Fair price - Labor-only oil change

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reemoe2

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I usually do my own oil changes. Due to personal circumstances, I need to have a one-time oil change done.

I was planning to take a jug of oil and filter (and crush washer) from my stash and see if any local shops (Midas, NTB, Valvoline IOC, etc.) would be willing to do the change using my parts.

Would shops do this, and if so, what would be a fair price?

Thanks in advance!
 
I don't know about those guys but if you have a Firestone near you the have a $21.95 special. And they use Kendall GT-1 synthetic blend. Great oil.
 
IMO, if you take your car in for an oil change @ Firestone, bring your own (better quality) oil filter. Once took in the Mazda Protege and the oil filter they wanted to install was smaller than the ones I'd used previously (and they are small to begin with!). I would think $10-15 would be a fair amount for labour only.
 
For a one time change, just look for the best deal locally and let them use whatever bulk oil and low end filter they have on hand.
You should be able to find somewhere that will do a change with their oil and filter for ~$20.00.
Alternatively, do you have any buddies or relatives who can do the change for you?
If you want a shop to do a change using your oil and filter, a local indie is your best bet. It'll cost you probably ~$15.00.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
For a one time change, just look for the best deal locally and let them use whatever bulk oil and low end filter they have on hand.
You should be able to find somewhere that will do a change with their oil and filter for ~$20.00.
Alternatively, do you have any buddies or relatives who can do the change for you?
If you want a shop to do a change using your oil and filter, a local indie is your best bet. It'll cost you probably ~$15.00.


This. Find the best deal in your town and go there. If you bring your own gear for them to use you'll likely get charged the cheapest change price they offer. So you're looking at $20ish (assuming you want conventional) for gear and another $20-$35 as a charge from the shop. It's cheaper just to let the shop use their own stuff for $20-35.
 
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Our local Honda and Subaru dealers charge around $15-16 and will change oil, oil filter, and engine air filter if you provide parts. They will also collect oil samples for analysis.
 
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This is a general observation about oil change pricing and is not targeted at the OP or any other poster.

I don't see how shops make money on oil changes except by selling other services. If I would predict the time required to make this service even marginally profitable I would allow .5 hour for car models the shop is very familiar with. You have to allow time for talking with the customer prior to service and completing the transaction. Time spent jockeying the car from where it is parked to the bay and back to the lot also. Anytime a car is put on a lift liability is incurred, and there should be reward for this risk. This doesn't even allow for followups for niggling things like a customer requiring top off for being 1/8" low or removing some for 1/8" over. Unfamiliar or more exotic car models require more time and possible special tools and would necessarily cost more.

Most shops have a labor rate of at least $60/hour so $30 for labor. If the oil and filter were sold at a profit for list price like all other parts, the oil would be at least $20, the filter $7.50- $10.00. This makes the price of an oil change at a shop that isn't a quick lube marginally profitable for around $60. Loss leader $20 oil changes really put regular service shops in a bad position. Customers expect them to compete when they can't and shouldn't. I'm sure many customers complain to shops when they get the bill and just assume the pricing will match the sign at jiffy lube. Either that or they leave mad and don't come back.

If you go into a shop and expect them to perform a service that is either break even or a loss, then that means they should expect you to do the same for them if they buy goods or services from you. Maybe if you think its OK to have them lose money on a transaction because they are too stupid to realize what is going on.

If I didn't do my own oil changes, I'd probably rather pay more for oil changes at quicky lubes to not have them pitch me for services I didn't ask for and may not need. This is especially true if it were my mom or wife who was taking the car in.

My answer to the OP's question is the regular oil change price. If they wanted to discount me for providing supplies, I'd consider it a bonus.
 
I've tried some of the places mentioned above but don't like the generic oil filters they use. So I take my Toyota to the Ford dealer where they use MC syn-blend oil with a MC oil filter for $20 with coupon. Now the Toyo dealer uses Toyota/Mobil bulk oil with a a Toyo oil filter for $20 with coupon. Hard to beat that deal.

Previously, the toyo dealer used generic bulk oil which is why I started to shop around. Or their words exactly, whatever the service manager can get for the cheapest when I asked what brand they used. Greaaaat, I said to myself.
 
One shop in my previous town charged $32 for labor. If you wanted a full inspection with your oil change, he charges about $80. His labor rate was on the lower side --$100/hr.
 
Chain shops most likely won't be too receptive to your idea. Try calling places that have oil change specials running and ask them what oil/filter combo they use. Even if it is mediocre at best, your car will survive on it for one OCI. My indy charges $10 for an oil change when I provide the oil and filter. I mainly use him during the winter.
 
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Originally Posted By: Chris142
Can you go to wm and pick an oil for them to put in?


Yep, you choose any oil off their shelves and they put that in your car. Filter-wise, I believe they only use Frams.
 
At various places I worked, the policy was never to install the customer's oil and filter. If they wanted someone to change the oil they supplied, they would have to look elsewhere. We were using it as protection from engine problems caused by uncertified oils, such as Lucas Oil Stabilizer. It was a real bummer, though, because some people would bring in oils like M1 Extended Performance which wouldn't violate the vehicle's requirements.

I think you would have to look at small independent places and expect to pay $10-$15 to have them change oil with your supplies.
 
If allowed by shop rules, what I've seen is $15-$20. It they are on the fence, it helps if you have them do other things at the same time

Or a $3-$7 discount over their own published oil change rates. Most quick-change places will allow this (not the same as chain shops).
Yes that's right, they value their bulk oil and filter as only about ~$5 worth of materials.
 
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