Oil Change - Dealership vs DIY

kickass audio · May 15, 2019

I prefer doing all my own service. I only go back to the dealer for warranty work or for my free state inspections. It would save me like $10 to do the oil changes at the dealer but I have had too many times in the past where dealers love to put the oil filter on with a damn impact gun and I can't get the thing off the engine so I do it myself. I've also had them leave the fill cap on the top of the intake resonator.

So far I have bled out some brake fluid on all 4 calipers (it wasn't even dirty at all but just to keep them from collecting water and rusting out my lines), oil changes, and level inspections on my diff and transfer case. I am going to change out my front diff fluid and transmission fluid next year though just to keep it fresh. My antifreeze was almost clean when the dealer had to replace the thermostat/radiator due to the service bulletin so I will wait a few more years for that and will use one of the air driven water nozzles to blast out any crud in the lines and heater core.

If you have the means and know how I always suggest doing it yourself. If it is too much in depth for your experience or you don't have time then take it in.

royalkangaroo · May 15, 2019

20 minutes ago, Donstar said:

I enjoy DIY projects and handyman type repairs. The rewards for doing things myself are personal satisfaction and saving money. I find no satisfaction in changing my own oil and the cost saving isn't enough to provide incentive. I enjoy waiting at the dealership and checking out the inventory!

This is my take as well. I enjoy doing the DIY stuff, but only if its really worth the time and effort (and cost savings). For an oil change, I don't mind going 5 minutes from the house and waiting an hour for them to do it, however, maybe the next one I'll try myself. There's also the peace of mind of doing the job correctly, not that an oil change is rocket science, but they can screw it up by the sounds of it.

Racindave · May 15, 2019

Depends on my time and if i want to clean the back side of my wheels when i rotate them. I also get coupons from the dealership most months so i do it DIY and dealership.

NWI Denali · May 15, 2019

For me it boils down to time. I can change it in leas than an hour in my driveway while my son is outside playing vs wasting half of my day off sitting in the service department waiting room watching the price is right and days of our lives.

NWI Denali · May 15, 2019

Then I know it's done right and it's nice to get under the truck and keep an eye on things.

Nick The Great · May 15, 2019

I was raised on a farm and we did everything ourselves. EVERYTHING.

But now with a family of my own, I've opted for paying somebody to do lots of things. Vehicle maintenance fell in that category when I had my first kid. There's a good one-man-shop mechanic that I can walk to from work, and he'll change oil for $40 (approx).

My time is worth more than that. Even if I had everything laid out, an oil change would take me over an hour by the time you count cleanup. And my time is worth more than $40 per hour. Especially now with 2 kids, both under 4, I don't even have time to crap at home!

aseibel · May 15, 2019

1 hour ago, kickass audio said:

I only go back to the dealer for warranty work or for my free state inspections. It would save me like $10 to do the oil changes at the dealer but I have had too many times in the past where dealers love to put the oil filter on with a damn impact gun and I can't get the thing off the engine so I do it myself. I've also had them leave the fill cap on the top of the intake resonator.

I only go to the GM dealer for warranty work or for complicated electronics issues. Any other, more simple maintenance & repairs I take to a local mechanic that I trust.

If I was going to pay for someone to change my oil, I'd rather go to a local quick lube than pay the dealer's labor charge.

I hate trying to take lugnuts off after the dealer tightens them with the gun. I thought I was going to break my 18" craftsman bar or twist the stud off last time.

Mike GMC · May 15, 2019

I have 2 teenagers at home. I use the routine and larger maintenance as a teaching tool for them. Plus I just like doing it. I'll do just about everything myself except anything covered by warranty. I'm gathering parts now to change the steering gear on my 2000 Sierra. I will take it in for alignment once I'm done. I don't have those tools.

I just don't want my kids to be totally ignorant when it comes to how their vehicles work. Ignorant people get taken advantage of.

NCPGMC · May 15, 2019

I always used to change the oil in my F150, but I bought it used and there was no warranty. I am still on the fence about my Sierra; it is the first vehicle I have ever bought new. I have used the 3 free oil changes I got when I bought it and I need to decide on whether to continue to take it to the dealership or take the reins back. The folks at my dealership are very nice, and always seem to do a nice job. Part of me does feel like continuing that relationship with them in the service dept. might pay off dividends if needed in the future? Maybe not, who knows. Around here, with a coupon they send every month, I can get lube/oil/filter, "multi-point inspection", and a tire rotation for $59.95. I think that's pretty hard to beat given that the materials for an oil change would be $50...That's $10 bucks for a tire rotation, a "multi-point inspection", and my time. I would agree that my time is worth more than that but on the other hand, it is definitely satisfying to do your own work and know it's done right.

BriDroid · May 15, 2019

I change my own oil on all our cars/trucks. I just know it's done right if I do it. I found that you can use the mychevrolet website to record it as well. There is even a place where you can upload pics of the receipts. It's pretty handy to keep all the info together.

KARNUT · May 15, 2019

My local discount tire does air check for free and once you buy tires rotation is free.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ravenkeeper · May 15, 2019

I use to change the oil on our vehicles, rotate the tires, and all on my own, especially when I was on active duty and we were down to one income. Our current vehicles all came with FREE oil changes, and it kind of spoiled me. So now I schedule them, one at a time, for a early Monday or Saturday morning, take whoever is driving that vehicle the most with me, and take them to breakfast, while we wait. Like others have said, I don't have to worry about getting, nor keeping on hand, new oil & filters, nor getting rid of the used oil, and there's no mess in my driveway or garage. The only downside, is when they're troubleshooting something and it runs into my heading to work or work time.

NWI Denali · May 15, 2019

1 hour ago, Mike GMC said:

I just don't want my kids to be totally ignorant when it comes to how their vehicles work. Ignorant people get taken advantage of.

That's another great point. Well said.

Havvkeye · May 15, 2019

Just got mine changed yesterday and it was $87 for a change and tire rotation somehow. I can get Mobil1 at Costco for much much cheaper, or move to a better quality oil and save a decent amount of $$ it seems. There are a lot of places that will take oil so not really that much of an issue. Seems like my dealer is quite a bit more expensive than others.

NCPGMC · May 15, 2019

6 minutes ago, Havvkeye said:

Just got mine changed yesterday and it was $87 for a change and tire rotation somehow. I can get Mobil1 at Costco for much much cheaper, or move to a better quality oil and save a decent amount of $$ it seems. There are a lot of places that will take oil so not really that much of an issue. Seems like my dealer is quite a bit more expensive than others.

Yes, that is how much my dealership normally charges...go to their website and get that service special coupon..I think just about all of them have them available. Like I said before, with that coupon, mine drops to $59.95...

Edited May 15, 2019 by NCPGMC