Car Maintenance: Changing Oil Yourself

[Kiwi]

Each time somebody posts about K's it automatically registers as Kilometers in my brain - not "Thousands" of miles.

In this part of the world you'd say, "The engine has done high K's" meaning High Kilometers, not a good thing.
I don't think i've ever used miles in a conversation ever.

Just so you know, i've had to use conversion a lot in this thread.

Bastards.

 

[Joost]

most people’s driving condition will not qualify them for 10k oil changes, even with synthetic.
Many systems in modern engines need fresh oil to function properly, especially turbo engines. The longer you push it the more oil stops doing its jobs.
5k or 6 months is a good baseline for the majority of drivers.
Oil is cheap, engines are not

This summarizes the intention of my post. I think it doesn't hurt doing it more often (5k instead of 10k).

The pump is cheap and makes the job easier and cleaner. Pump a few times and wait for it to collect the oil. First time using it you open the plug below to see if there is any residue. If not, you can use only the pump for a few more oil changes. Like every other time.

You can change the oil for cheap at Walmart but doing it yourself is something most men should know/do.

 

[SeekingTruth]

This summarizes the intention of my post. I think it doesn't hurt doing it more often (5k instead of 10k).

The pump is cheap and makes the job easier and cleaner. Pump a few times and wait for it to collect the oil. First time using it you open the plug below to see if there is any residue. If not, you can use only the pump for a few more oil changes. Like every other time.

You can change the oil for cheap at Walmart but doing it yourself is something most men should know/do.

I think for some it falls under a "how much is your time worth" sort of thing. I don't change my oil because I would rather pay to get that 1-2 hours back, especially if you have a family. Or if there is another task you value more.
Plus, don't forget there is always a risk of going under a car. For a novice, this risk is elevated. I've heard of cars falling on top of people and you don't want to become this stat to save $20. Almost like getting up on a roof.

 

[Knight.of.Logos]

What are people's thoughts on fuel system / engine cleaners? I've used Techron and Seafoam in the fuel system with good results (my car is about 15 years old, over 160k miles). I've thought about using Marvel Mystery Oil in the engine but I am on the fence.

 

[Helmsman]

5000+ miles is only very recent. It might be justified by increased manufacturing precision, but it could also be intended to shorten the engine lifespan.

A quick search shows nothing but articles saying 3000 is wrong, and 5000 to 10000 is normal. This is from sources that say massive undocumented immigration is great!

I don't believe them.

The 3k interval is for conventional oil which has a shorter lifespan. Mobil 1 for example claims 10k for certain synthetic oils. I drive a Tacoma which calls for oil changes every 5k mi using the manufacturer recommended synthetic oil. Oil is cheaper than a new engine so nothing wrong with doing it at smaller intervals. I’ve found that 5-6k is perfectly acceptable judging by the condition of the oil when I change it.

 

[TruckDriver9]

Dupe thread.

 

[Joost]

Dupe thread.

I didn't see any thread about oil change. Car maintenance is a very broad topic so I decided to create a separate thread to discuss only oil change. Be it engine or transmission.

I would even recommend the mods to open a new section only for car maintenance. Separate threads for changing suspensions, breaks, paint job, window tint, tires and so forth.

 

[Gazeebo]

I can't believe the 5K mile thing hasn't been challenged yet in this thread. I always heard 3K miles my whole life. 5K sounds like riding close to the edge to me, suitable for a car you plan to dump and don't care about the next owner.

10k is a joke. Might as well add sand to the oil.

The 10k oil change seems go have come from the engineering wizards at VW. Apparently more plastic parta means less oil changes.

But honestly fellas, if you're willing to roll dice and not change your oil, espicially on vehicles with turbos (I'm looking specifically at Inline 4 with a turbo), then I wish you good fortune.

And one more thing, these newer lower weight engine oils are not holding like heavier weighted oils. Toyota has a 0-w14 I mean guys the stuff is about as vicous as water.....

Each time somebody posts about K's it automatically registers as Kilometers in my brain - not "Thousands" of miles.

In this part of the world you'd say, "The engine has done high K's" meaning High Kilometers, not a good thing.
I don't think i've ever used miles in a conversation ever.

Just so you know, i've had to use conversion a lot in this thread.

Bastards.

A km is about .6 miles. Not sure If that helps but you can just knock it down to .5 and get a rough estimate on the fly if need be.

 

[RedLagoon]

Always fill the new filter with oil so you don't dry start the car the first time after a change. I guess most of you here know this but I know quite a few guys who didn't and then you actually do more harm to the engine than good.

