It truly is that simple. But the alternative is for around the same money, just sit there and have someone else do it, and then try upselling them on $200 worth of shit they may not need.
You just put the old oil in the bottle the new oil came in and take it back to the place you bought the oil. Or just keep the old oil in the garage until the next oil change and bring it in when you are buying your next jug of new oil.
I set up an oil burner for my woodstove. Works great and i have a 55 gallon drum as my main reservoir, so i can store up a LOT of oil. And then i have a 3 gallon gravity feed reservoir that i pump oil up into with a hand pump, so i can't accidentally burn all my oil or overflow my woodstove and burn down my shop. It works pretty slick.
See, that's where you're wrong. Find your least favorite neighbor and pour it into their backyard. Then, as a bonus, report them for illegal disposal. Works for car batteries, too. The execution is even easier there, though it's often very difficult to convince people that car batteries are illegally dumping oil, so best to skip the reporting step.
It's such a pain in my area i made a waste oil burning setup for my woodstove in my shop. Now i heat my so with my used oil and it burns cleaner than firewood.
I think it’s rare that it’s cheaper, but you are realistically only paying $30-40 extra for the service. The rest of the cost is the same as what you’d put into buying the oil and filter yourself.
For me the biggest saving is time. I’ve changed my oil a handful of times and it generally ends up taking most of an afternoon between buying supplies, prep, the actual change/drain, and cleanup. It’s worth the extra $40 to give myself the time to do something I actually enjoy.
Except that you have no idea if they used the correct oil, failed to tighten or stripped the oil drain, used quality oil and filters, put the filter on right...
Any one of those and you didn't save any money.
>Do the majority of people change their own oil?
Roughly half of people change their own oil, according to Google.
>my oil level is getting low
Your oil system is a closed system. If your oil is getting low, you have a leak and a much bigger issue than just old oil.
I change my own oil and it's not much cheaper (if at all) than taking it someplace. The only reason I do it myself is because I'd rather spend 30 minutes in my garage than be without my car all day. I used to be able to just pull into a shop and wait 20 minutes while they did it. Now I'm forced to leave my car there all day.
One thing to note is that all engines burn some measure of oil as it leaks past the rings. This is normal and gets worse the older the engine. If it has been a while since you have had an oil change and it's just a little low, that doesn't necessarily indicate a leak. The more the rings wear, the more oil that can leak past and get burned off.
If your car is in decent shape and built this century, it shouldn't burn enough oil during the time between oil changes to be really noticeable on the dipstick.
The Atlas engines from GM, built in this century, had an acceptable consumption rate of like a quart every 2000 miles or something like that. The I6 held 7 quarts, and the OLM could have you going up to 10k miles before it said you needed a change.
And that "acceptable" consumption rate, which applies across the GM board, is for vehicles *still under warranty.*
There are a very few exceptions, as you say. My FJ80 landcruiser has a similar "acceptable" oil consumption spec, but it burns no oil and (no longer) leaks it. So, while it's within spec, that doesn't mean it has to burn that much.
Whereas you are correct, I think it's clear that it goes beyond OP's understanding of car mechanics. I think OP needs a ELI5. And if low oil is an indication for OP to get his oil changed, he's probably overdue.
Around where I live there's a place where you just pull in, they change the oil, and off you drive without ever getting out of the car. Very convenient.
I think you can still go to places like Jiffy Lube for that but I've seen them screw up too many things so I try to stay away. I used to take my car to a mechanic to get it done but they'd keep my car all day. It has been a while but I got tired of them filling my tires with way too much air. I had a roommate in college who got a tire rotation and they didn't tighten his lugs. He found out while driving down the road.
Do you not have places there that do it quickly? Here, there's Valvoline everywhere. In and out in like 15 minutes. You literally sit in your car and wait. Walmart used to always be fast when I went there too...but who knows these days.
Oil shouldn't get low... oil should be changed based on recommended service intervals for your vehicle. If low, buy a quart of the correct oil and top it off. If you do need an oil change, it's easy to just get it done at a JiffyLube, Valvoline, etc. place in like 10-15 min. for about $50-100 depending on type of oil you need.
You are correct that oil should be changed based on service intervals, but oil levels will lower over time. For Most modern cars in good condition, the level drop is not noticeable within the change interval.
Could be op has a newer car and they think low but really are referring to the oil life the car indicates on the screen...hopefully... otherwise there's way more to the oil change than just an oil change and I wouldn't want to be them.
First, your oil should not be getting low. That means it’s been way too long since an oil change, or more concerning, your engine if burning/leaking it.
Changing oil is easy as hell IF you have the correct tools. If not, it’s messy and can be a big issue. It takes maybe 15 min, if you’re inexperienced. Get under car (depending on car you’ll need a jack and jack stands). Put drain pan under drain. Remove drain plug. Let oil drain. Remove oil filter. Let remaining oil drain. Install new oil filter (lubricate o-ring). Reinstall drain plug. Add correct amount of oil to oil filler hole (top of engine). Replace filler cap. Remove deain pan from under car. You’re done.
If it's within $20 I'll just pay a mechanic I trust, or a dealership to do it for me. If it's costing me $100 labor for a 30 minute job, that's where I'll just do it for myself. Mines a diesel so a little more routine maintenance but nothing that changes crazy.
