Oil Changes

[Oz]

Originally posted by alex
We just had our new car done at the BP (used to Amoco) in Leonardtown. It cost us $48 but we had them switch from regular oil to Mobil One. Normally a regular oil change there runs about $24 on my minivan. Great service and friendly people.

That's a really fair deal for a high quality synthetic oil change... That's money well spent because a synthetic oil basically stops engine wear on the day you install it.

As for oil changes, as long as you do it, you won't void your warranty. You do NOT have to take it back to the dealer, or use only their parts/fluids. They can only recommend, but it's against them Magnussen-Moss Warranty Act for them to demand that you buy your parts from them.

What will void your warranty is if you do not perform the routine maintenance, lease or not...

A $20 oil change 4 times per year is far cheaper than replacing your engine or doing major overhall work. If you do it yourself, a quality, name-brand filter like a Hastings or a Wix is $5-$10 (not the house brand filter or the stuff you get from a retailer.) Then figure $2 per quart for a name-brand motor oil, or up to $10 per quart for a synthetic. And about an hour of your time from warming up the engine to cleaning up the mess in the drain pan.

Another tip - I always buy a gallon jug of washer fluid, and empty it into the vehicles around the house. Then, I have a big jug to take the waste oil to the transfer station or recycling outlet. That's easier than trying to dump it back into quart bottles.

 

[huntr1]

If you do it yourself, just keep a record of it. My dad taught me to tear the top off of the oil filter package and staple the receipt for the supplies to it and write the milage on the receipt. Not that I do that anymore (137,000 miles is a little out of warranty). Watch out for WalMart in La Plata. I had the oil changed in my old van there back in the spring and when I got it back, there was a leak. When I crawled under the van to check it out, the drain plug was blue, not the plain steel it had been. Took it back to WalMart and they put in a new drain plug. Took care of the leak. Obviously they had put in the wrong drain plug after draining my oil. That was the first problem I had with them, and I still use them, just check behind them. $12.97 for a standard oil change.

 

[Pete]

Come on people, changing oil is not rocket science. Any trained monkey can do it and any of these places can do an acceptable job at it. Simple steps

1. Know what grade of oil you want and make it clear.
2. When you get in and start it up after they are done watch the oil press guage to ensure pressure.
3. Keep watch for a couple days for oil spots where you park to ensure no leaks.

There is no skill involved, no one place "changes oil better" than any other.