Posted on 05/06/2025 4:47:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A problem about to happen for sure.
Jalopnik is way over thinking this...
I do not change my own oil nor do I have a lift in my garage. It is typically a ‘loss leader’ as the shop inspects for other defects.
I will however do my own brakes, tie rods (count turns and drive slowly to a neighborhood alignment shop), wheel bearing replacement, window motor replacement, spliced wiring after squirrel chewing, and other easy tasks. I haven’t needed many repairs more complex than that.
When I was in my twenties I changed my own oil. The hardest part of it was figuring out where dispose of the used oil. I’m not climbing under a car anymore to save 20 bucks on an oil change.
When's your next appointment opening?
If changing your own oil at home, then great idea. I like the one with a hose. Not all of us have a full shop with lifts….
lol! I’m not as efficient as most shops but any extra time I spend I call ‘tuition’ as i learn so i might be faster next time.
Sometimes I find I spend more time looking for where I left my tools, the part I bought, etc than actually doing ‘work.’
I’ve found that the local Ford Dealer’s Quick Lane operation gets oil changes done on my F150 cheaper than doing it myself.
The rest of the fleet?
Done in the shade of a tree.
I have two Ford F-150’s with the plastic oil pans and plugs. It is not that big a deal to change the oil but for the stupid shield that you have to remove. The oil filter is on the top.
$20? Do you have time machine? These days your lucky if it’s under $100.
“Sometimes I find I spend more time looking for where I left my tools, the part I bought, etc than actually doing ‘work.’”
LOL, Am there, done it many times before.
At least I can have a beer whilst engaging in such behavior at home. Driving back and forth to an establishment and waiting around can also be time consuming.
Had a Fumoto on two different MINIs. Worked perfectly.
My motivation is 3 fold. I’m an engineer by training and temperament and want to try to do it myself, save money, provide and example to my children that you can learn anything and don’t always need to run to find a ‘professional’ for many things.
I make an online appointment with a reputable shop and screw with my phone for 30 minutes while some kid who does this every day worries about stuff like this.
“The oil filter is on the top.”
My first F150 had a 2.7L.
Totally easy-peezy filter swap.
I find the 3.5L filter location to be a pain. [I either get my kid to do it [he also has a 3.5L] or off to the the “Quick” Lane.
Yes, and I need to change the flux capacitor in that too!
I have one on my airplane, seems to work just fine
I’ve had a fumoto for years. No problems and makes it much easier to change the oil.
It has been many years since I changed car oil. It’s just not worth the effort for the money at my age. However on my motorcycle it is definitely a plus for cost and convenience. Plus it’s easier than a car.
I honestly don’t see the quick drain plugs as a big deal on a car. In the bike forums it comes up not as a matter of convenience but as a way to avoid the Fatal mistake of stripping the threads in the engine case. Steel Bolt, aluminum engine case and bad torque specs from the manufacturer lead to a lot of heartbreak.
Torque values on a bolt that is going into a lubricated hole are a hell of a lot different than a dry bolt and dry case. Unfortunately manufacturers manuals do not take that into account. The result is a nightmare of stripped threads.
I always change my own oil, always have, always will. I take the opportunity to check everything else under the car. I bottle up the used oil in the bottles and take it to the hazardous waste disposal facility.
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