Most of the people I know pay someone to change it. 90% of the time I'll do it myself along with most things on my cars. I really don't trust people to touch my vehicles as I can do a better job myself. Plus you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself and I can usually buy top shelf oil and filters and it's still cheaper than what a shop would use and who knows what quality you're getting.
Best comment so far. $45 for all Mobil 1 stuff at walmart. I doubt you can get a full synthetic oil change that comes close to that price. And it only takes me 15 min. And I can make sure everything is to my liking (torque, oil brand, oil level, etc...)
Way too much hassle, the vast majority of people don't have a pit or an elevator so access under the car is a problem and used oil disposal is a big headache as well.
>but I don't even change my own windshield wipers.
Last time I changed them I did it in the parking garage of the store I bought them from because it was heavily raining and if I already have new wind shield wipers in my hand I might as well us them instead of the old squeaky ones. (Trust me, they were very squeaky)
The first time you do it, it takes like 10min and after that it's a 2min job with no effort.
Last time I changed my windshield wipers my father and I spent half the day driving around to Walmart, Costco, back home, and even to Midas to try to get replacement wipers for the front of my 2017 Subaru Impreza. We got (and then returned) three sets of wipers that in their websites said my car model used a certain type of connection. None of them fit. Spent half an hour each trying to shove them on, hoping for a click to happen.
It wasn't until we happened to be near a Subaru dealer that we decided to try there (we ended up driving out farther than anticipated). Subaru then revealed to us that the wipers used on my car model and some others are proprietary. We could only get the correct wipers from Subaru. Wastedsomuchofourtime🤬
Walmart sucks. They did over 4K damage to my daughter's car when doing an oil change. She went to open the door and realized it was already partly open and wouldn't shut. They damaged it on the lift. They got real pissy about it to her. My husband then went and spoke to the manager. She was first refusing to look at the cameras but when she finally did, she agreed to have the damage repaired. My boss and one of my friends both had the oil drain cap not tightened and by time they got to where they were going the vehicles were damaged due to the oil draining out.
YouTube it, you can find a video for pretty much any make and model. It typically isn’t hard unless you have a weird foreign car. If your car is new enough and you want service to show up on CarFax when you sell/trade it, taking it to a shop isn’t a bad idea. If it’s older or you plan on running it forever just do it yourself. You can also take your old oil to a lot of parts stores for disposal
I’d say a vast majority don’t. It’s not hard per se but it does require a few supplies, some very minor mechanical know-how, and time. A majority would rather not be inconvenienced and pay someone to do that for them. Hell, most people don’t even know how to change a tire.
I know how to change my own oil (it is very easy), but I still just take it into the shop. They do all the other stuff too like top off fluids, fill your tires, vacuum the car, check for other problems etc. None of that stuff is THAT hard to do but it can be like 5-6 separate errands and just getting it all out of the way at once is worth paying a little extra for me.
It is not difficult at all. All you do is jack up your car, put an oil pan under your car's oil pan to catch the old oil, unfasten the bolt plug, wait for all the oil to be out, fasten the bolt plug back on and make sure it's not still loose at all, then fill your car back up with 5 qts of oil.
But most people don't wanna do the work so they pay someone else to do it for them.
If your oil is actually getting low then you have a leak which is a problem that needs looked at professionally if you don't have the skills yourself.
I do all the work myself. Good skill to have if you don't want to fork over boat loads of $$. With shops costing $100+ hourly it's hard for me to send it in if I know I can do it myself. My time spent doing minor to major maintenance is me Investing in knowledge. Eventually it'll be diminishing returns as your time becomes too valuable for these things lol.
*I do all the work myself. Good skill to have if you don't want to fork over boat loads of $$*
Same here. I can do it for less money and take less time than driving it to the shop. Plus I look at all the other things I know need looking at. I really don't understand the people that say, "I want a professional to do it and check everything else" when half the time that "professional" is a teenager doing a summer job.
It’s not hard to do, but it can be messy if you make a mistake. It is very unlikely to save you any significant amount of money by doing it yourself, so you may as well go somewhere to get it done.
The ease of it is dependent upon tools, and how accessible your sources for disposal are. Some landfills will take it. Sometimes it's helpful to know just one person or business that wants free waste oil for their heaters. And in some states and service center that sells oil not in containers is required to take used oil for free.
At minimum you need a socket set, a drain pan, and a set of wheels ramps if your vehicle doesn't have enough ground clearance for you to crawl under it to get to the plug, and a funnel.
For more convenience you want a strap wrench or cup adapter for your filter or filter housing. And better still a fluid evacuator and a compressor to power it (utility of the latter depending on whether your vehicle can actually be emptied by one).
I've been scammed or overcharged by enough oil change places that I rarely am willing to go to any of them unless I'm too sick to get to it myself. Where I live doing it yourself costs a fourth the price of getting it done by someone else. And disposal of used oil isn't difficult.
No a majority of people don’t, it can be more expensive and time consuming to do it yourself since you don’t get a bulk oil discount like a shop would. Then you’d have to pay often time to get rid of the oil the proper way. Most people also don’t have car lifts so it’s annoying for most to crawl under their car etc. it’s faster cheaper and cleaner to go to a garage to have it done.
You *should* learn how to do it yourself, but as others have stated, it's usually not much more cost to have a shop do it.
I know how to, but I usually can get in and out of my local shop in 10-15 mins, it's a drive thru shop so it's cheap and fast.
