Do you change your own oil?

I always use to until they started putting plastic over everything and it became a pain.
Due for my first oil change on the tundra - 5qts synthetic = 28 bucks + another 3 quarts = 18 bucks. Filter = 7-10 bucks.

Dealership charges $55 for full synthetic change + 10% discount I get.

So, I don’t really see it being beneficial to change my own.

 

I've always changed my own oil, but I will use the two "free" Toyota Care oil changes with my Tundra. After that I'll go back to doing it myself.

 

I’ve always changed mine, kind of like therapy.

 

No.

 

I used to, but the subdivision we lived in North Carolina didn't allow auto maintenance or repair work at your home. it didn't break my heart giving up my ramps, pan and filter wrench.

now I've gotten lazy and it's too easy to outsource and have it done same time as tire rotation, even if the money piece made sense.

Factor a value of my time into your cost calculation and the argument gets even stronger to pay someone else. I'm a nerdy engineer and my wife is a CPA. If anyone cares -- we gave some consideration as to how we should value our time. the formula we use is:
(his + her weekly take home pay) ÷ 100.
The 100 hours represents our combined weekly work hours and some of the commute time (we both actually work too much and her more than me). Anyway, we feel this formula yields us a conservative number that is based on the rate at which we are willing to whore ourselves out to our respective employers.

This also comes up whenever we have the debate over whether we hire a housekeeper (NO) or pay someone to paint the house (YES).

Guess I better get back to work before I owe them something!

 

Yes.

 

Just took my Tundra in yesterday for it's first 5K/6 month service. And since Toyota extended the oil change to 10K/12 month, I had to pay the $70 that my local dealer charges because it wasn't required. No way I'm going to let it go to 10K miles, even with synthetic oil. Especially with a new motor. $55 is a good deal teedubbya and I agree with you about having the dealer do it.

 

Yes but if I can get it done a stealership for around $60 I will definitely be looking in to that. I’ve herd on here people paying $90-$150+ that’s not worth it to me. I’m sure my time value works out to be quite a bit lower then yours
I can usually find 5 qt moble 1 high mile and filter deal around $40
Buy the quarts at Costco by the case when on sale so I have them to top off so probably rite around $50 not including my time

 

I do mine, more convenient, hate waiting to get done. It also prompts me to look around under the hood.

 

Absolutely! I have the time, the knowledge, and the experience to do it and know that it's done right. It's not as easy for me to get under the truck (or my wife's VW) as it once was, but I'll continue to do it as long as I'm able.

 

Change my own

 

I look at getting my oil changed like going to the doctor. If I can take care of this at home, I will. I don’t need to go to the doctor for them to put a Band-Aid on me or take out a splinter or give me my vitamins or pop a broken toe back into place. It’s got to be something I can’t take care of myself.

Now if I am physically unable because of a pending injury or being out of town on a trip, I would consider having someone do it for me. But I do everything within my power to think ahead so that I won’t have to.

 

going to max out the oil changes on my Toyota care but I only have one left. Haven't decided what I am going to do after that. I have had good experiences with my dealers service dept so I guess it will come down to $$. If it is cheaper/same / or close at the dealer as it is to do at home then I will continue with the dealer.

I do differential changes on my own because that is much, much cheaper and I do my own cabin filter, air filter, and other basic general maintenance stuff on my own.

 

I do my own and I have the free two years of service with Toyota. I don't trust some kid working on a $50k vehicle. I take my time and do it right and actually enjoy it. My first change was at 3K miles and there were metal shavings in a lot of the filter. Glad I didn't wait until 10k. I took my truck in for the TSS recall earlier this year and I found an oreo under the seat. I don't eat in the vehicle so someone took a little break in there. Probably left the truck running with the AC on for the entire 2 hours I waited.

 

Do my own, i would bet it is pretty common for dealers that change it for a low price to not put in the recommended oil weight, as it is only available in full synthetic, not to mention the fact that the often strip bolts, over torque everything, drag their feet over the door sills and forget to put stuff back on.
I have a 2014 Jeep, I took it in for a leaking rear axle seal under warranty a couple weeks ago, it was only leaking from the passenger side, I asked to check the drivers side, they assured me they did when I picked it up and there was no problem. Last night I rotated the tires on the Jeep, get to the rear passenger's side wheel, put on the 1/2" breaker bar and proceeded to break a craftsman 3/4" sock in half, had to get out my impact and remove it, must have been torqued over 200lbs, 3 of the lugs were like that, I always use a torque wrench when I put then on, spec is 105lbs, got to the drivers side, they all came off easily, so obviously they had not even taken the wheel off to check the axle as they said they did.

 

Yep I never used one of my Toyota Care services. Get your dirty paws off of my truck LOL

 

I did the free ones and the very first one, they didn't put the cap back on. Noticed a couple days later that oil had sprayed all over the inside. Called them and they "cleaned" it, but still put a bad taste for them. So now I just do my own to be sure that it's done correctly.

 

I do my own, for several reasons.

