DIY vs Dealer Oil Change

[gatormark91]

Lexus is another animal. I feel like I'm ripping them off every time I show up there with my used vehicle getting VIP service. If they take half as much care in the oil change as they do washing and drying the car and polishing the wheels and tires then they will have done a fabulous job. I've got enough wrenching cred under my belt I don't need to brag about doing an oil change

My local LX dealer gives out chocolate-chip cookies, too. Maybe I need to get some two-sided tape and put some Lexus badges on my LC.

The Toyota dealerships in the Orlando area are money-sucking leeches that don't stock anything for Cruisers, they get exactly zero dollars from me.

I had to involve Toyota Care after the actual GENERAL MANAGER of Clermont Toyota called and harassed me over a $100 error they claimed to have made on my paperwork on a Tacoma purchase two years ago (there was NO error, they were just trying to extort an extra $100).

And when they mark up a $13 oil seal (OEM, online) to $50 (real price), nope.

 

[Cannon88]

I do it myself on my 99 LC and wifes 09 GX. The LC takes me no time, but the GX is a pain because of the nonsense in the way to get to the filter. But, I still do it because I always have. I don't see it as much of a cost savings. And to be honest, I wouldn't miss doing it lol.

 

[Otter]

I do mine myself. I wait until Mobil runs their $12 rebate on 5qt jugs. I buy enough for the cruiser and my wife's outback. I think the rebate limit is 4. Walmart is usually $25 a jug, but they usually run a sale around the same time as the rebate for $22. I buy a bunch of OEM filters in bulk online with washers. I'm at less than $20 each oil change.

 

[trdcorolla]

I do mine myself. I wait until Mobil runs their $12 rebate on 5qt jugs. I buy enough for the cruiser and my wife's outback. I think the rebate limit is 4. Walmart is usually $25 a jug, but they usually run a sale around the same time as the rebate for $22. I buy a bunch of OEM filters in bulk online with washers. I'm at less than $20 each oil change.

I do the exact same thing. Can't beat 10ish dollars for 5 quarts of Mobil 1. Sometimes Mobil has overlapping deals, I've gotten a free Lakers BBQ tool set free before and the rebate.

 

[95Fantasma80]

cheaper to do synthetic and i know it's done right.

no shame in going dealer you pay for convenience, hey some will even throw in a car wash.

 

[Travis Bickle]

100 series oil change is literally the easiest thing to do yourself.

I'd rather not trust someone getting paid $10/hour.

 

[NicB]

Eh, this whole not trusting someone who gets paid $10/hr doesn’t hold much weight with me (bunch of horse crap). There are plenty of people who make $10/hr and are perfectly trustworthy. When I was a kid, I made $4.25/hour but I was one of the hardest workers around. I’ve also known people who make $$$$, and I wouldn’t trust them with anything. If you have that little faith in humanity, you should never eat at a restaurant, drive on a public road, or take your kids to an amusement park (among many other things). Threading a bolt onto an oil pan isn’t rocket science.

 

[Otter]

Threading a bolt onto an oil pan isn’t rocket science.

You'd think so, but yet there's plenty of examples of that being screwed up. Not to mention somehow using an impact gun to install an oil filter

 

[shadow247]

I hear you, I like knowing things are done right too. In fact, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. But changing oil for a certified Toyota mechanic is something they can do in their sleep. And if they strip a drain plug, they're on the hook to fix it. I've never seen the dealership not change the filter with the oil, odds of that are probably 1 in 1000+ if we're being realistic.

Conventional oil these days is no cheaper than synthetic. In fact, the Mobil 1 conventional costs the same as the synthetic.

Yeah but the guy doing your oil change is not the same guy doing plug swaps, who is not the same guy that does engine swaps! They are likelly paying just about minimum wage to the guy changing the oil at the dealer. I worked at 2 different dealers, and the "lube techs" were all paid a regular hourly rate no matter how many oil changes they did. No flat rate technician at the 2 dealers I worked at were being paid flat rate times, because it pay .3 to a tech for an oil change.

 

[PacificNW100]

I had an oil change in Portland Oregon, a well known Ron Tonkin Toyota dealership. They forgot to put my engine oil cap back on. I found out then brought the truck back. They lost it. Ordered it and waited for a week. I’d do it myself.

 

[daohaus]

I had an oil change in Portland Oregon, a well known Ron Tonkin Toyota dealership. They forgot to put my engine oil cap back on. I found out then brought the truck back. They lost it. Ordered it and waited for a week. I’d do it myself.

Did you throw a code? I once absentmindedly put oil in forgot to replace the oil cap and it threw a code. Had to bust out the OBD dongle to clear the code

 

[NeedaLX]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the "time value" factor yet

What is the fastest you are driving to a dealership, waiting for them to change the oil, and driving back home?

Even if you live 5 mins from a dealer (most don't) and they take the vehicle right away, that's still taking longer than just doing it yourself

 

[Zuberg]

DIY oil change is so simple on these trucks. Good excuse to grease the drivetrain while you're under there and do a general once over to catch any issues in their infancy. But by the time you factor in going to buy oil and filter, dispose of oil, etc I can see where a quick lube spot may be quicker.

I've worked on too many vehicles for friends and family where they took it in for 'quick oil change' and it was either done wrong, the 'tech' broke something else while in there or in some cases, wasn't done at all and they still were billed for it! My one buddy in Florida found out recently the oil lube place he'd been going to had been charging him but not doing the work. His oil filter from couple years ago was still on his truck after going in for several oil changes over past year and half!

 

[NeedaLX]

But by the time you factor in going to buy oil and filter, dispose of oil, etc I can see where a quick lube spot may be quicker.

Those quick lube spots probably are faster, I was only thinking DIY vs dealer. Trusting those places to do the work right compared to a dealer is a different discussion entirely lol

Fair points but you can purchase oil filters well ahead of time with the click of a button. And buying/disposing of motor oil can be done at a lot of places we are shopping at anyway

 

[Zuberg]

Totally agree on all counts. I have a stockpile of mobil 1 oil from Walmart delivered in those 12 quart bags in a box, they're a good value and way less plastic waste. Buy bunch of filters during 25 off toyota sales, free delivery. My neighbor has a huge mobile service truck and takes all my waste oil so I invest very little time in oil changes! Throw in a fumoto valve and it's like a pit stop ha.