Oil Change Place

[newbury]

IF ANYONE DOES IT CHECK.
I learned that lesson when I was about 8 (about 1959).
Little sleepy town, Underhill Vt. We lived across from the gas station on the north of town. We were going to go to camp for 2 weeks (a 20 mile drive). My dad decided to pay the gas station to change the oil at the last minute. Small 2 person station, usually VERY RELIABLE and VERY TRUSTWORTHY and never busy (think Mayberry, RFD). They forgot to put oil in it. My father didn't check, we all just piled in, he drove it a VERY short distance and it delayed the vacation for a few hours.
TRUST BUT VERIFY.
Fast forward to 2010, my VW 2009 TDI Sportwagen needed first oil change. Due to VW's policy of if they do it they stand behind it I took it to the dealer, Stohlman Volkswagen.
Big well respected dealership, After they brought it out I checked. About 1/2 quart low. The "customer rep" gave me a long line of BS about how the temp was off, how when it warms up it will read correctly. I made them open another quart and pour it in till it read correctly.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Can you put an air filter in backwards?

Air flow direction determines which way the metal mesh faces..

 

[drssg]

Jiffy Lube convinced me to start doing my own basic fluids and filters maintenance quite a number of years ago.

The air filter on my previous car was a little touchy. You had to get everything lined up just right, or the cover wouldn't go back on. The "professional" apparently didn't want to bother with that, and he just forced the cover back on, damaging the filter in the process. It was quite a while before I noticed it, so I was essentially driving my car without an air filter for a good while.

I decided to change the oil in my truck shortly after that, and I was puzzled to find that the oil cap was missing. It was sitting on a plastic area above the radiator fan. The hood had held the cap in place for thousands of miles. So I had driven all that time without an oil cap.

 

[tibadoe]

I do my own oil changes on all my vehicles, tractors, and small engines. I enjoy doing it. Might be a little rougher on my back now days - but I know it's done right.

 

[MoKelly]

Jiffy Lube convinced me to start doing my own basic fluids and filters maintenance quite a number of years ago.

The air filter on my previous car was a little touchy. You had to get everything lined up just right, or the cover wouldn't go back on. The "professional" apparently didn't want to bother with that, and he just forced the cover back on, damaging the filter in the process. It was quite a while before I noticed it, so I was essentially driving my car without an air filter for a good while.

I decided to change the oil in my truck shortly after that, and I was puzzled to find that the oil cap was missing. It was sitting on a plastic area above the radiator fan. The hood had held the cap in place for thousands of miles. So I had driven all that time without an oil cap.

I check oil in the cars and truck at least weekly. Just like the tractor. I would have noticed no oil cap pretty fast - but I wouldn’t have been as lucky as you. It would have fallen off and been gone!

I change oil and filters in the tractor. It’s so much easier than a car. Lots more ground clearance and simple.

Plus - very few tractor oil quick change places in my area.

MoKelly

 

[nbking]

Had a buddy that would take it to the dealer for his maintenance. Then he would crawl all over it, making sure it was done right, put a mark on the oil filter, to see if they changed it etc, once he found the air filter was still dirty, had leaves and debris inside the canister went ballistic. I just think and believe it's better to do it myself. No headaches

 

[goeduck]

i just did not have have time to do my own oil changes pre-pandemic when the wife and I drove a lot. The local Walmart does synthetic oil chages or $49.88. Hard to beat that. The staff is mostly middle age or older guys, an occasional gal. They do a way better job than the quickie places IMHO. Maybe Walmart has better benefits?

Tractors and small equipment, I do the changes. Post retirement I may start doing the commuter vehicles again myself since I expect mileage to be way, way less.

 

[stephenh]

Friend has a Tacoma pickup with a skid plate, have to remove the plate to get the oil filter off. Not difficult to remove but takes a few minutes. He marked his oil filter with a marker pen, then next oil change took the truck to a quickie place. Back home, he pulled off the skid plate and the oil filter was the old, marked one. Had to take the truck back in and raise a bit of heck. I don't trust anyone working on my vehicles.

 

[hube2]

I used to change my own oil but now I do not because it is just easier to have someone else do it. Unlike my tractor, cars have become harder to do even simple things over the last 40 years.

Mechanics you can trust are as hard to come by as tractor dealers you can trust. Luckily I have a mechanic I trust. He maintains my car and I do not need to worry about him doing it right and he charges less for an oil change including filter than than any of the quick change places around here.

 

[check 6]

Another consideration, most oil pans on today’s cars are alum , and the drain plugs are still steel. Bottom line there is a torque value to prevent stripping the threads on the oil pan and it is not “good and tight”