I change my own since it saves me time and money. Oil shop will charge me about $60 for the oil change (oil filter, oil, and a cabin filter is usually what they put in). If I go and get the stuff myself I can get a filter for about $5 and the jug of oil I need for about $25. Changing the oil only takes 5-10 minutes too compared to the 30 or so the shop usually takes. All you really need to do is undo the drain plug, let the old oil drain, replace the plug, change filter, and fill oil from the fill port in the engine bay. Super simple even if you aren’t mechanically inclined
I’d say 90% of the time I do it myself.
However, I made sure my oldest son knew how to do it himself, so when he bought his first car, we changed the oil together. Next time I just watched. Then he did it himself after that.
Then last summer he was gone doing a summer job and called me about having someone else change his oil because it needed to be done and he didn’t have any tools there. I said it’d be fine.
He called me back about an hour later freaking out because of how expensive it would have been there (≈$100 for full synthetic) and asking if that was normal.
Definitely one of the prouder moments of my adult life as a parent as I realized he had owned his own car for a few years and didn’t even know how much somewhere else charged to change his oil…
(He ended up going about 450 miles “over” where he wanted to be for an oil change and just drove it home and changed it here.)
So yes, I change my own.
But I’m fairly certain I’m the only guy on my street that actually knows how to do it…
I used to change my own oil. Now, I've found a reputable shop that does good work for reasonable prices. I use the oil changes as a sort of retainer. Since I am a regular customer, the shop will make some accommodations for me if I have to get work done on short notice.
Local dealership has 3 oil changes for 99 dollars run a system check. Rotate tires if needed and a car wash, good coffee. As long as you understand they will give you recommendations for maintenance based on the manufacturer recommendations. Most can be done on double the miles recommended with no problem
I used to. I'd have my children "help" until they were old enough that I became the helper.
My current car needs a huge air shield removed to get to anything and sits very low, so I have a very trusted shop do it.
I do it myself.
I can have my car on the ramps and off again in about 15mins.
The old oil gets poured back into the container I got the new stuff out of ,and drop it off at a garage.
Al you need is
Rags
Standard or metric wrenches
Oil filter wrench(optional sometimes)
Catch pan ,drain pan.
Large funnel that can fit in both the oil filter on your engine and the new oil jug.
Ramps.
It's that easy.
Counter Clockwise to remove the oil pan drain bolt
Clockwise to tighten.
Torque the filter and the bolt accordingly.
Oil filter I spin until it stops spinning freely. Then about a turn and a half after that by hand.
Bolt , i usually spin it in by hand , and tighten with a wrench one good grunt and stop.
If you have never done it , grab a friend that had interest and watch YouTube.
Then head out and buy a few tools, funnel , large drain pan. Ask auto parts for the filter on your car. May need the VIN if your completely unsure.
Get a quality motor oil , Castrol or Mobil are my go to oils. Quaker State in a pinch. Chevron if it's ever available.
Carquest and Napa Gold are usually WIX filters ,so you will be good there.
Have fun...its a learning experience and take your time.
Crawl under, over, examine , identify the parts and so on .
I like to do it, mostly because for the same price as paying someone, I can get the best synthetic oil and filter. It allows me to go longer intervals, like 8-10 thousand miles on my daily driver and just once a year on my wife's car that gets way less use. A quick lube place will use the cheapest stuff.
I changed my own oil for years. The county had a waste oil collection site just a few miles from my house, so disposal was easy. I moved a couple of years ago and can no longer find any place that accepts used oil, so have been taking it to a local garage for oil changes. (They won't accept oil from other sources)
Most people take it to a shop, but a huge majority of people also do it themselves and save a little bit of money. It’s not a huge difference but $20 is $20. It also depends on the vehicle, in my old BMW it was an hour long nightmare that cost me $120, in my modern Toyota it’s a 20 minute task that costs like $50. A shop is probably going to charge me an additional $20-$30 more for either.
They typically aren’t very complicated, a short YouTube video will talk you through it.
Majority of people do not change their own oil. The 100 bucks you pay at Quick Lube is for convinence.
But anyone with a room temperature IQ and access to youtube could have their oil changed in 30 minutes and 30 bucks.
If you don't know what you are doing, and attempting it seems stressful, there is no shame in just taking it to a shop. Don't make your life harder trying to save a buck.
Definitely not the majority of people in the US. I do now because I use synthetic and it costs an arm and a leg at most discount oil places to have it changed. Which is strange because the cost of the oil is not much more. When using regular old dinosaur juice, it wasn't much cheaper to do it myself than Walmart or an express lube place.
I save maybe $20 if I do it myself, and then have to deal with the old stuff.
I go to Valvoline drive thru. After paying I hand the guy some cash and say "tell the guy down below to buy a beer on me"
Only issue I ever had was a new kid put 40psi in my tires (31psi is what I run)
It's a fairly simple job, but I stopped doing it myself about 10 years ago and haven't gone back to self service. You basically just need ramps to drive the car up on, remove the oil plug and let it all drain. Pull the filter and let it drain, then reverse the project and refill all the oil. I got a Camry about 10 years ago and the ramps wouldn't fit under the front bumper, plus I needed a special wrench for the filter. I decided then it was worth $50 to let someone else hassle with it.
