Do you change your own oil?

The 02’ for the first time in 16 years will have its oil changed by me. Why? Got a great deal on Mobil1 ‘Advanced Full Synthetic’ plus filter for $35 and want to see if I still have the ‘skills’.

Besides, since my hand modeling accident and subsequent retirement from lack of work I no longer need to worry about hand scars and such.

 

Yes, I change my own oil.

I enjoy it.

I think you save a few bucks. I'm retired, so every little bit helps.

After reading this thread I'm going to start buying oil whenever I see it on sale and not just before I'm due for a change.

Even if the dealership will do it at a very reasonable cost, you know you will have to deal with them trying to up-sell you on other stuff, like the tire rotation mentioned in one of the above posts. I'm a sucker for up-selling.

I've been saving my allowance...seriously, I have, ain't retirement grand?...and I will be purchasing a Jowett Performance oil filter cap and a RCI skid plate, the one with the trap door, before my next change sometime in August. I can't wait.

 

You have had the dealer doing the changes for 16 years? You better bring a 3 foot breaker bar when you change oil to get that filter housing off!

 

Good job! I’ll be ordering the RCI before my next change for that very reason.

 

evening all, had the Tundra in for the 1st service at 5k. As is known the oil is not changed with a "non flex fuel" at that point, really didn't make a difference as I had already changed the initial (read break in) oil at about < 2K. My conscious would not let me go further. The skid plate is a pain in the /// to get out of the way. I will consider removing the skid plate in the future just for the changes and put back on after the changes and have the changes done at the local oil change place that has been exceptional in the past. At this place of business I am able to specify the oil that I want in it and they take care of it. Will not use the dealer outside of the service intervals and given the 2K difference in the interval I doubt if they will ever get to do a oil change at the dealer.

 

I change my own oil on all my vehicles, Main reasons I do it is because I know it will be done right, I enjoy working on my vehicles and I just don't have an 1 -1.5hr to sit at a dealership waiting for my oil to be changed. I can pull it in the garage after I put the kid to bed and knock it out pretty quickly.

 

Always do my own oil changes. They typically don't put their "elite" mechanics on oil changes at any shop - especially dealerships.
Plus, I know that they don't go through the entire maintenance checklist - some might, but most don't. Plus, it is a way for me to interact with my kids. I teach them how to do it, and make them do their own maintenance on their vehicles as well.

 

I change my own oil. I have all the right tools and adapters. I use full synthetic 0-20 and oem oil filters. My dealer has a buy four get one free deal. Just as cheap as any filter out there. Plus oem is always best as far as I know. No big deal for me. Been doing it for thirty years now on two vehicles plus bikes. Plus for me because I can look around under there while I am letting it all drain to see if anything bad is going on under there. Even with skid plate. Easier to get under than my Siennas. Peace. D

 

I already have the tools for changing oil...I guess you accumulate stuff over the years and it seems to pile up in one corner of the garage but it's there when you need it. My son would probably do an estate sale on them when I get old and hopefully not feeble enough to keep on driving this same truck or mountain biking (which always seem so liberating on both)...that said, I would change my own oil acquired from Costco like some peeps who mentioned this previously and just have a reputable tire store do the rotation, balance.. have 4 wheel parts do 4 wheel alignment and the warranty torque specs on my suspension

 

I don’t think they put any “mechanics” on the oil change. I basically forced them to take mine back to a mechanic when I was letting them do my changes.

 

Hmm that sounds screwy,10k? no way I'd ever wait that long for any oil change lol. I did my first at 2k to flush out any nasties hiding from manufacturing process. Just brought it to dealer for 1st actual dealer service at 4,180 and they did it without question. But dealer to dealer difference prob. Interesting though. Good to know

 

$130 for a full synthetic change at the dealership, supposedly they also hit all the grease points. I can do it for about $70 if I find oil on sale. Did my last one myself. Checked the grease points. The dealership had probably never looked at them. Doing oil changes myself from now on.

 

They have outright told me they don’t grease anything. You’re making a wise decision.

 

Combo of dealer and local service stations. I’m dusting off the breaker bar now as these soft model hands will need it anyways even if the nut is on at spec!

 

I find it more convenient to do it myself. Much like other things. . Just kidding, kind of. I get 6 quarts of mobile 1 at Costco, sucks that they don't have 7 quart boxes, for ~$26 when it's on sale and either get a wix or Toyota filter for $10 and spend maybe 30 mins doing it. I just hate scheduling appointments or waiting in line somewhere for something I can do myself.

 

I don't understand the logic for people that say they don"t have time. If you drive 30 mins or an hour back and fourth to your favorite dealer plus 1hr min time waiting there equals to 2 hours. You could have done it yourself for 30 mins tops.

 

Agreed. It’s 30 minutes to my dealer. I usually wait an hour (at least) and then 30 minutes back. Plus fuel etc.
I do it taking my time in an hour. While the oil is draining I grease all my zerks. I look around at stuff etc. when the RCI skid and Fumoto valve go on it will be so easy. It makes me feel good knowing I did it right.
Then I just bring the oil next time I’m around Walmart and drop it off. Takes five minutes.
To each their own..

 

changed my own oil for years on multiple vehicles,My Tacoma did the free Toyota care then back to changing my own oil. my tundra
I plan to let dealer change it every 10,000 miles. any one have thoughts on the 10,000 mile interval??

 

I don’t do it. I’m sure it’s fine to go that long with synthetics but I’m hard headed.

 

If the oil pan drain plug was never removed, how did they change the oil?

 

I have done my own oil changes since I was 16 years old. I also do my own brakes and other maintenance. I prefer to do it myself because I know it is done right. I buy Mobil 1 synthetic at Walmart. In my area, it's about 25.00 for a 5 qt jug. I buy two jugs if I am completely out, and then save the remainder for the next change in which I just buy one jug. So it's about 75.00 for two oil changes with a quart left over. I buy my OEM filters off ebay or Amazon from a toyota dealer usually 3-5 at a time.

 

He just removed the filter cartridge and let the oil dump out that way. Said something about its just easier to do it that way...

 

That won't drain the oil from the pan. I wonder how much oil comes out doing it that way. I may have to test that.

 

I think most dealers suck the oil out through the oil fill neck.

 

Agreed. I told the service writer it's ridiculous to have a 10K oil change interval. Unfortunately, that's what it says in the owners manual now. Mine was at 2300 miles and I wanted to get the break-in oil out for the same reasons you stated. Then it's every 5K for me.

 

i despise taking my truck to stealerships, mostly because im a mechanic. I just cant get around to trust a rando with my baby. I know lots of awesome guys out there but alot that make me ask the question "how'd you make it this far, seriously?". The reasoning behind me taking it to the stealer is so that i can have a maintenance paper trail for future reference and or trade/
Sell/lemon backup. But i digress

 

There was a guy that was a mechanic where I work that was a ridiculous Chevy fanboy, not ridiculous because it's gm, just everything else sucked and if you didn't but gm, you were the most stupidest person in earth. He took a job at Toyota, because he wanted to work at a dealership and no gm dealers were hiring. It made me wonder if a Chevy fanboy works at a non-gm dealership, if his work is going to be diminished because it's not his brand.

 

Just changed mine last night. Swapped to the metal filter housing and used Mobil 1 for now. Truck has 4,766 miles on it.

 

Yes. I always have. Seeing how Toyota care will only do it every 10k, looks like I’ll be doing it the other 5k mile intervals they won’t.

 

I have never had anyone change oil/filter on any vehicle I have ever owned since 1961. Just something I insist on doing myself. Tire rotations? yeah, they can do that for me - I'm not as strong as I used to be...

Dan