Changing our engine oil is a key part of regularly scheduled programming. It is what helps ensure the vitality of your engine but carving out the time for this very important chore can be vexatious.
This is a chore I’ve done myself much more often than paying to have it done. Yes, it can be messy and, yes, taking the old oil off to be recycled can be a hassle (although I know some who have oil-burning furnaces in their shops). Yet doing so does allow one time to commune with their steed, allowing opportunity for finding other emerging issues.
This also allows me opportunity to compare and contrast the layout of various vehicles as well as critique the decisions made by automotive designers and engineers.
For instance, when removing the oil filter from my 4.6 liter powered 1996 Ford Thunderbird, having an additional joint between my wrist and elbow would have been beneficial. At least the oil filter was drained by the time it was removed, its contents having ran down my arm and off my elbow.
The 1993 Buick Century I briefly owned required turning the front wheels to the left to access the oil filter on its 3.3 liter V6.
My 1987 Dodge Ram 250 was tops for oil changes. I could change the oil without raising the front end. Simply crawl underneath and have at it.
No innocent cars were damaged; all the heights were perfect.
While changing the oil on my ’63 Ford Galaxie is the most straightforward of anything I’ve ever owned, I’ve also learned to jack it up and avoid using ramps. I’ll blame this on it having a manual transmission.
When we bought our Volkswagen Passat in 2014, I swore I’d never change the oil in it myself. Well, things change. When I called the dealer earlier today, the only VW dealer between St. Louis and Kansas City, the service manager was profoundly rude and as helpful as influenza. My thought? Piss on you, I’ll do it myself.
It was enough different from all the other cars I’ve owned to make the job rather fun. Those cartridge oil filters are a great idea and the Torx head (a Torx 45 to be specific) oil plug was a nice change of pace.
At 47, crawling around on my back isn’t as drama-free as it used to be. I also know some localities frown upon this basic part of the do-it-yourself approach for various reasons. I also know we all have cycles of what we are willing and unwilling to perform ourselves.
Regardless, here is the question: Have you ever gone through a period of changing your own engine oil? And, do you still do so?
I’ve always done the basics on my cars at home. Home, unfortunately, is not only a slope but also on a camber, so jacks are out of the question. I employ wooden planks and rocks to make two ramps that gives me enough clearance to get myself and a bucket underneath (to catch the oil) and generally see what I’m doing.
My last car, a W124 had the oil filter facing the top. My new Honda’s facing the pavement, in the traditional manner, so I’m back to concrete crawling. Noticed though, that the oil drip tray has two windows in it; one for the radiator and the other for the oil filter. Sweet! Every little assistance helps.
I never did it on my Cadillac, but I have done it twice on my Mercury.
And as someone with a Ford 4.6 Modular, I feel you on the additional joint. That filter location….gets me pent up just thinking about it.
I have been changing oil since before I could drive and still do until this day. I used to change lots of family members cars and did countless oil changes when I worked at the dealership. i don’t mind changing oil and quite honestly it’s not about saving money. By the time I drive into town, wait around for the oil change and drive back, I could do three oil changes. It’s not worth my time. I still do all of my own maintenance and repairs on my vehicles, other than tires, alignments, and safety checks.
I have always changed my own oil because, by the time I drive to the quick-change place and wait and drive back, it is faster. Especially when it is 9:00 PM before I can get to it. My 2006 Mustang has to be jacked up but the filter is reasonably easy to get to. My 2015 Expedition is a different story. It doesn’t require jacking but it has a fiberboard protection plate that has to be removed to access the drain plug. And the filter – forget it. It is the most difficult to access of any car I have ever had (I am 66, that is a lot of cars). I am convinced that the engineers design these to force trips to the dealer for service.
A fluid extractor is a real mess saver, most European cars are set up to have the oil sucked out through the dipstick tube. With a filter on top, there’s no reason to crawl underneath it for basic service.
I even came up with a cheap homemade extractor that work good. All you need is a 5 gallon container, some tubing, a fitting to connect the tubing to the container, and an exercise ball pump. This pump should make and hold vacuum.
I am with Bob here, I use a vacuum extractor on my Audi A4. The filter sits on top and does not dribble when removed. This is a springtime ritual, and I get to go over the car in detail while doing it. I have a shop to do it in. It is faster and more fun and more convenient than working with an oil change shop on a Saturday.
