Ever changed the oil in your car yourself?

Tipsy Mac

Having talked to some of my mates about car maintenance I know of some who do it all themselves and some who do zero. Have people here changed it themselves, never changed it but would like to know how or just think it should be left to a garage to do?

Anan1

Like many, I did it when I was younger but wouldn't be bothered now.

Plug

Jacks, axel stands, tools etc. Getting dirty....
Is it worth it at the end of the day?

L-M

Yes, it is worth it. I wouldn't pay someone to do something that i can do myself, unless it's something that requires going on the computer or something like a noise etc. that can't be solved.

At the same time, things can go very wrong. Like a 1 hours job servicing my friends car turned into a 17 hour two night stand. (filter wouldn't come off.)

I've advise some sort of help and knowledge first, you need to know what your doing.

Steve

Anan1 wrote: »

Like many, I did it when I was younger but wouldn't be bothered now.

+1

more hassle than it's worth

CrowdedHouse

Anan1 wrote: »

Like many, I did it when I was younger but wouldn't be bothered now.

+2

2qk4u

Its not that hard to do. You just need someone there with you to help the first time.Save a fortune over time.

Volvoboy

Does it not give ya's a warm fuzzy hungry bastard feeling knowing you've saved the guts of €150 to do a service yourself?

Plug

Volvoboy wrote: »

Does it not give ya's a warm fuzzy hungry bastard feeling knowing you've saved the guts of €150 to do a service yourself?

wouldn't think you'd save that much on an oil change.

therewillbe

20/30 MINUTES EASY. DO IT YOURSELF AND SAVE A FEW QUID . BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU WILL BE CHANGING BRAKES ETC ETC. HAVE SOMEONE SHOW YOU THE FIRST TIME.

L-M

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?

Volvoboy

Plug wrote: »

wouldn't think you'd save that much on an oil change.

Well for a service too, would i be right in saying that a service would set ya back about €200?

Little on my own figures;

Average of about 40000 miles a year Oil at 6K and Full service at 12K

So 7 Oil changes in a year and 3 Full Services (Plugs and Filters)

On labour alone (€125)i'm looking at a potenital saving of 375 On 3 full services, and say an oil change @€;50 4 times per year another €200.

So the guts of €575 per year i'm saving by getting my hands dirty.

N.B I'm crap at maths:)

L-M

Volvoboy wrote: »

Well for a service too, would i be right in saying that a service would set ya back about €200?

Little on my own figures;

Average of about 40000 miles a year Oil at 6K and Full service at 12K

So 7 Oil changes in a year and 3 Full Services (Plugs and Filters)

On labour alone (€125)i'm looking at a potenital saving of 375 On 3 full services, and say an oil change @€;50 4 times per year another €200.

So the guts of €575 per year i'm saving by getting my hands dirty.

N.B I'm crap at maths:)

And with that €575, you could service it more often. Ah it all adds up:D

Volvoboy

Limerick-man wrote: »

And with that €575, you could service it more often. Ah it all adds up:D

Which reminds me the old girl is due a full service in a few miles:)

L-M

Volvoboy wrote: »

Which reminds me the old girl is due a full service in a few miles:)

You might do my starter motor while your at it:p

Plug

Volvoboy wrote: »

Well for a service too, would i be right in saying that a service would set ya back about €200?

~Minor service with ford is 165 and full service is 265.

Average of about 40000 miles a year Oil at 6K and Full service at 12K

So 7 Oil changes in a year and 3 Full Services (Plugs and Filters)

Ford say 20000km between services, most people get about 2 a year.
Lets say about €430 P/A for an average person.

On labour alone (€125)i'm looking at a potenital saving of 375 On 3 full services, and say an oil change @€;50 4 times per year another €200.

So the guts of €575 per year i'm saving by getting my hands dirty.

N.B I'm crap at maths:)

Get it done at the garage you don't have to buy tools, you don't get dirty and plus the knowledge of a mechanic is far better than joe down the road doing the job.
Also a FSH is better.

L-M

Plug wrote: »

Get it done at the garage you don't have to buy tools, you don't get dirty and plus the knowledge of a mechanic is far better than joe down the road doing the job.
Also a FSH is better.

Not picking at anything, but alot of people have a jack, and other than a few spanners etc. which can be bought in aldi or lidl for half nothing, i don't think there's much else. Although, from working on modern cars, they can become complicated to service.

Just thinking there was an offer lately to "Service your Vw for just €99". Lol, but i'm sure once your in, you need pads, this that etc. etc.

Of course there are the bonus of selling it on and having a full main dealer sh.