 

[Laner]

I can't believe the 5K mile thing hasn't been challenged yet in this thread. I always heard 3K miles my whole life. 5K sounds like riding close to the edge to me, suitable for a car you plan to dump and don't care about the next owner.

10k is a joke. Might as well add sand to the oil.

Some of us here are talking km's and 5k km's is 3k miles.

I remember a young woman came into the lube shop I worked at in high school. I was over in the big bay doing oilfield trucks, but there was a commotion over at the auto service pit. I went over and the teenager working there was panicked that no oil was coming out of the drain. Just heavy drops and globs. It was a fairly new car as well. The manager came down and started to pick around in her oil pan and managed to get more globs out. He had the guys up top pump some fresh oil through and sure enough, it came out the pan in thick globs. They did the best they could, topping up, running the car, then dropping the oil again. They explained to the woman what was happening, and she was sobbing.

Poor girl had been told "first service at 60k" and thought that meant oil as well. She drove the car from new til we dropped the oil on the original oil and filter.

 

[Thomas More]

Some of us here are talking km's and 5k km's is 3k miles.

I remember a young woman came into the lube shop I worked at in high school. I was over in the big bay doing oilfield trucks, but there was a commotion over at the auto service pit. I went over and the teenager working there was panicked that no oil was coming out of the drain. Just heavy drops and globs. It was a fairly new car as well. The manager came down and started to pick around in her oil pan and managed to get more globs out. He had the guys up top pump some fresh oil through and sure enough, it came out the pan in thick globs. They did the best they could, topping up, running the car, then dropping the oil again. They explained to the woman what was happening, and she was sobbing.

Poor girl had been told "first service at 60k" and thought that meant oil as well. She drove the car from new til we dropped the oil on the original oil and filter.

I had a rental car once that started flashing the check oil light. Turns out this car had three different messages to tell you that you really need to check the oil. So, even though it was a rental, I stopped and checked it, and it was three quarts low, with about 20K miles on it. I put two quarts of oil in it, and told them when I returned it.

I'm sure they had never changed the oil on that rental car with 20,000 miles on it. I bet the engine already had serious damage. I'd never trust buying a car from a rental company after that. I bet they didn't change it even after I mentioned it to the girl at the rental car return line.

 

[Aboulia]

I think for some it falls under a "how much is your time worth" sort of thing. I don't change my oil because I would rather pay to get that 1-2 hours back, especially if you have a family. Or if there is another task you value more.
Plus, don't forget there is always a risk of going under a car. For a novice, this risk is elevated. I've heard of cars falling on top of people and you don't want to become this stat to save $20. Almost like getting up on a roof.

Does it not take time to book appointments, drive there and wait etc? You could also teach your kids. The only reason I don't do it anymore, is because I currently rent, and I don't want to store the old oil, as the only reason I would ever need to go to the dump would be to get rid of old oil.

There's no comparison to a roof, as all stored potential energy can be easily eliminated. If the car is parked, and all 4 wheels are on the ground, what can go wrong? You don't need a jack, You can always drive onto a couple 2x6s, or if you're in an area with curbs, you can utilize them.

And on the plus side, you don't have to hear some indian ask if you want to change your barely dirty air filter for 1.5x the cost, nor hear him tell you your transmission fluid is low, and want to top up a stick shift car with ATF.

I can't believe the 5K mile thing hasn't been challenged yet in this thread. I always heard 3K miles my whole life. 5K sounds like riding close to the edge to me, suitable for a car you plan to dump and don't care about the next owner.

10k is a joke. Might as well add sand to the oil.

Depends where you drive too, urban or rural makes a huge difference. I grew up in a somewhat rural area, my auto shop teacher taught every 10k km (6k miles). It's what I do to this day, and I don't have issues, my old car made it to 420k km and it's life only ended due to an accident but I'm also not running any fancy high performance vehicles, I stick to simple vehicles I can work on myself.

 

[mountainaire]

I can't believe the 5K mile thing hasn't been challenged yet in this thread. I always heard 3K miles my whole life. 5K sounds like riding close to the edge to me, suitable for a car you plan to dump and don't care about the next owner.

10k is a joke. Might as well add sand to the oil.

Agree 1000%. Go ask any engine builder what his recommended OCI is for HIS engines. It won't be 10k.

Car manufacturers just want to get you through the warranty period, they don't care what happens after that. I've even heard rumors that govt agencies have pressured automakers into extending their oil intervals to "reduce waste and pollution".

