Have it done or do it myself: oil change?

[Dysan]

My truck is about due for an oil change and I am not sure if I should just have it done or change it myself. Now I know how to perform an oil change, did it on most of my vehicles except for the last two years because nowhere took used oil(Hawaii). But I have an extended warranty(got it when purchased) and I am a little worried that it could void the extended. The other problem is I have no clue who I should use in the Midland area, have tried researching but it looks like for the most part it is hit or miss with the service around the area. Second newish vehicle I have owned but the last one was in an area we used a specific shop that always did an excellent job, want to make sure this vehicle lasts.

Sorry for the long winded post and thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

 

[Bama_Kiwi]

This is how I look at it: How valuable is your time? Sure, I know how to change my own oil. But, by the time I purchase all the necessary oil, filters, etc., get home, setup, and perform the task, I could have had my mechanic do it for not much more money. Saving me a lot of time and effort. Not only that, but I then don't have to worry about how to dispose of the used oil and filter.

Some people really enjoy and prefer to work on their own vehicles, I do too to a point, and that's great. But, I'd rather invest in a professional who I know can do a better/faster/more quality job.

As for who to take your vehicle to, if it is a newer vehicle with a warranty, I would presume the service center at the respective dealership would be a safe option in a pinch.

 

[MidOH]

Change your own oil. You can make sure it's done right, and you need to spend time under your truck anyways. There's plenty under there that needs checked, but nobody will check it for you.

Napa etc. will take your old oil. Hell you could likely pour it into your fuel tank like my neighbor.

 

[Dilldog]

Change your own oil. You can make sure it's done right, and you need to spend time under your truck anyways. There's plenty under there that needs checked, but nobody will check it for you.

Napa etc. will take your old oil. Hell you could likely pour it into your fuel tank like my neighbor.

Dumping used oil in your fuel tank only works with mechanical diesels, in my old Cummins powered Dodge I used to run up to 20% waste oil. With the old International tractor we run 90% waste oil and 10% kerosene just to make it flow when cold. Just make sure you run the best filters your can find for your fuel as theres lots of particulates in waste oil that wont hurt the engine, but can cause damage to an injection pump.
Anyway back to the matter at hand. I would advise you not to take your rig to a quick lube place. Typically the staff there are not as attentive (less pay and less training) than a full service shop. Also the parts they use are not good quality. The quality of parts used is almost as important as getting your oil changed on time. the minimum filter I will run on any of my rigs is a Napa brand filter (made by WIX or Mann/ Hummel). On my Escape I run a Donaldson and on my Vette I run a Caterpillar oil filter, dont cheap out on the filter if nothing else. Oil is the next big thing, there are a lot of specs out there and not every oil meets the needs of your rig. Alot of MFGs have thier own additive sets to achieve the extended service intervals we see today, also some valve trains and direct injection systems place extra strain on oil, your owners manual will state what the requirements are. Also look into what the additive sets or specifications actually do, sometimes you dont need them if you change your oil more frequently, also sometimes certain oils meet certain specs and they dont advertise it. This is done because if you put an MFG specific specification on your label, you then have to pay for that. So an oil can meet your needs and just not say it to stay cheaper.
There really is a lot that goes into the "simple" act of changing your oil. Part of my knowledge is because Im a professional mechanic, and some of my knowledge comes from being in the HD industry where demands are much higher on equipment, so we tend to be pretty anal. Honestly when in doubt, buy OE. The OE stuff is designed to give maximum service life while still being affordable. And as far as waste oil, just about any municipal recycling center will take waste oil and many other hazmat materials. Most auto parts stores will also take waste oil, though sometimes only if you are a customer. But naturally, call around first. And one last thing, be careful disposing of the oil filter. I know California prohibits them in normal garbage and they need to be disposed of as hazmat, while here in Washington, so long as they are drained they are OK in standard garbage.

 

[Old Tanker]

I would change my own oil, for the reasons already mentioned.

There are places in Hawaii that accept used motor oil.