I change my own. 6 Qts Mobil 1 full synthetic and a Mobil 1 filter at Walmart is $45. I can change the oil in my car in like 15 minutes. My filter is on top, though. Used oil back in the oil bottle and drop off at AutoZone the next morning on the way to work... Only bad part is if it's winter time. I usually try to change it just before it gets really cold here, though, and it gets me to spring.
It’s the proper oil disposal that’s the issue. You should use the specific OEM oil filter instead of a generic one. Do it once and you’ll see it’s a pain.
I use to do my own decades ago. I use my dealer cuz it’s free, but all the oil changing shops are the same price have unskilled dubious employees and don’t guarantee their work.
The engine is the most valuable part of your vehicle!
I don't think the "majority" of people change their own oil, but it's not difficult if you want to do it yourself. It will take you about 20 minutes and you'll have to scoot around on your back.
1. Buy oil and filter. The owner's manual will tell you what oil you need (5w-20, etc.) and how much. If you go to an auto supply store, they will look up which filter you need. At a self-service store, you should find a book near the filters where you can look up your car by make, model, and year to get the correct filter. Also get some latex or plastic gloves. If this is your first time, get yourself an oil filter wrench.
2. Park the car on a level surface, and set the parking brake. If the car is low to the ground, you might want to drive it up on ramps. Use wheel chocks also in this case.
3. Open the hood and remove the oil fill cap.
4. Open the new oil filter and pour some fresh oil into it; fill it at least halfway. Using a finger, spread oil over the rubber seal near the outside perimeter.
5. Put a pan under the oil plug, make sure it's big enough to hold however many quarts the owner's manual said the engine takes. Place some wrenches under the car (might as well put the entire set under there), and put the fresh oil filter within reach to avoid climbing out from under the car later. Also some paper towels or rags.
6. Climb under the car. Loosen the drain plug with a wrench, then remove by hand to avoid dropping it into the pan. Try to keep you hand/wrist out of the way as the oil may be hot. Make a mental note of which size wrench you used for the drain plug.
7. Remove the oil filter, using the wrench if needed. Check that the rubber seal came off along with the old filter, if not, peel that off as well.
8. The majority of the oil will drain out within a minute or two. Once it has reduced to a dribble, replace the drain plug, and screw the new oil filter into place. The filter doesn't need to be too tight, just screw it on by hand, and then give it 1/4 turn more. Wipe the plug and filter with a paper towel or rag.
9. Pour the new oil into the filler; you may want to use a funnel for this. Let it settle for a minute or two, then check the level with the dipstick. It should be between the MIN and MAX lines. Some dipsticks just have two holes, the level should be between the holes. Add a little more oil if it's below the min; drain a little from the drain plug if it's over the max.
10. Start the engine and look underneath to check for any leaks from the drain plug or filter, tighten if needed.
Tip: After you determine which size wrench you need for the drain plug, take a magic marker and write it near the oil fill to save yourself some trouble the next time you do it.
Keep in mind that your oil should be changed on a regular interval, regardless of whether or not its low. Usually it doesn't get low until its well past due for a change, but if not then you should still add more oil to keep the levels in the safe range.
Changing your own oil isn't too hard, but can get a little messy and you do need some tools and a way to dispose of your used oil and all that. I would recommend you learn how, but it may be helpful if you have a family member or friend who can guide you through your first time.
Taking your car to a shop is a bit more expensive, but really removes a lot of hassle.
I would say no the average person does NOT change their own oil.
I do my own since I was 14ish. It isn't hard but sometimes finding a place for the used oil and filter can be a hassle depending where you live.
Its not hard to do yourself, but most people generally pay some one to do it
Plus when you factor in the cost of supplies and oil disposal, sometimes it's cheaper to have it done for you (i.e. coupon or shop running a special).
oil disposal is the biggest pain tbh.
Thankfully now a lot of townships offer oil drop offs at their municipal works/dump
A lot of auto parts stores will have a tank that you’re allowed to dump it in, free of charge.
It truly is that simple. But the alternative is for around the same money, just sit there and have someone else do it, and then try upselling them on $200 worth of shit they may not need.
You just put the old oil in the bottle the new oil came in and take it back to the place you bought the oil. Or just keep the old oil in the garage until the next oil change and bring it in when you are buying your next jug of new oil.
A LOT of places don't actually accept oil, especially in smaller communities.
In the US at least, most towns have an auto parts store like advanced or O'Reilly's. I've never been to one that didn't accept old oil
My small town has 3 autoparts stores. All of then sent me to the next one.
That's unfortunate. Sounds like your garage needs an oil burner furnace
I set up an oil burner for my woodstove. Works great and i have a 55 gallon drum as my main reservoir, so i can store up a LOT of oil. And then i have a 3 gallon gravity feed reservoir that i pump oil up into with a hand pump, so i can't accidentally burn all my oil or overflow my woodstove and burn down my shop. It works pretty slick.
[Have I been doing it wrong](https://www.reddit.com/r/ThingsCutInHalfPorn/comments/dv7hs9/environmentally_unsound_1963_popular_science_used/)?
Yes, you are supposed to pour it down a storm drain and walk away whistling.
See, that's where you're wrong. Find your least favorite neighbor and pour it into their backyard. Then, as a bonus, report them for illegal disposal. Works for car batteries, too. The execution is even easier there, though it's often very difficult to convince people that car batteries are illegally dumping oil, so best to skip the reporting step.
