Step 3: Read John Adams biography while oil drains.
Step 4: Turn oil pan plug 25 times in opposite direction.
Step 5: Place catch pan beneath oil filter.
Step 6: Remove filter.
Step 7: Read book (see step 3) while oil drips. (Optional)
Step 8: Install new filter.
Step 9: Fill crankcase to indicated level with fresh motor oil.
My day, Dec. 26, 2002:
Oil change, plug change, air filter change, front brake spring change – my car.
Oil change – wife’s car.
Front brake pad change – Nana’s car.
All for fewer dollars than three of your $20 oil changes.
Do it yourself if you have the ability (as the OP mentioned he did) and save some dough. The inconvenience is woth the time and effort.
are you driving some sort of special car? as Nihility has pointed out, it’s not rocket science, and i don’t think you are being fair to all the 17 year old jiffy lube employees out there.
I’ve used Wal-mart for most of my oil changes. They don’t try to sell me anything. If I ask them to check something liek the air filter and change it if it needs it, they’ll check it but don’t automatically soak me for a new one. The problem with them is, it always takes 1/2 hour longer than they say it will. But the last time I did it (about 2 weeks ago) when it took longer they gave me a voucher for a free oil change the next time around.
If your priority is quick, while-you-wait service, you generally have to go the chain operations, though some dealerships offer that for oil changes. The problem with chains is that they tend to have entry-level help and a corporate philosophy of selling. However, that varies somewhat from chain to chain and from store to store within a given chain.
If your priority is getting it done right, I’d suggest doing what Ruby mentioned above. Having a relationship with a competent independent repair shop can work to your benefit in many ways.
A light when on in my car indicating low brake fluid.
Drove to Walmart.
They aren’t allowed to add fluids other than oil or water (?!?!), but the guy handed me a half open bottle of brake fluid, pointed to the cap I should open and said pour it in.
I tried to pay him at least a couple bucks for his trouble and he waved me off, refusing to take anyting.
I have never had oil changed there, but considering how nice they were, for FREE, I see no reason not to go there next time I need an oil change.
I once went to a Western Tire place to have oil and filter changed.
It was only upon next oil change (at a different location) I was informed they forgot to put a new filter in the last time. I had been driving for 4 months without an air filter in dusty Las Vegas…
I used to do my own oil changes before my husband and I upgraded vehicles and now it’s too hard to get to the filter to change it.
However…We had the oil changed at Wal-Mart and I noticed a puddle that afternoon at work. Sure enough, oil. They hadn’t tightened the drain plug well enough and it was leaking. Now we either take it to the dealer (roughly the same price and if they screw up and we blow the engine, they’ll PAY!), or some other competent auto mechanic…I paid enough for the vehicle to want it done RIGHT!
Wal-Mart is good, but they always take a LONG time for me. Last time I took the car to Wal-Mart to get an oil change I read over 100 pages of ‘Hannibal’ while waiting.
There is a chain around here, I can’t remember their name but they are very fast and convenient. They cost a little more than Jiffy Lube but they seem to know what they are doing, and after all the horror stories I have heard about Jiffy Lube from various friends and relatives I will NEVER go there for an oil change (I got mad at my wife when I found out she took our car there for an oil change once).
I pay $4:88 for a 5 quart jug of 5-30, and $1.88 for an oil filter. Total cost less than 6 bucks.
Of course, periodicly, I’ll allow WallyWorld to do do it. This is every 40, 50,000 miles when I need a lube in addition to an oilchange. I just drop the car off in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon.
While we’re talking about oil changes, how often should it be done?
I don’t drive a lot. I use side streets, and probably travel a total of 20 miles a day, M-F. The sticker usually says X-Date or X-Number of Miles.
Should I do which ever comes first even if the X-Date happens long, long before the number of miles have reached the limit?
That’s also why I mentioned that I know how to change oil - it’s a skill most women I know don’t have.
Anyway, thanks to everyone for the advice. I’ll probably take it some place rather than do it myself. I have Sears Auto Center, Precision Auto Tune, Speedy, etc. Wal*Mart is a ‘maybe’.
I have a good mechanic but he doesn’t usually mess with the ‘little’ stuff. Maybe he’ll reconsider.
Also, my car is out of warranty so the dealership isn’t likely to cut me any deal. My local Ford dealerships (I’ve tried 3 of them) are much like Jiffy Lube: they see a woman come in alone (i.e. Me) and try to sell me things that I don’t need. I was having a problem with my idle air control valve (this was the second time for the same problem so by then I knew what it was) and they tried to sell me a Fuel Injector Cleaning.
PS - pepperlandgirl, I’ve been told that the 3 month 3,000 mile rule is “whichever occurs first” - so if you don’t drive 3K but it’s been 3 months you should go ahead and change the oil. I’m not sure if others would agree or not though.
I often get my oil changed at Wal-Mart. $16 and I’ve never had a problem.
