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Should you try an oil change yourself?

If you already know that you are going to do an oil change yourself no matter what my advice is, then you can skip down to the bottom of the page. I have found some information that will be helpful to you for instruction.

oil change girl

What you've probably heard:

-Do an oil change yourself to save money.
-Oil changes are a quick and easy part of auto maintenance.
-Every car owner should know how to change their own oil.

The truth:

-Oil changes do not save you very much money. Why? Well there are several reasons.

First, you have to buy your oil and oil filter from a retail store. These items are marked up so that the store can make money off of them. Any auto repair shop or quick lube store will be able to buy them in volume and get a discount.

Second, you probably do not have a lift to get your car off the ground, so it will take you much longer than it would take a mechanic to do the job.

Third, if you strip the oil plug or don't get the oil filter on right you could cost yourself way more money than you would save in a lifetime of doing your own oil changes.

Fourth, you will have to dispose of the used oil. The only good way to do that is to take it to a recycler. Many auto parts stores will take your used oil, but you still have to get it there without it spilling all over everything. Professionals will do this for free when you have your oil changed by them. They will either have a recycler take it or many of them burn it in waste oil heaters. Either way, it is not your responsibility to get rid of it, which makes it easier and less hassle for you.

-Oil Changes used to be a very quick and easy job. With todays newer cars many times it is not that easy anymore. In fact some oil filters require a special tool to get them off, and others are in such a tight space that you couldn't get them off without having the car up on a lift.
Another thing to consider is the fact that most cars have an "oil light reset procedure". This procedure is many times found in the service manual, but not always. Any good shop will have access to the factory service manual that has the information needed to turn off this light.
You can perform your own oil change on some cars fairly easily, but be sure before you drain the oil out.

-There are many things every car owner should know. This is not one of them. What you should know however is how to make sure your vehicle is maintained correctly according to the factory maintenance schedule.

In my opinion you are better off having someone else change your oil. You have some options for where to go:

1) Your regular mechanic
This is by far the best option. Every car owner should have a good mechanic that they trust to do all of their repairs and maintenance, including oil changes. They know your car, and they will be able to spot things that are out of the ordinary right away. Besides, you trust them. They do good work for you so why not support their business?

Generally speaking, trained, certified mechanics will have much more experience with and knowledge about cars. This means that they will probably do a much better job, and if for some reason they mess something up, they will be able to fix it correctly.

I highly recommend taking your car to your regular mechanic for oil changes. They will be more expensive, but you get much better service and more knowledgeable people working on your car.

It is important to not that most quick lube places and many repair shops recommend changing your motor oil every 3,000 miles. This is NOT necessary for most cars. Most manufacturers recommend changing your oil every 5,000-7,500 miles. I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true...check your owners manual. The exception is if you drive your car in dusty conditions all the time, you do a lot of stop and go driving, you almost always drive your car on short trips, etc. The average driver does not do any of these enough to warrant changing their oil every 3,000 miles.

On other quick note. A great way to "try out" a repair shop is to take your car there for an oil change. See how you are treated and how well they seem to know what they are doing. It is one of the best ways to find a good shop for that time when you need a good, reputable repair shop.

2) Quick lube store
I call these "stores" because that is what most of them are. They are there to sell you things and that is what they are usually the best at. Don't get me wrong, there are some great quick lube stores out there, but they are few and far between.

If you take your car to one of these then be prepared for offers to sell you things that you may or may not need. Many of them are lacking in their training and experience as well. I have repaired more than one stripped oil pan plug because of a "mechanic" that did not put it on correctly.

Most people do not have any problems when they take their car to a quick lube type store, as long as they are informed. The best thing about these types of stores is that they are cheap. They are there to do lots of oil changes in a short amount of time. They get deep discounts on their supplies and are set up to change oil quickly. This means that they are probably going to always be the cheapest option.

Remember, it's not just about the price. It's about the quality. If you want to keep your car running well have the oil changed regularly. The most important thing is that it gets done, not necessarily where it gets done.

Now that you have read all of my advice (or at least most of it!) and you have enough information to make a good, smart decision I will show you some sites that have some great how to information if you would like to go ahead and try doing an oil change yourself.