I've started using a corner gas station for winter oil changes

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For years, I've been taking my own oil + filter to my indy in the winter. Lately, he's been getting busier with more customers, which makes sense as he does great work and is fair. This means having to leave my car all day for an oil change. The inconvenience of walking back home in the cold, then walking back in the evening to pick up led me to find someone else (at least for oil changes). I now use the corner gas station that also does my yearly state inspections. They're nice guys who happily use my oil + filter w/o upselling cabin filters, wipers, etc. They charge $5 more than my indy but the convenience of being in-and-out in 20 min is worth it to me.
 
Originally Posted by mclasser
For years, I've been taking my own oil + filter to my indy in the winter. Lately, he's been getting busier with more customers, which makes sense as he does great work and is fair. This means having to leave my car all day for an oil change. The inconvenience of walking back home in the cold, then walking back in the evening to pick up led me to find someone else (at least for oil changes). I now use the corner gas station that also does my yearly state inspections. They're nice guys who happily use my oil + filter w/o upselling cabin filters, wipers, etc. They charge $5 more than my indy but the convenience of being in-and-out in 20 min is worth it to me.


More important is how is the coffee and do they have maple glazed donuts?
 
The reason I do Oct and April OCI. The other way isn't worth it to me and I know its done right even though I'm nearly 76.
 
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You let someone else change your oil and don't lay in your driveway in the freezing cold and snow? BAN!!!
lol.gif


That's awesome they let you use your own oil and filter, many places will not.
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
You let someone else change your oil and don't lay in your driveway in the freezing cold and snow? BAN!!!
lol.gif


Heh, 0Wxx flows great even when the ground is frozen--in some ways it's easier to change as the ground is rock hard and dry (even if covered in snow and ice).

Sounds like the OP has a decent plan going. It's why I've kept a spare vehicle, whenever I need to get work done, it seems to be measured in days. Not a knock against mechanics mind you, it's just a hassle to coordinate with the wife to get a ride (or I have to travel to the city to get work done). That's life I guess.
 
Originally Posted by mclasser
They're nice guys who happily use my oil + filter w/o upselling cabin filters, wipers, etc. They charge $5 more than my indy but the convenience of being in-and-out in 20 min is worth it to me.

I'm curious from a shop owner's perspective, what's the point in using customer supplied oil and filters in a case like this ? I've seen people say they're charged $15-20 (labor and disposal fee only) and that hardly seems worth the shop's effort. Is it just goodwill / loss leader in hopes for future and more profitable work ? I think it has to be that.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by mclasser
They're nice guys who happily use my oil + filter w/o upselling cabin filters, wipers, etc. They charge $5 more than my indy but the convenience of being in-and-out in 20 min is worth it to me.

I'm curious from a shop owner's perspective, what's the point in using customer supplied oil and filters in a case like this ? I've seen people say they're charged $15-20 (labor and disposal fee only) and that hardly seems worth the shop's effort. Is it just goodwill / loss leader in hopes for future and more profitable work ? I think it has to be that.


Bottom end oil changes tend to be loss-leaders anyway, especially when a shop is advertising $19.99/$24.99/etc oil changes - if you bring your own oil and filter, that can mean that the work is actually less of a loss for the shop.
 
Originally Posted by Spktyr
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by mclasser
They're nice guys who happily use my oil + filter w/o upselling cabin filters, wipers, etc. They charge $5 more than my indy but the convenience of being in-and-out in 20 min is worth it to me.

I'm curious from a shop owner's perspective, what's the point in using customer supplied oil and filters in a case like this ? I've seen people say they're charged $15-20 (labor and disposal fee only) and that hardly seems worth the shop's effort. Is it just goodwill / loss leader in hopes for future and more profitable work ? I think it has to be that.


Bottom end oil changes tend to be loss-leaders anyway, especially when a shop is advertising $19.99/$24.99/etc oil changes - if you bring your own oil and filter, that can mean that the work is actually less of a loss for the shop.


It's also better in the sense that maybe they don't have your oil or filter in stock so this way there's no worries about the wrong oil or filter although I'm sure if you bring the wrong filter, they'd probably still put it on if it fits.
 
You have a gas station that has people that work on cars? I have not seen that in decades here. All we have here is a guy from India that is always chasing kids out for drinking directly from the slurpee machine.
 
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I switched to Synthetic Oil when my DIY winter changes became too taxing. Oil change time is extended through the winter to spring.
 