I know how to change the oil myself, but I don’t because:
1)It’s very tough to get to the oil filter to change it
2)Not allowed to change the oil in the parking lot of my apartment complex.
I’ve been told by numerous places (including my car manual and 3 mechanics) that unless you do extremely “hard” driving (lots and lots of stop and go) modern cars really don’t need oil changes more than every 5000 miles. The 3000 mile guideline is pushed by oil change places because it ups their profits.
My mechanic recommends every 3,000 because most of us confuse the definition of “severe conditions” in our owners manual.
[quote] Originally posted by kryptonite2 are you driving some sort of special car? as Nihility has pointed out, it’s not rocket science, and i don’t think you are being fair to all the 17 year old jiffy lube employees out there.
Your point is well taken. However, my original point in my post was that there was more to keeping my car on the road than a “simple” oil change.
What technical information systems do the quick lube places have to reference what is needed on my car other than the oil change? Are any of the quick lube employees ASE certified?
I had a vehicle with a torn CV boot when I was frequenting the quick-lube places. Since they are not qualified to inspect other systems on my car, it went unnoticed until a $300 axle replacement was needed instead of a $50 boot replacement.
IMO, it’s MUCH more cost effective in the long run to have your car inspected regularly by a profession technician. The familiarity he has with my car and my driving habits have saved my ass or more than one occasion.
A couple of good points here. First off you should not be concerned about being “fair” to all the employees of Jiffy Lube. What you should be concerned with is whether or not the guy working on your car has a clue of not. The guy under your car can do big time damage very quickly if he is incompetent.
Like the customer I had that wanted to save money on his 45K service so he went to Iffy lube. They sold him the oil change (needed) a trans service (done 5K before by us, not needed again until 80K) and a differential service (not needed or recomonded by car maker).
They drained the oil, trans and diff. They filled the oil and the trans. About 10 miles later the rear end started to make some serious noise. Car was towed to me. That little oopsie cost the Iffy Lube about $2500 bucks. :smack: Over the last couple of years some cars have been introduced that don’t use Dexron ATF in the automatic transmission. Guess what happens when you mix Dexron from Iffy Lube with the special Fluid put in by the car maker? (hint: the reason the car maker put in a special fluid is because Dexron while being cheap, won’t work) :smack: :smack:
the last dealership I worked at, the price for a LOF was about $0.50 more than the local quick lube. For that fifty cents you got a factory filter, and a factory trained technician looking at your car. I consider that a bargin.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Ruby *
**My mechanic recommends every 3,000 because most of us confuse the definition of “severe conditions” in our owners manual.
agreed. i was only commenting on:
“A 17-year-old-quick-lube employee is just not trained enough to change my oil …”
Rick- incompetent people are everywhere. i’m saying that it’s not necessary or cost effective to take your car into the dealership or mechanic every few months for an oil change unless they are priced competitively with your local oil-change-only place. now if your dealership is competetively priced, by all means take it there. a jiffy lube can handle an oil change, though. fringe benefits of taking it to your dealership can be had just as well when you take it there for interval inspections. i agree that these should not be handled at the jiffy lube as your friend’s experience has proven.
my only point is that a 17 year old working at the jiffy lube is plenty qualified to change your oil and it’s not fair to say otherwise.
B.N.B.-
if your car has been running regular (non synthetic) oil for a substantial period of time, you shouldn’t switch to synthetic. the thought behind this is that conventional oils build deposits that form seals around otherwise leaking gaskets etc. when you switch to synthetic, it will “clean” the gunk off and you may develop oil leaks.
No kidding. Last time I went to Jiffy Lube, the guy tried to convince me that I was out of antifreeze and out of coolant. Like, by saying, “You’re out of antifreeze. You’re also out of coolant. We can replace both of those for you for 5.00 each.” To which he got a glare and a “thankyouverymuch, now give me my damn care back and have a nice life.”
Hey, just 'cause I’m a chick doesn’t mean I’m car clueless.
*“You’re out of antifreeze. You’re also out of coolant. We can replace both of those for you for 5.00 each.” *
This is pretty funny, since the coolant is whatever liquid is in the cooling system–ideally a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. Talking about them as if they were totally separate entities doesn’t really make sense.
…the guy tried to convince me that I was out of antifreeze and out of coolant.
And if you were out of coolant, your engine would have melted before you got to the place.
Comments like that illustrate a pitiful lack of competence, gross dishonesty, or both. So I would not agree with this: …a 17 year old working at the jiffy lube is plenty qualified to change your oil and it’s not fair to say otherwise. Typically, that 17 year old is entry-level, and is trained more to sell than to understand what he’s doing. Sure, some might be qualified, but I think it’s probably plenty fair to say that most aren’t.
Er, Gary T? The guy was old enough to be my dad (40-50ish). He was just a jerk–I’m sure he knew exactly what he was doing. If you’re a fairly ditzy looking/acting chick, you run a fair chance of getting similar “service” at any random garage, not just a Jiffy Lube or Wal*Mart.