Plug

A mechanic will know what to look for aswel!
If you had a crap car it might be worth while.

nc13

In these hard times I think every penny counts so I try and do as much as I can on my car. I also do a lot of work for friends and family on their cars. I am not a mechanic and I haven't had any training. I just started messing with my first car and got a Haynes manual. Saves me a lot of money.

meathstevie

I'll give you my own figures of my last car as an illustration :

Full service by main dealer : 480 euro

Doing same myself : 160 euro. This includes 2 gallon of fully synthetic, oil filter, air filter, diesel filter, a gallon of coolant ( changed because the original fluid was still in it after 2.5 years of high mileage ) a drop of powersteering oil and replacing a couple of bulbs. I recently done the breakpads at a cost of 140 euro. The cheapest quote I got was 220 euro.

All in all I probably spent about 250 euro on a couple of tools ( oil filter wrench, drive on ramps, oil pump and a set of ratchet spanners and screwdriver bits ).

I've been serviving my cars for the last 5 years and I can safely say that I saved thousands. For anything I can't do myself or haven't got the equipment for I use the same quality independent workshop all the time.

Voodoomelon

If you have a relatively small car, i can understand people not wanting to bother changing oil or the like themselves, theres not much of a saving to me made, yet i'd still give it a whack meself.

However, I got a 2000 7 series BMW recently, and as you might imagine they'd absolutely rape me if I went to a dealer for a service. Thank the lord for www.e38.org, it tells you how to do EVERYTHING to my car.

So far i've done an oil and filter change (€130 worth of oil :S) which costs nearly €400 at a dealer, changed internal microfilters, replaced bonnet cabin filters, drained and replaced brake fluid, installed a boot lip and installed 4 angel eyes in the headlights.

I love working on the car now, its a pleasure. Even though I had a nightmare with the oil bung, the head of the screw snapped off leaving the screw stuck in the threads. You live and learn...

L1011

Done it on my old car. New car hasn't even got close to where I'd consider a mid-interval oil change yet.

NewApproach

If you have a relatively new car and do the oil service yourself, wont it turn off alot of potential customers when yougo to sell it on, as there is a big blank space where the service stamps should be?

-Chris-

Anan1 wrote: »

Like many, I did it when I was younger but wouldn't be bothered now.

+3


If I had a classic car, I'd do it myself as that's part of the buzz, but I couldn't be arsed doing it on a modern car.

BlackWizard

Changed radiators, brakes, spark plugs, lamps, adjusted handbrakes etc

But never changed the oil. Too many years of seeing my mother freak at my dad for messing up the driveway.

niceirishfella

Stall the horses lads. The real reason i encourage people to chase their own oil is -

1) to Avoid Ripp off labour charges (when invariably an apprentice is doing this simple chore)
2) Cos you don't have to book your car in and do it when you want
3) and here is the main big reason - Because when i do it, i know its been done right!

Rowley Birkin QC

Yup, do most of the maintenance myself.

Last time the car went to a mechanic was for a new timing belt.

Volvoboy

Plug wrote: »

~Minor service with ford is 165 and full service is 265

:eek:

Plug wrote: »

Ford say 20000km between services, most people get about 2 a year.
Lets say about €430 P/A for an average person.

Thats grand for the average person, not doing 40000 Miles a year, not so much me.

Plug wrote: »

Get it done at the garage you don't have to buy tools, you don't get dirty and plus the knowledge of a mechanic is far better than joe down the road doing the job.
Also a FSH is better.

Have a Full Snap-On tool box filled with Snap-On brand tools from doing my trade.
Get dirty? Where theres muck there's money!
I could teach a 12 year old to service most common cars.
I've a Fsh i've been filling it in myself since last October:D

Yakult

I plan on doing it myself over the coming days. My only problem is where the stupid oil filter is. Talk about awkward.

Who ever says its a dirty job, it isnt really. you just gotta be prepared.

Volvoboy

R_H_C_P wrote: »

I plan on doing it myself over the coming days. My only problem is where the stupid oil filter is. Talk about awkward.

Who ever says its a dirty job, it isnt really. you just gotta be prepared.

Ah i remeber the Almera, right behind the engine in between the bulkhead.

The Carina's one is right inbetween the manifolds.

bigtimecharlie

I've done quite a few including family car's. Just take your time on the first attempt and perhaps have a person who has done one before. Very satisfying job to do and from my point of view, you KNOW it's done. It's very easy for you to drop a car in the morning at a garage and on the off chance the place is busy, a small oil change may not be done. Then they will tell you it WAS done.