lubes, miles, hours.... it's all there. Makes it nice when selling or trade in. Values increase when you can produce entire maintenance history of the vehicle.

 

[Merkava_4]

I guarantee you the dealer tech wouldn't take as much care at getting every single drop of oil into the engine like I would. I don't spill a single drop and I make sure the bottle drains for an hour before I declare the oil change complete. And by the way, if your car requires 4.5 quarts, it's getting 5 !!

 

[Black_Thunder]

If I needed to I suppose I would so I knew what was going in.


I've been changing my own oil since I had my drivers license and now its even easier to get rid of the oil and filters its not a chore at all.


And I know this could be said for regular shops not dealerships. when i worked at a service shop they had a camera mounted in the far end of the shop and windows big enough to allow customers to see their vehicles being worked on.

We didn't dare do anything we weren't suppose to and always put in what the customer paid for be it bulk oil or bottled oil or what they themselves provided.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: NHHEMI


Not the dealer I use nor some of the ones we have dealt with in the past. Not every dealership is a stealership.
They all peddle unnecessary services. Mine, I wouldn't call crooked, pushes 5K oil changes and ethanol treatments to name a couple. On E85 engine with IOLM that goes out to 10K.

 

[blakegeo]

I bring the oil to the Hyundai dealership for my wife's Genesis and buy the filter from them. The filter and labor was $24.95 the last time it was done. It's a 2011 with 4300 miles on the clock and I do it to protect the 100k warranty. I do the other vehicles at home.

 

[crazyoildude]

+5

 

[NismoDude]

Local dealership does a standard oil/filter change for $30, double that for synthetic and charge $20 if you provide the oil. They also top off all fluids, check all hoses/belt(s), adjust tire pressure with nitrogen if needed at no additional charge. Every other service they rotate the tires and check brake pads for only $8. That is for a full set rotation, not individual. I recently had the oil/filter changed, tires rotated, state inspection done and asked that they flush/fill the spare with nitrogen. Total cost was $70. They have an impressive waiting area, outstanding customer service, are open 6 days/week and have a large glass window for a full view of the service area. The guys at that particular dealership are as respectful of your ride as anybody can be. Of course they cover the floorboard with a paper liner as most do, but they also cover the seat(s) with plastic to ensure cleanliness. I personally have never seen that done anywhere I've been.

Now that I live in an apartment complex and have daily life threatening allergies/asthma changing oil, etc. is no longer possible. For many years I took great pride in doing everything myself, but now have no choice but to have someone else do it.

 

[Sierra048]

What about a new vehicle that gets free oil changes for two years. We just bought the Frontier and we were given two years of free oil changes and tire rotations. I told my wife I wouldn't do this for several reasons: 1. Doing it myself is the one sure way I know it's done right. 2. It's fifty miles to this dealer, easily $15+ in gas to get there and back. 3. I use oil and filters that I want to use, I've got plenty on hand of each. 4. I know the tires are actually rotated. 5. Finally, being retired, it gives me something to do, which I actually enjoy, and I get a chance to see underneath the vehicle for any problems. Other than some simple warranty work done on the Xterra several years ago I can't speak to the business practices, good or bad, of this dealership. I may have too find out one day, but not anytime soon, I hope.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Mfrank84
What about a new vehicle that gets free oil changes for two years. We just bought the Frontier and we were given two years of free oil changes and tire rotations. I told my wife I wouldn't do this for several reasons: 1. Doing it myself is the one sure way I know it's done right. 2. It's fifty miles to this dealer, easily $15+ in gas to get there and back. 3. I use oil and filters that I want to use, I've got plenty on hand of each. 4. I know the tires are actually rotated. 5. Finally, being retired, it gives me something to do, which I actually enjoy, and I get a chance to see underneath the vehicle for any problems. Other than some simple warranty work done on the Xterra several years ago I can't speak to the business practices, good or bad, of this dealership. I may have too find out one day, but not anytime soon, I hope.


I was offered $8 oil changes and free NYS inspections for life when I bought my Jeep back in 07. It was back once for the free inspection to maintain the lifetime power train warranty. Even if the oil changes were free I wouldn't go back and have them do it. Bulk oil, a lousy job, having to bring it there and wait, and the up sell every chance they get, no thanks.

 

[Sam2000]

Anyone bring their own fluids to the stealership?

Yes I take a bottle of whiskey to get me in a relaxed mood before I pay the bill.

Or I bring my own plasma because I'll need blood after it costs me an arm and a leg.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Sam2000
Anyone bring their own fluids to the stealership?

Yes I take a bottle of whiskey to get me in a relaxed mood before I pay the bill.

Or I bring my own plasma because I'll need blood after it costs me an arm and a leg.

My basic reaction to paying almost any bill nowadays!

I have every intention of using 4 the free OCs and tire rotations that were part of the Regal's CPO package. The dealer where I bought the previous car is conveniently located in the suburbs, they've always done right by me, they're open on Saturday morning, and they're an easy quarter mile walk from the barber shop I use every three weeks. I'll drop the car off, walk down and get sheared, and walk back. (Yes, I'll check that the tires were swapped and the filter changed.)

Once the freebies are used up, I don't know if I'll continue to use them and bring my own oil and filter. Maybe, if the latest OC coincides with a haircut Saturday and I need a change before a trip, say. If tire rotations are not too pricey, I may continue with them for that.

 

[Sierra048]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Mfrank84
What about a new vehicle that gets free oil changes for two years. We just bought the Frontier and we were given two years of free oil changes and tire rotations. I told my wife I wouldn't do this for several reasons: 1. Doing it myself is the one sure way I know it's done right. 2. It's fifty miles to this dealer, easily $15+ in gas to get there and back. 3. I use oil and filters that I want to use, I've got plenty on hand of each. 4. I know the tires are actually rotated. 5. Finally, being retired, it gives me something to do, which I actually enjoy, and I get a chance to see underneath the vehicle for any problems. Other than some simple warranty work done on the Xterra several years ago I can't speak to the business practices, good or bad, of this dealership. I may have too find out one day, but not anytime soon, I hope.


I was offered $8 oil changes and free NYS inspections for life when I bought my Jeep back in 07. It was back once for the free inspection to maintain the lifetime power train warranty. Even if the oil changes were free I wouldn't go back and have them do it. Bulk oil, a lousy job, having to bring it there and wait, and the up sell every chance they get, no thanks.


Yea. I took some flak from the Bride over this. "Why not get it since it's free". When I told her she was more than welcome to spend the better part of a day just getting a tire rotation and an oil change, and hope it was actually done, to knock herself out. I could do it all in an hour from the comfort of my own garage, equipped with all the necessary tools to make it a pleasurable use of my time and know it was done right. You guessed it, we won't be taking advantage of the free oil changes and tire rotations,

 

[teddyboy]

Originally Posted By: SwedishRider
It's tough justifying doing it myself when they'll do it at the same time as the tire rotation very cheaply with whatever fluids I want. Otherwise, I would DIY.


+1