If I were to change this, I would use an Audi dealer. Take an A6 loaner out for a ride.
For the cost, Costco now has high quality Kirkland synthetic oil for about half the cost of typical; $25 gets two gallon sized jugs. I forget if 4 or 5 quarts per jug. I will stick with Mobil 1 Euro for the Audi.
I always do my own. Far too many dumbasses out there holding wrenches for my liking and I rather enjoy being somewhat self reliant. Only things I send out are tires and machine work because the tooling expense can be a bit high.
I almost always change it myself. I don’t really trust anyone else since having an oil filter loosen and leak all over shortly after the dealer changed my oil.
When I drive my car onto the ramps, I set a 4 by 4 piece of lumber in front of a rear wheel at a distance that will allow the front wheels to reach the top of the ramp without going over the end. The 4 by 4 acts as an extra stop. After the car is in on the ramps I move the 4 by 4 behind the rear wheel to prevent the car from rolling back.
Always do it myself. On all six vehicles. I have trust issues with having anyone else do it.
I used to do it myself for all the German cars over the years just to be sure of the quality of filter and oil, the Japanese ones and American ones that were well used by the time I got them usually went to a quickie lube place. Of the current fleet the Jeep goes to the dealer due to the cheap coupon they offer that includes the tire rotation, the Highlander as well as does the newest car, in all three cases in large part due to the warranties, if something goes bad I don’t want any kind of hassle as far as proving maintenance was done. The physically oldest in the fleet, the truck, I do myself (three times so far) but not really sure why anymore as it’s generally a hassle and makes a bit of a mess due to the position of the filter and drain plug. For whatever weird reason I enjoy going to purchase the oil and the OEM filter for it.
The only one I do myself is the ’05 Taurus.
The filter is above the starter, and any oil runoff can go right onto/into it.
I had to replace it at less than a year old once because the shop just couldn’t/wouldn’t protect it from the oil runoff.
I just put it on the steel ramps and it takes 10 minutes.
I put a sheet of plastic down first in case of drips/spills on the driveway.
I used to change the oil in my vehicles myself until about 15-20 years ago. I’ve got a pretty good quick lube type shop I’ve been using for years. Except for a couple of my special hobby cars (Jaguars) the shop does it. Getting rid of the oil can be messy even though my local garbage pick up takes it. I never liked the idea of leaving a gallon plus of oil sitting on the curb overnight just waiting for some punk kid to spill on purpose. To be honest have never had any problems with kids, punk or otherwise in my neighborhood. I do most all other mechanical work though, even changed out an automatic in my 12 cylinder Jag, using jacks and stands. Hope to never do that again!
I have my Civic done at the dealer. I bring my own Amsoil & filter, they charge me $20 to change the oil & rotate the tires, so it’s not worth doing myself. The Harley is a different story, they want $150 for an oil change & I can do it in less than an hour for about $50 for the oil & filter.
I always change my own oil and filter. Many of my cars have grease fittings that are serviced at the same time, I don’t trust oil change jockeys to find them all.
Its an excellent opportunity to take a look around under the car for damage, wear or other issues. Often I’ll do other jobs like check the brakes, rotate the tires etc at the same time . It saves me money and it’s good exercise.
I can’t say I’ve ever payed someone to change the oil on any of my vehicles, of course being a mechanic for many years I’ve been payed to change other peoples oil probably thousands of times over the years.
Up until the last several years I did all of my own oil changes. And tire rotations, spark plugs, various ancillary filters, brake jobs and other odds and ends. The biggest impediment to me doing my own oil changes is the fact that the local oil recycling facilities have closed. Pep Boys in our town used to take the oil, but they have apparently stopped, also.
Most often I take my cars to the local Chevy dealer that has a fast lube, but lately the price has been going up there, too. And, they have been doing the hard sell on all kinds of crap, like fuel system conditioners, oil treatments and etc. I stick to the factory service schedule in the owner’s manual for each vehicle.
WRT to ramps and stands: Years ago, a buddy of mine had his car up on ramps that collapsed. I was nearby when it happened, luckily they collapsed well above the floor, but not enough for him to slide out, as he was on a creeper. I had to grab a trolley jack and lift the car up enough for him to get out. Luckily he was not injured other than his nerves.
