Oil change?

[Pirian]

you guys are lucky btw if you're paying 25$. I have to do the synthetic kind for my volkswagen and it's usually 95$


Also, OP I hope your car isn't a lease lol.

I only do synthetic oil, and the oil itself only cost like $10 a liter

[Yabby]

Damnt i deleted because on my screen it looked like adouble post... son of a bitch.

[Ksandra]

looking up on the intardwebs, everyone says that 95$ is normal for volkswagen and that places do require it for the newer ones, so at least I'm not crazy. They say the materials (oil and filter) for it are about 40$. But I can't do it myself anyway 'cause I live in an apartment complex. Don't think they'd be too happy if I end up spilling oil all over the parking lot.


@yabby, it's a 2006 bug convertible, I forget the cylinder amount, but there's two models and mine's the lower of the two.

[Quixon]

@Ksandra -> If your car is under warranty you're not only stuck using synthetic, but you can't even change your own oil. Just called up a friend of mine who is a VW Mechanic, he said you will void the warranty if you can't provide proof of full synthetic oil changes when needed.

That being said, he said the same thing I did pretty much. "Unless the car is turbo'd there's no need for Synthetic Oil, Volkswagen/Audi requires it though."

[Yabby]

I wounder why your walmart charges so much.... most Synthetic Packages are 55 at max. I hope you have one that needs 8+ qts or you are being fucked.

[Yabby]

@Ksandra -> If your car is under warranty you're not only stuck using synthetic, but you can't even change your own oil. Just called up a friend of mine who is a VW Mechanic, he said you will void the warranty if you can't provide proof of full synthetic oil changes when needed.

That being said, he said the same thing I did pretty much. "Unless the car is turbo'd there's no need for Synthetic Oil, Volkswagen/Audi requires it though."

I don't think it matters anyways yea? Once you go synthetic you don't go back I was told a long time ago.... not sure how true it is.

If it is a lease i would understand why considering how much better it is for the car and the dealership doesn't have to pay for it lol.

[Ksandra]

@Ksandra -> If your car is under warranty you're not only stuck using synthetic, but you can't even change your own oil. Just called up a friend of mine who is a VW Mechanic, he said you will void the warranty if you can't provide proof of full synthetic oil changes when needed.

That being said, he said the same thing I did pretty much. "Unless the car is turbo'd there's no need for Synthetic Oil, Volkswagen/Audi requires it though."

Well the car is a lease...and now I'm scared cause I have been taking it to jiffy lube for the most part, but I don't think I have all the records (I can get them from jiffy I hope?). THe lease runs up in december so that's when I'd have to prove it. I used to take it directly to the dealer, but they make you leave the car there for like 2 days lol, so I switched.


Good to know I wasn't crazy about it needing it though, even if the need is just volkswagen's requirement.

[Ksandra]

I wounder why your walmart charges so much.... most Synthetic Packages are 55 at max. I hope you have one that needs 8+ qts or you are being fucked.

actually, the walmart I went to that I mentioned couldn't even do the oil change because they said they don't have the type required for my car. Which is why I started going to jiffy lube.

[Yabby]

If jiffy lube is anything like walmart they save all the statements for 3 year retention on the computer, 10 year hard copy.


Edit: You must have a newer car with a special oil filter, wal-mart works on a 5 year cycle. If something new is out they don't carry it for a while.

Edit2: Check the price of the oil filter tho, if it isn't bad you can bring it to wal-mart to have it changed there. They even credit you for not using their oil filter.

[Ksandra]

thank god. Glad I posted in the thread then. I probably should have had the brains to keep them all, not sure why I didn't think of it. lol

[Dantrag]

Just to jump in to ask a quick question, is it better to change my oil every 3 months or every 3k miles? I ususally drive 3k miles in 5-6 months on my car. Should I still change it every 3months or stick with every 3k miles. For refrence I drive a 99 chevy malibu with 61k miles on it.

In my '99 Civic I did it every 3k, which was about 5 months. Ran fine. But then again, I didn't care overly too much about it so w/e.

Edit: In my '04 STi I only did synthetic - turbo, required, etc.

[Yabby]

You might have to go to the right juffylube tho, not sure if they network their records. If you went to different ones over time.

[Ksandra]

naw it's been the same one all the time (thankfully), so ya I for sure this week will go get the recods.

[altwight]

OP here. mines an 03 focus.

i add oil just don't change it. never had a problem. everyone here is suggesting i change it though so I guess i should do that.

think the walmart here charges 65$.

i just hate going to service places for my car cause they always come up with some bullshit reason to spend more money at their place.

or they just don't know what they're talking about.