Recycling - Motor Oil Recycling - Kauai.gov

Motor Oil - County of Hawai‘i Department of Environmental Management

Used motor oil contains toxic substances that can contaminate our land, ground water and ocean. The County of Hawai‘i operates a program for the do-it-yourself person who changes their own non-business vehicle’s motor oil. Please take it to one of the locations below. Unfortunately, at this...

www.hawaiizerowaste.org

 

[Greensully]

I've been wondering/questioning that myself lately Dysan but I do enjoy getting under my own truck and checking things out - plus ensuring that the service is performed properly. The price and the time commitment is about equal whether I do it myself our take it to a shop. Also, I've never had a problem with the dealerships questioning who performed the services when I've taken trucks in for warranty work. Flip a coin... heads = do it yourself, tails = have someone else do it :)

 

[Wallygator]

I let the dealer change it the first two years since it was free..Toyota thing. In that time, the first change they overfilled it. I didn't take it back and released some oil when I got home. The next one was ok since I mentioned the overfilling when I took it in, but whoever changed it tightened the filter cover so tight I had to use a breaker bar to get it loose on the next change I did myself. For those reasons I now change it myself, plus for all the reasons mentioned, I like to check things out under there. So just keep an eye on them and make sure they did it right if you decide to let the idiots do it.

 

[MMc]

If you change it yourself keep the receipts for all your oil changes and document it. Take photos and send to the cloud, oil change stuff, photo of the odometer. You want to have a record for you warranty.
I do the work on truck, the daily driver goes to Jiffy lube. I also rotate the tires and check everything.

 

[Billiebob]

Have it done at a good shop and it includes checking at least 40 more points, brakes, steering, driveline, lighting, charging, .....
A good shop does way more than change the oil.

I've been doing this for 30 years and have never had a trail break down.
Stay away from the Quick Lube scam artists.

 

[Flipper]

I do all the preventative maintenance on all my vehicles. First I know that the work has been done correctly. I buy all my filters in bulk so I get top quality filters at about 1/2 the store price. While I am doing the work I am looking for other future issues. Yesterday I changed the oil/ filter, air filter, cabin filter, and checked all fluids in our Subaru Outback and it took 18 minutes! It took a screwdriver, 1 socket and ratchet . The Dealership wanted over $200.

 

[wvjeeper]

I prefer to do it myself. That way I know for a fact that it was done right. While I'm under there I check/grease all ball joints and zirc fittings. Check for excessive play in the tie rod and drag link. Check axle vent tubes, driveshafts, shocks, brake lines, everything gets checked. If something is loose. It gets tightened.

 

[MidOH]

Have it done at a good shop and it includes checking at least 40 more points, brakes, steering, driveline, lighting, charging, .....
A good shop does way more than change the oil.

I've been doing this for 30 years and have never had a trail break down.
Stay away from the Quick Lube scam artists.

Master Tech chiming in:

No we don't. Your $22 oil change is an oil change. I might have taken a fleeting glance at some of the other checklist items, but I doubt it. Oil change guys don't even get enough time to "5 and 5" your car. Which is why two posts over you, that guy has an overfilled Toyota. Or he didn't "5 and 5'' when he checked the oil level, which would show a false high level. When I was a disposable, underpaid, non certified, oil and tire tech, I acted the part.

Master techs only do oil changes when they do repairs. Oil change only visits go towards the rookie newbs. At some shops you might be able to develop a relationship with the techs, and request a master tech for regular service. But you'll need to pay the hourly rate for that at a dealer. Try to find an independent technician.

A proper master tech WILL take care of you. But you see that dozen of techs at the dealer? Only one or two is a real master tech, and they both have their bays filled with the cab off of another darn GMC Duramax truck with head gaskets on backwards.