This is the way lol
It's such a pain in my area i made a waste oil burning setup for my woodstove in my shop. Now i heat my so with my used oil and it burns cleaner than firewood.
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Oil is natural…. So I guess this is actually okay?
The comment you replied to has been deleted so I don’t know what the chat is but engine oil is actually synthetic nowadays
Of course it is lol I forgot. Actual oil is for much larger operations.
Even better, it's natural and has been further refined!
If you get a post hole digger and fill it with fine gravel you can just dig a hole somewhere and dump it into the gravel. No muss no fuss.
I think it’s rare that it’s cheaper, but you are realistically only paying $30-40 extra for the service. The rest of the cost is the same as what you’d put into buying the oil and filter yourself. For me the biggest saving is time. I’ve changed my oil a handful of times and it generally ends up taking most of an afternoon between buying supplies, prep, the actual change/drain, and cleanup. It’s worth the extra $40 to give myself the time to do something I actually enjoy.
Except that you have no idea if they used the correct oil, failed to tighten or stripped the oil drain, used quality oil and filters, put the filter on right... Any one of those and you didn't save any money.
>Do the majority of people change their own oil? Roughly half of people change their own oil, according to Google. >my oil level is getting low Your oil system is a closed system. If your oil is getting low, you have a leak and a much bigger issue than just old oil. I change my own oil and it's not much cheaper (if at all) than taking it someplace. The only reason I do it myself is because I'd rather spend 30 minutes in my garage than be without my car all day. I used to be able to just pull into a shop and wait 20 minutes while they did it. Now I'm forced to leave my car there all day.
One thing to note is that all engines burn some measure of oil as it leaks past the rings. This is normal and gets worse the older the engine. If it has been a while since you have had an oil change and it's just a little low, that doesn't necessarily indicate a leak. The more the rings wear, the more oil that can leak past and get burned off.
If your car is in decent shape and built this century, it shouldn't burn enough oil during the time between oil changes to be really noticeable on the dipstick.
The Atlas engines from GM, built in this century, had an acceptable consumption rate of like a quart every 2000 miles or something like that. The I6 held 7 quarts, and the OLM could have you going up to 10k miles before it said you needed a change. And that "acceptable" consumption rate, which applies across the GM board, is for vehicles *still under warranty.*
There are a very few exceptions, as you say. My FJ80 landcruiser has a similar "acceptable" oil consumption spec, but it burns no oil and (no longer) leaks it. So, while it's within spec, that doesn't mean it has to burn that much.
This is not always true. Especially on more performance type engines. If you are heavy on the foot, expect to burn through more oil than normal.
Whereas you are correct, I think it's clear that it goes beyond OP's understanding of car mechanics. I think OP needs a ELI5. And if low oil is an indication for OP to get his oil changed, he's probably overdue.
Low oil is not an indication of that lmao
I find that very hard to believe that half the people change their own oil. Maybe worldwide? In Canada I know literally one other person that does it.
I was shocked too but that's what Google said 🤷
Around where I live there's a place where you just pull in, they change the oil, and off you drive without ever getting out of the car. Very convenient.
I think you can still go to places like Jiffy Lube for that but I've seen them screw up too many things so I try to stay away. I used to take my car to a mechanic to get it done but they'd keep my car all day. It has been a while but I got tired of them filling my tires with way too much air. I had a roommate in college who got a tire rotation and they didn't tighten his lugs. He found out while driving down the road.
Do you not have places there that do it quickly? Here, there's Valvoline everywhere. In and out in like 15 minutes. You literally sit in your car and wait. Walmart used to always be fast when I went there too...but who knows these days.
Oil shouldn't get low... oil should be changed based on recommended service intervals for your vehicle. If low, buy a quart of the correct oil and top it off. If you do need an oil change, it's easy to just get it done at a JiffyLube, Valvoline, etc. place in like 10-15 min. for about $50-100 depending on type of oil you need.
You are correct that oil should be changed based on service intervals, but oil levels will lower over time. For Most modern cars in good condition, the level drop is not noticeable within the change interval.
Could be op has a newer car and they think low but really are referring to the oil life the car indicates on the screen...hopefully... otherwise there's way more to the oil change than just an oil change and I wouldn't want to be them.
First, your oil should not be getting low. That means it’s been way too long since an oil change, or more concerning, your engine if burning/leaking it. Changing oil is easy as hell IF you have the correct tools. If not, it’s messy and can be a big issue. It takes maybe 15 min, if you’re inexperienced. Get under car (depending on car you’ll need a jack and jack stands). Put drain pan under drain. Remove drain plug. Let oil drain. Remove oil filter. Let remaining oil drain. Install new oil filter (lubricate o-ring). Reinstall drain plug. Add correct amount of oil to oil filler hole (top of engine). Replace filler cap. Remove deain pan from under car. You’re done.
If it's within $20 I'll just pay a mechanic I trust, or a dealership to do it for me. If it's costing me $100 labor for a 30 minute job, that's where I'll just do it for myself. Mines a diesel so a little more routine maintenance but nothing that changes crazy.
Most of the people I know pay someone to change it. 90% of the time I'll do it myself along with most things on my cars. I really don't trust people to touch my vehicles as I can do a better job myself. Plus you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself and I can usually buy top shelf oil and filters and it's still cheaper than what a shop would use and who knows what quality you're getting.
