What do you charge friends for oil changes?

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I've done all the maintenance on my parents vehicles, since I was a teenager.


I used to do all the maintenance on my oldest sisters' vehicles for free. Often supplying any parts/fluids needed. She's a bit difficult to deal with, and thinks the world revolves around her.

A couple years ago while in one of her moods, she accused me of having some ulterior motive for working on her vehicles. I told her my ulterior motive was simply trying to help my sister and save her some money...

So now she pays full price from mechanics trying to beat book time with their impact wrench, while stripping fasteners as they go.

Then there was my cousin, who wanted me to work on his soon-to-be son in laws car for free. He stressed that if I agreed to do the work, I needed to be responsible and actually follow through on the commitment I had made...

This was just a little insulting as I was 30-something adult, and not an irresponsible 8 year old kid he was treating it me as. So the designated day came for me to work on his future sil's car for free. I sat around waiting for the call which never came. No calls of apology to me for failing to honor the commitment he made, even after his speech about responsibility to me...

A few friends will bring over food and I let them use my lift and tools to do oil changes. They appreciate the use of my tools/lift, and we have fun hanging out.

Bottom line: You can choose your friends, but not your family.
 
I do my family only for free. Too much liability to do it for others. They can get oil changes around here for about $30.00 Would I do it for some widow who could barely put food on her table. Yes.
 
Originally Posted by Miller88
I don't like to work on anyone's roadgoing vehicles. If anything happens to anything on the vehicle, I don't want to be "responsible"


I know this is a popular sentiment, and I do understand it. That said, I consider myself a student of human nature and I make the determination based on the individual. There's a guy who's car or bikes I would never touch, even though we're friends. I know he'd complain if something happened, no matter how unrelated. Most other folks though I feel I have a good read on, and they're cool with the "if the wheels fall off after you pull outta my driveway, you're on your own".

It hasn't bitten me yet, even in the case of the 57K mile OCI: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/2313241/1

(as a post script to that thread, the dude ended up selling the car for $1,000, with ~250K miles on it. He only got rid of it because he was having a kid and he figured he should get something a bit more modern and safe. I'm sure that somewhere out there, it's still running...
 
I avoid fixing friends and family cars at all costs. I mean, I might do a favor, ill help someone do it (gladly), but I'm not crawling under someone's car that I know.
 
Originally Posted by walterjay
I do my family only for free. Too much liability to do it for others. They can get oil changes around here for about $30.00 Would I do it for some widow who could barely put food on her table. Yes.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
I don't do hardly anything for other peoples vehicles except my neighbors tractor, mower and baler Because he lets me use them in trade.
 
Other than my vehicles or my kids vehicles I only help oyt my neighbors servicing of his tractor Mower and Baler because he lets me use them
 
I do my father's oil changes free. My neighbors go to local shops or Jiffy lube. I'm now the only person on the block who services his own vehicles. My buddy who used to do his own work moved away.
 
Originally Posted by jayjr1105
That's cool you guys do it for free. Later on in life when my kids aren't around I will probably do that. I didn't think $30 was all that much for a properly done job with full synthetic. Some guys try to give me more $ but I don't take it. I like the food idea



As long as you are making a few bucks, go for it. $30 is a heck of a deal. Your "customers" should be very appreciative.
 
For me it's typically family … I always have oil stash and often filters … I just ask them to help me or I help them depending on who it is …
 
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Free. I keep oil and filters on hand. Just trying to help out a little.



Me too ^^^^^^^^^^^
 
Originally Posted by AlaskaMike
I used to do a lot of work on cars for friends and family. I never charged a thing. Right up until I got blamed for a brake issue on a family member's truck. Naturally it turned out to be a failed master cylinder, and I had nothing to do with it. Same family member got his panties in a twist later on when he wanted me to do some work on that truck, and I had told him it was just best for both of us if he found someone else to do it.


Story of my life right here. I dont do repairs for anyone anymore, I had people calling me nonstop and that went on for years. I had a hard time telling people no, and it was actually my wife that put a stop to it. Rudely and loudly, and bless her heart for that! The straw that broke the camel's back was when my brother begged me to do the brakes on his Subaru. Nothing difficult, just pads and new rotors, I went over after work and was done in about an hour or so. I told him he could have done this himself, there was nothing difficult about it, and he said, and I quote "Oh I could have done it easy, but you do it a lot quicker and I have other things I'd rather be doing than working on cars". Straight faced, no smile, no chuckle, nothing. Didnt offer me a dime. I wanted to kill him.

I do the oil in my dads Corolla (he's 87) and I don't charge him a dime, for labor or the oil and filter. Same with any repairs. I wouldn't dream of it. I also change the oil in my college-aged kids cars and don't ask for anything from them either, and I use Mobil 1 and Fram Ultra filters. For anyone else that asks, I tell them whatever your local dealer charges, subtract $2, leave the car here, and I'll get to it when I get to it. I've had no takers.
 
Originally Posted by quint
Originally Posted by AlaskaMike
I used to do a lot of work on cars for friends and family. I never charged a thing. Right up until I got blamed for a brake issue on a family member's truck. Naturally it turned out to be a failed master cylinder, and I had nothing to do with it. Same family member got his panties in a twist later on when he wanted me to do some work on that truck, and I had told him it was just best for both of us if he found someone else to do it.


Story of my life right here. I dont do repairs for anyone anymore, I had people calling me nonstop and that went on for years. I had a hard time telling people no, and it was actually my wife that put a stop to it. Rudely and loudly, and bless her heart for that! The straw that broke the camel's back was when my brother begged me to do the brakes on his Subaru. Nothing difficult, just pads and new rotors, I went over after work and was done in about an hour or so. I told him he could have done this himself, there was nothing difficult about it, and he said, and I quote "Oh I could have done it easy, but you do it a lot quicker and I have other things I'd rather be doing than working on cars". Straight faced, no smile, no chuckle, nothing. Didnt offer me a dime. I wanted to kill him.

I do the oil in my dads Corolla (he's 87) and I don't charge him a dime, for labor or the oil and filter. Same with any repairs. I wouldn't dream of it. I also change the oil in my college-aged kids cars and don't ask for anything from them either, and I use Mobil 1 and Fram Ultra filters. For anyone else that asks, I tell them whatever your local dealer charges, subtract $2, leave the car here, and I'll get to it when I get to it. I've had no takers.


Used and abused. No takers after that. There ya have it.
 
If it's actually a genuine friend and not just an aquiantance, then I do the change for free. They pay for the oil & filter, and maybe a can of brake cleaner too, and I'll do it for free because good karma and 'do unto other as you would have others do unto you'

If they make a fuss about wanting to 'give me something' then I'll ask them if they could take me to KFC for lunch.

the reward isnt in the money, its in knowing that you've done somethng to help somebody you care about.
 
Originally Posted by jayjr1105
Lately I've been charging my friends $30 for a full synthetic change with filter and that's me providing the oil and filter. It's no hassle for me as far as tools, location and oil disposal. What do you guys charge? Currently none of them give a rats arse about oil choice so I use Supertech, Kirkland, or Havoline. Sometimes I'll dip into my better stash if I have an abundance. They all go by their OLM and nobody has anything extravagant (Corolla, Focus, etc.)


I dont think you are profitting/benefiting much. But if you feel happy, continue doing what you are doing.
 
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