Why Don't You Like To Change Your Oil?

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I like changing my oil, I don't know why but I find it relaxing and therapeutic. I think it has to do with the thought that I'm doing something that may prolong the life of my vehicle, like I can have a small hand in it.

My Silverado is easier to change the oil than the Lexus LS460 I had...hated that thing. Toyota uses the cartridge design and even when you're careful you'll still get oil all over you. And the 460 had a little oil filter door flap that you had to unscrew and hold back while you worked. The silverado's filter is a little snug against the oil pan - I'd change that if I could - but it's still easier than dealing with a plastic housing that you have to drain, then unscrew, then replace an O-ring, then another O-ring, then hope you don't roll one of them or crack the housing. And I wouldn't mind if the housing was on top of the engine like in a Mercedes, that would be different.

Ideally I think the best oil change would be one where I could do the filter from up top and use a mighty vac to suck the oil out through the dipstick tube. I actually might install a Fumoto valve on my Silverado, just to make it as simple as possible. And I always touch up my undercoating and do a tire rotation when I do an oil change (and top off all fluids).
 
I enjoy changing my own oil....and I don't trust the guys they're paying $8 an hour to do it for me...
 
Originally Posted by grampi
I enjoy changing my own oil....and I don't trust the guys they're paying $8 an hour to do it for me...

Try $27/hr, and for that, I trust them 100% to do simple tasks like change oil. They don't even have to deal directly with people for crying out loud! It's [censored] near dream job status, really. Especially nice places like I go to that have climate controlled work area.
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/automotive-dealership-technician-salary-SRCH_KO0,32.htm
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Automotive_Service_Technician_%2F_Mechanic/Hourly_Rate
https://work.chron.com/average-salary-car-dealership-mechanics-9102.html
 
Originally Posted by 01rangerxl
The certified techs doing major repairs aren't doing oil changes.

correct. I worked in a service dept. No way in [censored] those dudes are doing LOF's
 
Oil Change guys at local dealerships make $10/hour. Turnover is tremendous. Nobody stays over 6 months.


Last tech that got fired had 17 new oil filters hidden in his work station. They only way they found them was
they let him go and walked him out the door on the spot. I wonder how many cars never got their filter changed? I wonder
how many oil filters got sold on ebay?
 
Many a story about filters being found behind cabinets and such.

Imagine working at a place where some goon boss requires X oil changes per hour without exception.
 
I can change it myself in 15 minutes and go do something else while it's draining. It's at least a 20 minute drive, often more in traffic, to a shop where I'd pay more and have to wait before spending more time driving back home.
 
I stopped when I got my first car that had to be jacked up to reach the drain plug and filter. For many years I owned pickups and also had a 91 full size Bronco they were all easy to slide under as they sat so no problem. I had a 79 210 Datsun and a 89 Tempo for work cars that I could reach the drain plug and filer without jacking either of them up. I just never felt comfortable under a jacked up car no matter how well it was braced.

I still change the oil in my OPE, does that count?
 
My 3 GM's are all easy
The 1 Mopar is easy
The 1 Ford - Fusion Hybrid has a black kitchen table bolted under it
 
I find it therapeutic. Knowing what your vehicle is doing makes things so much easier. My 15 Tacoma I've never experienced anything so easy to change oil on. My wife's 19 Pilot looks pretty easy. Haven't touched it yet.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Gebo
Oil Change guys at local dealerships make $10/hour. Turnover is tremendous. Nobody stays over 6 months.


Last tech that got fired had 17 new oil filters hidden in his work station. They only way they found them was
they let him go and walked him out the door on the spot. I wonder how many cars never got their filter changed? I wonder
how many oil filters got sold on ebay?

The same techs have been changing my oil and balancing my tires for years. Sure there is some turn-over like any job, but I always see familiar faces in the service bay, and they remember me and my vehicle, etc. I always get a 10% off or some other perk as well. I never ask, it just gets applied. This is why I use a QUALITY dealership. Not all of them can retain good employees and retain customer focus, etc. DO your research!
 
Originally Posted by 01rangerxl
The certified techs doing major repairs aren't doing oil changes.

I've seen the same guy who replaced my diff under warranty also doing oil changes?
 
Originally Posted by Ws6
01rangerxl said:
The certified techs doing major repairs aren't doing oil changes.

I've seen the same guy who replaced my diff under warranty also doing oil changes?[/quote

Same here, the owner of the place I go to does all the oil changes, he has two other guys working for him but he told me he can't afford to have them do oil changes. I take in my own oil and filter and he charges me $10 and that includes checking all the fluids and an looking it over while it's on the hoist.
 
Originally Posted by Ws6

I've seen the same guy who replaced my diff under warranty also doing oil changes?


That is definitely not the norm at dealerships. Might happen at a very small or understaffed dealer.

Our flat rate techs might do an oil change as part of a used car inspection or larger repair, but otherwise they never do them. It costs the dealer too much and pays the technician too little. We have 2-3 hourly guys who just do LOF/tires.
 
At the dealership I am familiar with, the customers that are "in the know" will always request one of the two flat rate techs to work on their cars. This "allows"
those customers to request their techs to do their oil changes. 99% of the time their tech will do their oil change as they are always requested to do all the other work on their cars.
Sort of an unspoken rule.

6 months ago the Techs got .4 hours labor for an oil change.
 
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