I have two different kinds of jack stands, ones with a “saddle” and others with a “button” on top. I think I was gifted the button ones, but I only use them on my lighter cars, as I’ve seen the car slide on those when lowering the car on to them. Now that I don’t have anything light (think Yugo lightness) they just sit in the corner of the garage and collect dust.
I’m no kid anymore, and unless I can find a good place to recycle my oil, I’ll probably stick with the Chevy dealership’s services. I recently went to a Valvoline Quick Change place not too long ago, and they seemed to do a good job, there too. I’d give that exact location another try, but I’m more skeptical of other ones.
Have done it on all my cars- going back 40 years. I’m an ex mechanic, so the idea of paying someone to do some something I can do my self is foreign to me. Still do it on the Peugeot, the Holden and the Skylark. On the ‘lark I’ll tackle almost any job myself. On the .’modern’cars I stick to pads, oil and filters.
I’m with Scoutdude. As a career mechanic I take whatever vehicle in the family fleet that needs service to work. As Jason said it is also a chance to look it over.
What I sometimes find more challenging than the oil change is resetting the maintenance reminders on numerous brands of cars without consulting service information. None are alike and the procedures run the gamut from a few button taps to using a scanner with the correct software.
I do my own, have for years. Also take care of family as well. Have a lift in the garage, so it’s a no brainer. Daughter in law brought the Town & Country to a quick lube once, then to me for the next oil change. Drain plug was on so tight, that my 1/2 inch impact wouldn’t take it off. I had to order an oil pan and had her come back when I got it. Put a 6 foot breaker bar on it, and cracked the aluminum pan taking it off. When I went to the quick lube place, they refused to pay for the pan because she didn’t bring the vehicle back to them. I told the manager neither she or anyone we know will ever be back, and then I went to every customer in the waiting room and explained what they were risking. Two of them left.
I do my own. My old 4Runner is surprisingly kind of a pain: reach through driver’s side wheel well, unscrew the upward facing filter that spills oil all over the skid plate. On the flip side I’m not dealing with jacking anything up, plenty of room underneath to get to the drain bolt.
Wife’s Camry: put it on stands, drain oil from the pan, undo the filter housing plug to drain the cartridge, replace cartridge. I’ve gone to a 5k interval on it since noticing that running even 7500 can use up a quart, to say nothing of the (insane IMO) 10k interval that Toyota recommends.
Our Town&Country: this one is a breeze. Top mount cartridge filter, I bought a nice oil extractor off amazon, so the car stays on the ground, everything is accessed from up top. I’ve confirmed that the extractor gets all the oil out of the pan.
I used to, but stopped when the price of buying the oil and filter was fairly close to just taking it to the dealership. That price gap has grown again so I’ve been reconsidering. In an old brick bungalow neighborhood on the bench, however, garages are rare and so are flat driveways, so it’s still easier to take it in twice a year and get some work done on the laptop while waiting.
Now, swapping out the winter tires & rims is something I’ll do myself because standing in line for 15 minutes at Discount Tire to drop the car off while some middle age lady hems and haws with the salesman about what off-brand tires will be twenty bucks cheaper, only to repeat the same d*mned process when picking up the car exceeds my very short patience.
“while some middle age lady hems and haws with the salesman about what off-brand tires will be twenty bucks cheaper, only to repeat the same d*mned process when picking up the car exceeds my very short patience.”
LOL
I always cringe when I’m within earshot of this stuff. I’ve bought tires online from Walmart a few times (cheapo 14 inchers for my circle track neon, heavily discounted snow tires for my departed ES300), and while the cost savings are real, dealing with both my fellow customers and the disinterested employees (that remind me of cows chewing cud in terms of their dead stares and general physical proportions) has me reconsidering whether its worth saving $50.
Recently dealt with a local tire shop while diagnosing TPMS issues on my Chrysler’s snow tires (tried using Autel universal sensors), and was so impressed with how hard they worked to help me solve the problem that I’m a newly loyal customer of theirs. I’ll rave about them to anyone who will listen.
Always have.