1. I’m a mechanic
2. It’s more convenient to do it myself than take it in. No appointment needed, and I can do a 9:00 pm oil change, if I want.
3. I know the idiot working on it is going to treat it like it’s his own.
4. I buy my oil in advance when it’s on sale and save a few bucks compared to what the dealer charges.
5. I like doing it.

 

I do my own. I’m not getting into why. You can search the multiple threads on here if want to to know.

 

I have always changed my own oil and also do so for some family members. I am still on my Toyota Care maintenance but as soon as that expires I will be changing my own on the Tundra too. I like working on stuff and I don't trust anyone with my vehicles. I hate bringing my truck in for oil changes but I feel like I have to since I paid for the "free" ones.

 

Do to medical situations I unfortunately cannot do it on my own but the good news I trust my dealer. Wife has been buying from them and I bought this Tundra I have now from them for 10 years or so now. Very good dealer so I bought a 2 year care plan that takes over after the free one and it will cover the 30k service as well. I would do my own oil changes (if I could) or take it to my friends that I used to work with back in my tech days if I didn't trust the dealer though.

 

I will once my two year maintenance plan is up.

 

Never have never will. I love modifying my vehicles but maintenance bores me to death. I dont enjoy doing it and it doesn't save you much if anything. Easy decision (for me) to take it in.

 

NO I paid extra for the Toyota car plan (im sure way too much) but most of all my mx is covered.

 

I do myself after last time at Toyota they charged me $114.51 for a oil change... drove home feeling screwed. That's when I researched and bought everything I needed to do myself. You know what funny... I didn't even get the gasket 90430 12031... how do I know.. stood right there and watched my oil pan drain plug was never removed. Who else has paid $114.51 for a fvcking oil change?! I admit I was stupid for letting them do the tire balance as the truck drives straight as an arrow.

 

I change my own but get the oem filters from the dealer.

 

Short version: I dont do my own oil changes.

I go around and around with this in my head.
Like you guys, my wife and I are fairly well off (I'm also a nerdy engineer).

Yes, my time is worth a certain dollar amount. But only while I'm actually doing the whoring (working). It's not like I'm making that money sitting on the couch staring at the TV while a lawn company mows the lawn. The cost is not offset quite like that. My time has value, but I have a hard time boiling it down to a dollar figure when I'm not getting paid for a given task. Mowing the lawn costs me about an our of my time, a gallon of gas, and some small percentage of the purchase price / maintenance of the equipment.

Let's say it costs me $10 (fuel & equipment usage) to mow my own lawn vs paying a company $40 to come out and do it. I just worked an hour to save $30. (savings is not the same as income, but that's $60-120/mo I can do something else with)

Wife wanted the walls a different color... and I wanted more durable paint as there were spots on the wall from trying to wash stains off of builder (low)grade paint... We got a quote to have someone come do it, and it was something like 3k in labor. We decided it wasnt worth that. We knocked most of the house out in the first few weekends.

Generally, if its something I dont mind doing and I have the time (where I would otherwise just be flipping channels or mundane leisure activities) I'll do it and save the expense. That said, with 3 kids under 6, I dont have a ton of time for mundane leisure activities any more LOL

I mow our lawn, wash our vehicles, wash the dog, and help with regular house stuff (laundry, dishes, sweeping/vacuuming floors, cleaning toilets and counter tops).

We recently started having a maid come once a month or so to do things like deep clean on the floors and showers, and vacuum the stairs - but those are activities I loath and, as a result, have a hard time making time for. I gladly pay the $80 for that.

We also pay $60 a year to have someone come and trim the bushes around the yard and freshen up the mulch in the spring. I could do the mulch, but all I have to pay them is cost of the mulch (brother in law owns the company) and the hour of labor for 2 guys to come and trim / mulch. They have the tools, and do it way faster/nicer than I would.



As far as oil changes go (or any vehicle maintenance out side of detail work), I haven't made time to do it in years.

I could do it fairly easily on the truck (though I dont have a level spot to do it, and I'm sure HOA would have something to say about it...). No jack/ramps required. Tire Rotations are a PITA without a lift IMO, so I'd pay for that. On the other car we do oil change every 6 months and rotate tires yearly. We only put about 600-700mi/mo on each vehicle, so it's definitely more frequently than we need to with synthetic, but I like to keep it at 6 month intervals so they can hang on to it and do the safety inspection once a year when registration requires it. Fluid & tire pressure top off & adjustment is include in the services, which is also convenient.

For the Tundra I got employee pricing on the extended Toyota Care, so I bought it. Covers all the normal engine related wear and tear items + tire rotations (items identified in manufacture require maintenance). I dont remember what the term was on it. It comes with a free "carwash" too, but I decline... they just drive it through an automatic wash, and I dont want my shit all scratched up. When I owned my Kia Optima I took it to the dealer for maintenance, leaving it there all day while I was at work, The detail guy would wash it - that was nice.

 

What you don’t like oreo’s? I also worry this kind of stuff

 

This is the main reason I do mine

 

I have always changed my own and plan to always change it as long as I am physically able. When I do it myself I know I'm getting what I paid for. Seen way too many stories where these shops only drain half the oil and put half of it new. Plus I won't have some asshat strip out my oil pan drain plug!