 

[wvjeeper]

Master Tech chiming in:

No we don't. Your $22 oil change is an oil change. I might have taken a fleeting glance at some of the other checklist items, but I doubt it. Oil change guys don't even get enough time to "5 and 5" your car. Which is why two posts over you, that guy has an overfilled Toyota. Or he didn't "5 and 5'' when he checked the oil level, which would show a false high level. When I was a disposable, underpaid, non certified, oil and tire tech, I acted the part.

Master techs only do oil changes when they do repairs. Oil change only visits go towards the rookie newbs. At some shops you might be able to develop a relationship with the techs, and request a master tech for regular service. But you'll need to pay the hourly rate for that at a dealer. Try to find an independent technician.

A proper master tech WILL take care of you. But you see that dozen of techs at the dealer? Only one or two is a real master tech, and they both have their bays filled with the cab off of another darn GMC Duramax truck with head gaskets on backwards.

Yup. One of my closest friends who just left the automotive field said the same thing. His bay was full of cab-off repairs or other crazy stuff and the army of lube guys did all the tire rotations and oil changes. He was a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician.

 

[Anak]

Because I value my time I do my own oil changes.

This way I don't sit around waiting on someone of questionable skill level, nor do I have to worry about an upleasant surprise down the road. Additionally, I get much better information regarding the condition of my vehicle from the use of my own eyes and hands than I could ever get from some report from a shop.

 

[Dilldog]

Have it done at a good shop and it includes checking at least 40 more points, brakes, steering, driveline, lighting, charging, .....
A good shop does way more than change the oil.

I've been doing this for 30 years and have never had a trail break down.
Stay away from the Quick Lube scam artists.

Eh depends. In the shop I work at we have two "services". First is a dump and fill, all I do is change oil and fuel filters (heavy duty on highway trucks so you change fuel filters every time you change oil) and engine oil, takes about 45min. Then theres the full service, which takes about 2 hours. Thats when I check all oil levels, brakes, grease the chassis etc. in addition to changing fuel and oil filters and engine oil.

 

[64Trvlr]

I've always changed my own oil. When I'm under my vehicle, I check it over looking for damage, dents, loose/missing things, check the exhaust, all 4 tires AND the spare, check the transmission fluid, transfer case fluid, fluid in the front and rear axles and hit all the zerks with my grease gun. I use premium filters and quality oil.

When I'm under the hood, I check/replace the air filter, belts, hoses, coolant level, top off the windshield fluid, check the wiper blades, power steering fluid, transmission fluid if it's an auto.

Then I check all the lights, mirrors, hitch and ball, then once a year I hit the locks with a little graphite to keep them working smoothly.

If I do it right and don't cut corners it takes me about 3 hours and then all I need to do is fill it up and go anywhere I want with no worries.

 

[The other Sean]

If you change it yourself keep the receipts for all your oil changes and document it. Take photos and send to the cloud, oil change stuff, photo of the odometer. You want to have a record for you warranty.
I do the work on truck, the daily driver goes to Jiffy lube. I also rotate the tires and check everything.

This. if you have a few receipts, the warranty company won't have any reason to deny a claim if you have one.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I do my own and run the synthetic media filters, and a top grade full synthetic oil. I don't trust other people to care about my stuff.

 

[Jean Klaude The Jeep]

Only the best for my rig! I do all my own work.

 

[Dakota Houligans]

I spent 18 years wrenching as a certified master tech. Had a few thousand hours of continued training and easily $80,000 plus in tools. Considering my wage the owner would be smashing things if I even considered touching a oil filter. Oil changes are just about a no profit service in your average shop. Top techs rarely even see the service ticket of an oil change. It's just not cost effective. If using decent oil and filter average shop cost is $15-20 for oil and filter. Then add 20-30 min labor time and little left for profit even if you are only paying the oil guy $10/hr.

Smaller shops that don't have a oil change department will probably give the vehicle a better look over. I still don't enjoy oil changes on my own vehicles but I'm still too damn stuck on if I can do it myself I will. A wise old guy used to always tell me that investing in yourself is almost always money well spent.

If I knew they would use decent supplies and not over tighten everything I wouldn't mind paying someone to do it.