At 79 it is not as easy as in the past, but still doable.
Incidentally, Auto Zone allows you to change your oil in their parking lot and then receive your old oil in their waste tank.
Jason Shafer I have the same ramps that you do. I purchased them in the later 90’s & they have served me well. I’ve never had the problem that you with your 63 (knock on wood) & I’ve owned two manual transmission vehicles in the last 20 plus years.
I’ve changed my own oil since I started driving in 1968.
I’ve probably done all but ten or so oil changes myself, in 45 years of car ownership. For the last 30 years I think I’ve been the only one in my neighborhood doing them, at least not behind closed garage doors. And maybe 2 or 3 of those changes that I didn’t do were done by my kids (under my tutelage), and both kids continue to do their own changes most of the time. Some of my newer cars have been really challenging to reach or extract the filter (New Beetle, Forester) and many have no straight drain or drip path, leading to runoff and a mess (Land Cruiser 80, New Beetle). Ironically, our most modern car, the VW Golf VII with 1.8T, is a breeze. Top mounted cartridge filter and a 1/4 or 1/2 turn bayonet-style drain plug that’s turned with a straight screwdriver. Piece of cake – thanks VW!
I do most of my own service work, from engines to oil changes. I subcontract some, but not much.
I started having oil analyzed by a lab. Learned I’d been changing the oil WAY too often. We have an ’03 Trailblazer with an oil life monitor; the monitor shows the percentage of remaining oil life on the dashboard. At around 13,000 miles, I’m in the single digits for supposed oil life. After sampling and analysis, I learned to change the filter at 13K, top off the oil, and then change oil and filter at ~26,000 miles.
There’s only 240,000 on the engine, so I don’t really know how well this policy will serve me, long-term…but when the results come back from the lab and they say the oil I dumped at 26K was still fit for use…
God bless oil analysis.
My most-recent oil service was about two weeks ago. I needed to change filter and top-off; which I did by lying on the driveway in the snow at 20 degrees F. Which was kinda nice, because it’d been considerably colder the week before.
I use a paint-pen to write the date and mileage on the oil filter; and also whether it was a filter-and-top-off, or complete oil change. Then I don’t have to try to remember the details on each vehicle in the fleet.
The oil I dump gets re-bottled in 16-oz soda bottles, and used to start fires in the fireplace in the winter.
I’ve been changing the oil myself since the late 70s, including times when we had as many as 4 cars in the fleet. I’m lucky that beginning in the early 90s, I’ve been able to do it at work where we have lifts in a climate-controlled garage with an waste oil recycling service.
But with retirement looming, I may no longer be able to do it at home, crawling on the garage floor with my legs not being as flexible as they used to be. We’ll see.
I did my own oil and filter changes for 40-odd years, except on one occasion when I was feeling lazy. I’ve hired out oil changes on my most recent 3 cars (2003 Saturn L200, 2008 Honda Accord, 2005 Honda Civic) because they just don’t have the ground clearance to let me slide under them.
I’m sure I could use ramps of jack stands safely, but I’m lazy.
I have changed the oil in my car starting when I got my first car in 1969. Then I started changing the oil in my car and now the company car, while in college, that was bestowed on me in 1973. I now change the oil in my TEN cars today.
The five old classics need no help as I slide easily under them for everything. The Sable and 626 are a split job with filter from the top and oil below but straightforward. Focus both from under and I slide under. The new Mazda 3 and the 2004 Le Sabre both need to be lifted, and placed on a jack stand, in order for me to access the filter.
Cost for any oil change using Motorcraft filters and my particular choice of oil is under $20. Oh, and only 66 years old.
I do my own just from sheer force of habit and now it is so easy its a pleasure almost, First to get under my current car you lift it to what the book calls service height by pressing the up button on the console until the car stops rising switch the engine off slide the drain pan underneath reach under and undo the sump plug allow to drain, open the bonnet and undo the filter its at the front of the engine and easy to reach, dipose of old filter spin on a new one replace drain plug and refill with full synthetic diesel oil, lower the car back to normal ride height using the down button a large arrow appears on the dash top display when youve reached it and it takes about as long to do as it did to type out, the car is due again in about 7,000 kms and I do the filter every time, they are so cheap its not worth risking an old clogged filter on clean fresh oil
Like many of you folks on here, I always did everything on my cars…..oil, brakes, exhaust, suspension, tune ups, you name it. That was when I was young(er). Now that I’m 73, the only thing I do on my RAV4 is tire rotation. I could never find anyone who torqued the lugs properly, too tight, too loose. Even when I complained, they always claimed to use the latest hi tech torque wrench. So how come when I checked them when I got it home, some lugs needed a 1/2″ breaker bar with a length of pipe on it to loosen and some came off with just a ratchet?