My post is like the former post. Don't think I've seen a gas station with service since the eighties. I do remember hanging around a couple of them in rural South Dakota as a kid in the early sixties. Standard Oil with Atlas tires and LDO oil. Guy named Doc. For some reason if you had a birth defect in that town you were "Doc". This guy had flipper fingers, but it didn't seem to hold him back in changing oil.
 
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Originally Posted by Chris142
You have a gas station that has people that work on cars? I have not seen that in decades here. All we have here is a guy from India that is always chasing kids out for drinking directly from the slurpee machine.
I am 66 so do the math in the 4th grade us kids started riding out bikes to the gas station and buying sodas and candy from the machines, then with minibikes and Motorcycles buying gas, then cars. We would have the owner of the station fix out flats then after about 3 flat repairs he showed us how to fix our own flats with his tire machine and would let us do it our selves. I bought gas from him until he retired. He was a great man. It was a great time .
 
Originally Posted by Donald
Originally Posted by mclasser
For years, I've been taking my own oil + filter to my indy in the winter. Lately, he's been getting busier with more customers, which makes sense as he does great work and is fair. This means having to leave my car all day for an oil change. The inconvenience of walking back home in the cold, then walking back in the evening to pick up led me to find someone else (at least for oil changes). I now use the corner gas station that also does my yearly state inspections. They're nice guys who happily use my oil + filter w/o upselling cabin filters, wipers, etc. They charge $5 more than my indy but the convenience of being in-and-out in 20 min is worth it to me.


More important is how is the coffee and do they have maple glazed donuts?

BOOOOO, You guys get all the good stuff!
 
Originally Posted by CT8
Originally Posted by Chris142
You have a gas station that has people that work on cars? I have not seen that in decades here. All we have here is a guy from India that is always chasing kids out for drinking directly from the slurpee machine.
I am 66 so do the math in the 4th grade us kids started riding out bikes to the gas station and buying sodas and candy from the machines, then with minibikes and Motorcycles buying gas, then cars. We would have the owner of the station fix out flats then after about 3 flat repairs he showed us how to fix our own flats with his tire machine and would let us do it our selves. I bought gas from him until he retired. He was a great man. It was a great time .


I'll be 67 in 3 months and did pretty much the same as you. The station owner was a family friend. There was one redhead kid that would run to the bell hose at breakneck speed and stomp on it like a banshee till Bill would run after him. Bill was at wits end till kids dad drove by and saw the entire act. Dad came back with the boy soon after and had him apologize. Dad said he got the belt. Bill told him how long it had been going on and dad said he was taking him home for more of the belt. Good ole days in my opinion.
 
There's a 2 bay garage near me. 'Twas built in the '60's but I can't discern the original brand.
They sell Top Tier gas.
The bays are never both busy.
I've broken the ice with the new lessee. I'd love to pay him for time on the lift.
 
The Ford Quicklane by me lets you bring your own oil and gives you a $20 discount for doing so. I had them use their own filter but they offered to give me a discount on that, too. Probably in the $3 range I expect.

I don't see the "you know it was done right " argument as having much weight for what amounts to a dealer oil change or where you bring your own stuff and watch them do it.
 
I actually found it an advantage to leave my car at the indy. I dropped it off before the mechanics arrived and let the attendant know what I needed to have done. I walked to the commuter train, and returned at the end of the day with the car ready to go!
 
Originally Posted by hummdrumm
Originally Posted by CT8
Originally Posted by Chris142
You have a gas station that has people that work on cars? I have not seen that in decades here. All we have here is a guy from India that is always chasing kids out for drinking directly from the slurpee machine.
I am 66 so do the math in the 4th grade us kids started riding out bikes to the gas station and buying sodas and candy from the machines, then with minibikes and Motorcycles buying gas, then cars. We would have the owner of the station fix out flats then after about 3 flat repairs he showed us how to fix our own flats with his tire machine and would let us do it our selves. I bought gas from him until he retired. He was a great man. It was a great time .


I'll be 67 in 3 months and did pretty much the same as you. The station owner was a family friend. There was one redhead kid that would run to the bell hose at breakneck speed and stomp on it like a banshee till Bill would run after him. Bill was at wits end till kids dad drove by and saw the entire act. Dad came back with the boy soon after and had him apologize. Dad said he got the belt. Bill told him how long it had been going on and dad said he was taking him home for more of the belt. Good ole days in my opinion.


That was us too! I'm 50,so we were doing all that stuff in the late 70s,early 80s. There were times a cop would pass us,and being 10-11 years old he knew we had no license and would pull an immediate u-turn haha so we'd hit the closest trail and disappear! We had all those trails memorized!

The BEST days!!
 
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