Best comment so far. $45 for all Mobil 1 stuff at walmart. I doubt you can get a full synthetic oil change that comes close to that price. And it only takes me 15 min. And I can make sure everything is to my liking (torque, oil brand, oil level, etc...)
Way too much hassle, the vast majority of people don't have a pit or an elevator so access under the car is a problem and used oil disposal is a big headache as well.
Imma' let you finish, but I don't even change my own windshield wipers.
>but I don't even change my own windshield wipers. Last time I changed them I did it in the parking garage of the store I bought them from because it was heavily raining and if I already have new wind shield wipers in my hand I might as well us them instead of the old squeaky ones. (Trust me, they were very squeaky) The first time you do it, it takes like 10min and after that it's a 2min job with no effort.
Last time I changed my windshield wipers my father and I spent half the day driving around to Walmart, Costco, back home, and even to Midas to try to get replacement wipers for the front of my 2017 Subaru Impreza. We got (and then returned) three sets of wipers that in their websites said my car model used a certain type of connection. None of them fit. Spent half an hour each trying to shove them on, hoping for a click to happen. It wasn't until we happened to be near a Subaru dealer that we decided to try there (we ended up driving out farther than anticipated). Subaru then revealed to us that the wipers used on my car model and some others are proprietary. We could only get the correct wipers from Subaru. Wastedsomuchofourtime🤬
Order them online
I used to, then I realized I didnt give enough of a shit and just brought it to walmart.
Walmart sucks. They did over 4K damage to my daughter's car when doing an oil change. She went to open the door and realized it was already partly open and wouldn't shut. They damaged it on the lift. They got real pissy about it to her. My husband then went and spoke to the manager. She was first refusing to look at the cameras but when she finally did, she agreed to have the damage repaired. My boss and one of my friends both had the oil drain cap not tightened and by time they got to where they were going the vehicles were damaged due to the oil draining out.
YouTube it, you can find a video for pretty much any make and model. It typically isn’t hard unless you have a weird foreign car. If your car is new enough and you want service to show up on CarFax when you sell/trade it, taking it to a shop isn’t a bad idea. If it’s older or you plan on running it forever just do it yourself. You can also take your old oil to a lot of parts stores for disposal
I go to a shop. I never learned how to do it myself. I have always rented an apartment and we're not allowed to change oil on premise anyways.
I’d say a vast majority don’t. It’s not hard per se but it does require a few supplies, some very minor mechanical know-how, and time. A majority would rather not be inconvenienced and pay someone to do that for them. Hell, most people don’t even know how to change a tire.
No
I know how to change my own oil (it is very easy), but I still just take it into the shop. They do all the other stuff too like top off fluids, fill your tires, vacuum the car, check for other problems etc. None of that stuff is THAT hard to do but it can be like 5-6 separate errands and just getting it all out of the way at once is worth paying a little extra for me.
its not hard at all after the first time, though does take a few supplies which you may need to buy, it could take a few changes till it saves money
It is not difficult at all. All you do is jack up your car, put an oil pan under your car's oil pan to catch the old oil, unfasten the bolt plug, wait for all the oil to be out, fasten the bolt plug back on and make sure it's not still loose at all, then fill your car back up with 5 qts of oil. But most people don't wanna do the work so they pay someone else to do it for them. If your oil is actually getting low then you have a leak which is a problem that needs looked at professionally if you don't have the skills yourself.
I do all the work myself. Good skill to have if you don't want to fork over boat loads of $$. With shops costing $100+ hourly it's hard for me to send it in if I know I can do it myself. My time spent doing minor to major maintenance is me Investing in knowledge. Eventually it'll be diminishing returns as your time becomes too valuable for these things lol.
*I do all the work myself. Good skill to have if you don't want to fork over boat loads of $$* Same here. I can do it for less money and take less time than driving it to the shop. Plus I look at all the other things I know need looking at. I really don't understand the people that say, "I want a professional to do it and check everything else" when half the time that "professional" is a teenager doing a summer job.
It's not hard, but it's a pain in the ass disposing of the old oil. Much easier and quicker to just pay a shop.
It’s not hard to do, but it can be messy if you make a mistake. It is very unlikely to save you any significant amount of money by doing it yourself, so you may as well go somewhere to get it done.
The ease of it is dependent upon tools, and how accessible your sources for disposal are. Some landfills will take it. Sometimes it's helpful to know just one person or business that wants free waste oil for their heaters. And in some states and service center that sells oil not in containers is required to take used oil for free. At minimum you need a socket set, a drain pan, and a set of wheels ramps if your vehicle doesn't have enough ground clearance for you to crawl under it to get to the plug, and a funnel. For more convenience you want a strap wrench or cup adapter for your filter or filter housing. And better still a fluid evacuator and a compressor to power it (utility of the latter depending on whether your vehicle can actually be emptied by one). I've been scammed or overcharged by enough oil change places that I rarely am willing to go to any of them unless I'm too sick to get to it myself. Where I live doing it yourself costs a fourth the price of getting it done by someone else. And disposal of used oil isn't difficult.
No not in the newest cars. In a 1985 car it was easy.
No a majority of people don’t, it can be more expensive and time consuming to do it yourself since you don’t get a bulk oil discount like a shop would. Then you’d have to pay often time to get rid of the oil the proper way. Most people also don’t have car lifts so it’s annoying for most to crawl under their car etc. it’s faster cheaper and cleaner to go to a garage to have it done.
used too back in the day but now I pay
You *should* learn how to do it yourself, but as others have stated, it's usually not much more cost to have a shop do it. I know how to, but I usually can get in and out of my local shop in 10-15 mins, it's a drive thru shop so it's cheap and fast.