My new leased Lexus RX gets tire rotation done every time I bring it in to the dealer.
Other than that, I do nothing!
I am 76 and have been changing oil in my cars since I was 16 (1949 Chev first car). That’s 60 years of oil changes!
I’m with you, Anthony..I am.also 76 and, as I commented below, I do O.C.s on (3) out of (5) of my vehicles. We get it right at our age! Good to hear from another senior…and best of health to you!! Robert Reynolds, Kansas City, MO
Hey, I am ALSO 76 and have been changing oil since 1962.
Recently, my daughters Fiesta needed a change and found that that the Midas shop guys cross threaded the oil drain plug, and then used JB Weld to make sure that you never had to change it again.
I tried everything to get it out, but it was cheaper to get a new pan off eBay and told her never again!!!!!
An O.C. on my 2008 Dodge Quad, 4.7L(6) spd m.t. is almost “enjoyable” as compared to my, recently sold 2006 Honda Element. The European-style O.C. on the Aveo is no big deal either. Enter my wife’s 2014 Cayenne V6, 6spd m.t. and her (ours) 2003 MR2 and there is no way this 76 yrs old body can do it. We recently bought a 2016 Sonic that even uses the same filter# as the Aveo. Like the Aveo, the O.C. will be a one-two beer affair on a nice day.Feels good to know that a long drain and blow-out with compressed air is done at my leisure and exactly how I want it done.
I’ve been changing oil since the mid-60s,even before I had a driver’s license. Back then it wasn’t the most pleasant experience but I was full of energy.
I’ve changed the oil and filters in all of my cars. I still like getting my hands dirty, and I’m cheap. I’m also give the car a once over while I have it on the stands.
In 1980 I acquired a new Hein-Warner 4 ton long wheelbase jack and matching stands. Best investment ever! And the jack is still going strong after 40 years.
I always change the oil, filter and rotate the tires at 3,000 mile intervals. I’m not picky about oil brands as long as they meet new car specs. When on sale they can be had for under $2 a quart. And I buy them by the case. I’ve never had an oil related problem, and I have an oil analysis done every few years. I’ve replaced many aging rocker arm cover and oil pan gaskets and the engines have always been spotless. I dispose of the used oil a the local Advance Auto.
I plan to keep the cars running for many, many more years. I own an ’03 Park Avenue and ’07 Camry that I would, without hesitation, drive anywhere in the country on a moments notice.
I hear that many of the new engines have multiple oil plugs. Can anyone verify this?
I changed my own oil for a number of years until I got tired of carting the used oil back to be recycled. Messy.
Oh come on now. I don’t know how many hundreds of gallons of oil I have taken to a recycle center but it was never messy. Good old 1 gallon plastic milk containers with screw tops and a good funnel. Rarely, if ever, spill a drop.
Gah!! Let the stoners at the local Goofmasters change my oil? Oh hells no. I don’t care that they’ll replace an engine when the drain plug falls out, or that they serve awesome coffee during the “up sell.” I like to let my oil drain a long time so there is another reason. Did anyone read their owners manual lately? Some specify a 20 minute drain time minimum. I also don’t want to mess with over/under filling, or filters torqued to 100 foot pounds. I also like knowing what’s in the sump and who knows what hose the guy grabbed from the various bulk tanks of different weights etc.
Changing one’s own oil isn’t a “period” or season in life, it IS life. Do you pay others to brush your teeth?
I don’t think I have ever known anyone in my immediate family to ever pay someone for an oil change. And usually I’ll be glad to do it for family and friends that are in a pinch or short on ability.
That being said, I got burned once by an ex-long-term-girlfriend who broke up with me shortly after I put new tires and brakes on her car. Won’t be doing that again.