[OWS_Tonx]

doiturself. not that hard

[Dolmen]

Seeing as there seems to be quite some knowledge in this thread, I have a question regarding synthetic. I presently have a 2002 Acura TL with 109k miles on it (I got it for free), has had every scheduled maintenance, etc... done at the dealer. The oil has always been standard oil, but I'm hearing three different things from three different people about what to do with the oil. I've been told to go synthetic, told to go with a synthetic blend, and then told to stick with standard oil. Is there really any advantage to going with a synthetic blend or pure synthetic? The car has zero problems and runs perfectly.

[Kriz]

I'm car stupid, but I view an oil change at the local lube center both good for the car and an interesting view into a world I know nothing about.

My car ('99 Kia Sportage) I bring it there at the later of the 3k (now 5k it seems - is that cause they moved to Synthetic?) or 3 month period, usually going over by 1k or 2 weeks or so. Over the years they've caught minor issues and major issues, invited me down to see them, etc. Not that they themselves can fix most things- but I view it as a second opinion before you take it somewhere that may try to railroad you.

Guess it depends on the quality of the people at the shop, but I wouldn't go to a Wal-mart to have it done for fear of up-sell or incompetence, nor at the dealer because of their outrageous pricing. The "professional little guy" is where I go.

I spend about 35-45$ on mine.

[Yabby]

OP here. mines an 03 focus.

i add oil just don't change it. never had a problem. everyone here is suggesting i change it though so I guess i should do that.

think the walmart here charges 65$.

i just hate going to service places for my car cause they always come up with some bullshit reason to spend more money at their place.

or they just don't know what they're talking about.

Personally if i did what you did i wouldn't bother going for the synthetic oil.... i don't think it would help if you really fucked up your car already. Ether way changing oil is so basic, all you need is 10mm to 15mm socket and something to drain the oil in. Most oil filters have grips making them easy to take off, but someone that has gone as long as you without changing it that thing will be sealed tight as a rock.

Seeing as there seems to be quite some knowledge in this thread, I have a question regarding synthetic. I presently have a 2002 Acura TL with 109k miles on it (I got it for free), has had every scheduled maintenance, etc... done at the dealer. The oil has always been standard oil, but I'm hearing three different things from three different people about what to do with the oil. I've been told to go synthetic, told to go with a synthetic blend, and then told to stick with standard oil. Is there really any advantage to going with a synthetic blend or pure synthetic? The car has zero problems and runs perfectly.

Once a car is over 75k they are considered "High mileage" which pretty much means they have a lot of build up over the car's life in the engine. Synthetic blend is near useless in my personal opinion, ether go normal or full. Changing the oil isn't about fixing problems mind you, its about keeping problems from happening. The faster you switch the synthetic the better. Like the person above me posted, change it yourself because the markup most shops do for synthetic is boarder line retarded.

I'm car stupid, but I view an oil change at the local lube center both good for the car and an interesting view into a world I know nothing about.

My car ('99 Kia Sportage) I bring it there at the later of the 3k (now 5k it seems - is that cause they moved to Synthetic?) or 3 month period, usually going over by 1k or 2 weeks or so. Over the years they've caught minor issues and major issues, invited me down to see them, etc. Not that they themselves can fix most things- but I view it as a second opinion before you take it somewhere that may try to railroad you.

Guess it depends on the quality of the people at the shop, but I wouldn't go to a Wal-mart to have it done for fear of up-sell or incompetence, nor at the dealer because of their outrageous pricing. The "professional little guy" is where I go.

I spend about 35-45$ on mine.

Doing it yourself is the best way IMO. If you get someone that is incompetent you risk stripping your bolt. Places like wal-mart are not bad because they have most bolts on hand and will replace one that is wearing for free for fear of putting a bad bolt back on a car, not telling the driver, and having to cover the cost later. Wal-mart has to put comments on any problems a car has visibly. This of course is a good thing for the driver, but they do it to cover their own ass. If you pull your car into a wal-mart they will be sure to let you know problems before hand so you don't come after them later. That said, if they change your oil and down the road something went wrong they are 100% at fault. IE you pull out, they don't have any comments or problems on your work order. Then the next time you have an oil changed (Or earler if it is a real problem) and they fucked up, they are paying the repairs.

Edit: I worked for wal-mart for 5 years, spent 2 of them in the TLE. I've seen some fuck ups, but the customer was always taken care of. I remember one tech not putting the right oil filter on, wal-mart paid 5,844.33 for a new engine. Main reason i would trust them is for their fear of bad press. They don't want to piss off a customer (even if the customer is a lieing piece of shit) and have them go off to the media.

Editx2: FYI i hate wal-mart despite what i said above.

[Gadritan]

35 bucks what i pay for mobil one EP and a solid filter.

Whoa! For what, 2 quarts? lol. Please direct me to wherever you're finding this deal. Seriously not talking shit or trying to call you out. I've never seen it that cheap, and I'd convert if I did.

[Aksannyi]

Holy fuck at paying more than $30 for an oil change. I've been doing my own for a while now, but goddamn.