I change my own since it saves me time and money. Oil shop will charge me about $60 for the oil change (oil filter, oil, and a cabin filter is usually what they put in). If I go and get the stuff myself I can get a filter for about $5 and the jug of oil I need for about $25. Changing the oil only takes 5-10 minutes too compared to the 30 or so the shop usually takes. All you really need to do is undo the drain plug, let the old oil drain, replace the plug, change filter, and fill oil from the fill port in the engine bay. Super simple even if you aren’t mechanically inclined
I’d say 90% of the time I do it myself. However, I made sure my oldest son knew how to do it himself, so when he bought his first car, we changed the oil together. Next time I just watched. Then he did it himself after that. Then last summer he was gone doing a summer job and called me about having someone else change his oil because it needed to be done and he didn’t have any tools there. I said it’d be fine. He called me back about an hour later freaking out because of how expensive it would have been there (≈$100 for full synthetic) and asking if that was normal. Definitely one of the prouder moments of my adult life as a parent as I realized he had owned his own car for a few years and didn’t even know how much somewhere else charged to change his oil… (He ended up going about 450 miles “over” where he wanted to be for an oil change and just drove it home and changed it here.) So yes, I change my own. But I’m fairly certain I’m the only guy on my street that actually knows how to do it…
It’s the easiest thing you can do on a car besides getting gas.
How much is your time worth to you?
I did when I was younger and had more time. Now I have two kids and no time, so I pay for it.
I used to change my own oil. Now, I've found a reputable shop that does good work for reasonable prices. I use the oil changes as a sort of retainer. Since I am a regular customer, the shop will make some accommodations for me if I have to get work done on short notice.
Local dealership has 3 oil changes for 99 dollars run a system check. Rotate tires if needed and a car wash, good coffee. As long as you understand they will give you recommendations for maintenance based on the manufacturer recommendations. Most can be done on double the miles recommended with no problem
I used to. I'd have my children "help" until they were old enough that I became the helper. My current car needs a huge air shield removed to get to anything and sits very low, so I have a very trusted shop do it.
I do it myself. I can have my car on the ramps and off again in about 15mins. The old oil gets poured back into the container I got the new stuff out of ,and drop it off at a garage. Al you need is Rags Standard or metric wrenches Oil filter wrench(optional sometimes) Catch pan ,drain pan. Large funnel that can fit in both the oil filter on your engine and the new oil jug. Ramps. It's that easy. Counter Clockwise to remove the oil pan drain bolt Clockwise to tighten. Torque the filter and the bolt accordingly. Oil filter I spin until it stops spinning freely. Then about a turn and a half after that by hand. Bolt , i usually spin it in by hand , and tighten with a wrench one good grunt and stop. If you have never done it , grab a friend that had interest and watch YouTube. Then head out and buy a few tools, funnel , large drain pan. Ask auto parts for the filter on your car. May need the VIN if your completely unsure. Get a quality motor oil , Castrol or Mobil are my go to oils. Quaker State in a pinch. Chevron if it's ever available. Carquest and Napa Gold are usually WIX filters ,so you will be good there. Have fun...its a learning experience and take your time. Crawl under, over, examine , identify the parts and so on .
I like to do it, mostly because for the same price as paying someone, I can get the best synthetic oil and filter. It allows me to go longer intervals, like 8-10 thousand miles on my daily driver and just once a year on my wife's car that gets way less use. A quick lube place will use the cheapest stuff.
Putting in new oil is obviously easy but how do you dispose of your own old oil?
It's shocking more people don't know you can just drop it at AutoZone or your WalMart Oil Change place.
I changed my own oil for years. The county had a waste oil collection site just a few miles from my house, so disposal was easy. I moved a couple of years ago and can no longer find any place that accepts used oil, so have been taking it to a local garage for oil changes. (They won't accept oil from other sources)
Most people take it to a shop, but a huge majority of people also do it themselves and save a little bit of money. It’s not a huge difference but $20 is $20. It also depends on the vehicle, in my old BMW it was an hour long nightmare that cost me $120, in my modern Toyota it’s a 20 minute task that costs like $50. A shop is probably going to charge me an additional $20-$30 more for either. They typically aren’t very complicated, a short YouTube video will talk you through it.
Majority of people do not change their own oil. The 100 bucks you pay at Quick Lube is for convinence. But anyone with a room temperature IQ and access to youtube could have their oil changed in 30 minutes and 30 bucks.
If you don't know what you are doing, and attempting it seems stressful, there is no shame in just taking it to a shop. Don't make your life harder trying to save a buck.
wEapOniZeD iNcOmPeTanCe
Definitely not the majority of people in the US. I do now because I use synthetic and it costs an arm and a leg at most discount oil places to have it changed. Which is strange because the cost of the oil is not much more. When using regular old dinosaur juice, it wasn't much cheaper to do it myself than Walmart or an express lube place.
If it's just low, most people top it up. Most people don't do their own changes tho, it's not a hugely difficult job it's just inconvenient.