It's especially crazy when you consider that most new cars nowadays have turbocharged small displacement engines, which are harder on oil by nature of their design.

I wouldn't go past 5k on anything I own.

 

[mountainaire]

I think for some it falls under a "how much is your time worth" sort of thing. I don't change my oil because I would rather pay to get that 1-2 hours back, especially if you have a family. Or if there is another task you value more.
Plus, don't forget there is always a risk of going under a car. For a novice, this risk is elevated. I've heard of cars falling on top of people and you don't want to become this stat to save $20. Almost like getting up on a roof.

The best thing about changing your oil is knowing it was done right, and using high quality oil and filters instead of the bulk products at shops.

 

[fortyfive]

This is the cheapest, most reliable, and secure way to get under the car. I use it all the time, built from the wood or even bricks. You can lift a whole car with four pieces and put it under every wheel if needed.

 

[RedLagoon]

Some of us here are talking km's and 5k km's is 3k miles.

I remember a young woman came into the lube shop I worked at in high school. I was over in the big bay doing oilfield trucks, but there was a commotion over at the auto service pit. I went over and the teenager working there was panicked that no oil was coming out of the drain. Just heavy drops and globs. It was a fairly new car as well. The manager came down and started to pick around in her oil pan and managed to get more globs out. He had the guys up top pump some fresh oil through and sure enough, it came out the pan in thick globs. They did the best they could, topping up, running the car, then dropping the oil again. They explained to the woman what was happening, and she was sobbing.

Poor girl had been told "first service at 60k" and thought that meant oil as well. She drove the car from new til we dropped the oil on the original oil and filter.

I've apprenticed at a dealership and one time this lady came in and complained of a lack of power, it wouldn't rev over 3k rpm (diesel) and it felt like it had less than half of the power it should have.
We pulled the sump plug and there was a substance like molasses slowly pouring out of it. This Merc hadn't seen an oil change in over 100K kms.

We did the same as what you described and it ran fine for many more kms as those old Merc diesels are something else.

 

[bubs]

I have several friends who prefer to do their own oil changes. I can understand doing them if you have long commutes run miles quickly on your car and need to save money desperately. But personally, I don't feel its worth my several hour investment of time on a Saturday or Sunday day off from work just to save a few bucks. Oil changes at the various chain quick lube centers run $50-80 these days (and some of costs is oil and oil filters) and if you know when to go, you can be in/out in 15 minutes. I've been using the quick lube centers for over 30 years, and all of my cars (6 total vehicles) my family has owned that I've taken care of maintenance (except for my 1st crap car in 1990's) have lasted more than 15 years and over 175K miles every time. Pay extra $15 to rotate tires in 5 min as well when needed. Would take me an hour + at least at home to jack up the car, rotate tires and wrestle off those lug nuts. I'll do my own air filter and wiper blade replacements though...they will rip you off there on the product mark ups and that is something I can do in minutes myself.

 

[Laner]

I have several friends who prefer to do their own oil changes. I can understand doing them if you have long commutes run miles quickly on your car and need to save money desperately. But personally, I don't feel its worth my several hour investment of time on a Saturday or Sunday day off from work just to save a few bucks. Oil changes at the various chain quick lube centers run $50-80 these days (and some of costs is oil and oil filters) and if you know when to go, you can be in/out in 15 minutes. I've been using the quick lube centers for over 30 years, and all of my cars (6 total vehicles) my family has owned that I've taken care of maintenance (except for my 1st crap car in 1990's) have lasted more than 15 years and over 175K miles every time. Pay extra $15 to rotate tires in 5 min as well when needed. Would take me an hour + at least at home to jack up the car, rotate tires and wrestle off those lug nuts. I'll do my own air filter and wiper blade replacements though...they will rip you off there on the product mark ups and that is something I can do in minutes myself.

Yep to each their own. Being able to do an oil change in my vehicles in 15 min for $35 is a price I am will to pay. The lube shops around here are $100 now. $130 for my truck even, when it only takes 300ml more than my car. And again, being taught that even just getting under your car will allow you to see things happening before they happen is a great way to keep you from getting stranded or hit with an unexpected repair cost.

I will agree about rotating tires though. I hate that there is no time efficient way to do it. But since I switch from summer wheels to winter wheels in my car, I use that as the time to rotate. For my truck, nothing I can do but jack and rotate a bunch of times. So I would rather pay a tire shop to do this on their lift.