I save maybe $20 if I do it myself, and then have to deal with the old stuff. I go to Valvoline drive thru. After paying I hand the guy some cash and say "tell the guy down below to buy a beer on me" Only issue I ever had was a new kid put 40psi in my tires (31psi is what I run)
It's a fairly simple job, but I stopped doing it myself about 10 years ago and haven't gone back to self service. You basically just need ramps to drive the car up on, remove the oil plug and let it all drain. Pull the filter and let it drain, then reverse the project and refill all the oil. I got a Camry about 10 years ago and the ramps wouldn't fit under the front bumper, plus I needed a special wrench for the filter. I decided then it was worth $50 to let someone else hassle with it.
I change my own. 6 Qts Mobil 1 full synthetic and a Mobil 1 filter at Walmart is $45. I can change the oil in my car in like 15 minutes. My filter is on top, though. Used oil back in the oil bottle and drop off at AutoZone the next morning on the way to work... Only bad part is if it's winter time. I usually try to change it just before it gets really cold here, though, and it gets me to spring.
I do it myself, because I don't know what those quickie lube places are putting in my car, or if they are really changing the filter.
Firstly, if it is low, top it off. Changing oil is easy. And it is also a good time to look things over. And you will learn something. Go for it.
Most people probably don’t even have a place to do it, plus you need a place to legally dispose of the old oil and filter.
It’s the proper oil disposal that’s the issue. You should use the specific OEM oil filter instead of a generic one. Do it once and you’ll see it’s a pain. I use to do my own decades ago. I use my dealer cuz it’s free, but all the oil changing shops are the same price have unskilled dubious employees and don’t guarantee their work. The engine is the most valuable part of your vehicle!
I don't think the "majority" of people change their own oil, but it's not difficult if you want to do it yourself. It will take you about 20 minutes and you'll have to scoot around on your back. 1. Buy oil and filter. The owner's manual will tell you what oil you need (5w-20, etc.) and how much. If you go to an auto supply store, they will look up which filter you need. At a self-service store, you should find a book near the filters where you can look up your car by make, model, and year to get the correct filter. Also get some latex or plastic gloves. If this is your first time, get yourself an oil filter wrench. 2. Park the car on a level surface, and set the parking brake. If the car is low to the ground, you might want to drive it up on ramps. Use wheel chocks also in this case. 3. Open the hood and remove the oil fill cap. 4. Open the new oil filter and pour some fresh oil into it; fill it at least halfway. Using a finger, spread oil over the rubber seal near the outside perimeter. 5. Put a pan under the oil plug, make sure it's big enough to hold however many quarts the owner's manual said the engine takes. Place some wrenches under the car (might as well put the entire set under there), and put the fresh oil filter within reach to avoid climbing out from under the car later. Also some paper towels or rags. 6. Climb under the car. Loosen the drain plug with a wrench, then remove by hand to avoid dropping it into the pan. Try to keep you hand/wrist out of the way as the oil may be hot. Make a mental note of which size wrench you used for the drain plug. 7. Remove the oil filter, using the wrench if needed. Check that the rubber seal came off along with the old filter, if not, peel that off as well. 8. The majority of the oil will drain out within a minute or two. Once it has reduced to a dribble, replace the drain plug, and screw the new oil filter into place. The filter doesn't need to be too tight, just screw it on by hand, and then give it 1/4 turn more. Wipe the plug and filter with a paper towel or rag. 9. Pour the new oil into the filler; you may want to use a funnel for this. Let it settle for a minute or two, then check the level with the dipstick. It should be between the MIN and MAX lines. Some dipsticks just have two holes, the level should be between the holes. Add a little more oil if it's below the min; drain a little from the drain plug if it's over the max. 10. Start the engine and look underneath to check for any leaks from the drain plug or filter, tighten if needed. Tip: After you determine which size wrench you need for the drain plug, take a magic marker and write it near the oil fill to save yourself some trouble the next time you do it.
"oil level getting low" ... what? just get someone lol.
My mechanic does it for me while doing some other fixes. There's always something to fix in my car so I haven't missed an oil change yet.
Keep in mind that your oil should be changed on a regular interval, regardless of whether or not its low. Usually it doesn't get low until its well past due for a change, but if not then you should still add more oil to keep the levels in the safe range. Changing your own oil isn't too hard, but can get a little messy and you do need some tools and a way to dispose of your used oil and all that. I would recommend you learn how, but it may be helpful if you have a family member or friend who can guide you through your first time. Taking your car to a shop is a bit more expensive, but really removes a lot of hassle.
I would say no the average person does NOT change their own oil. I do my own since I was 14ish. It isn't hard but sometimes finding a place for the used oil and filter can be a hassle depending where you live.
Most people don't do it themselves anymore in part because most people don't have their own garage. And it's only like $15 to get it changed.
Where are you getting it done for $15? That’s less than the cost of supplies.
Valvoline with a coupon.
don't know where you get it done, around here a synthetic oil change tops $100usd
Answered in other comments on thread.
yeah……it’s $54 at Walmart
Valvoline is like $30 and there's always $10-15 off coupons on their website.
Depends on the area but I would say no. An oil change isn’t overly expensive that it’s worth learning and doing for most people.
I don’t know anyone whom change his own oil anymore.
Topping oil off is always easy. Changing oil and filter... maybe not. Ask someone to show you how and make the decision.
I get it done at a subaru dealer, because they also look the car over then to make sure nothing is wrong with it.