who here changes their own oil?

[MrPants]

my official position was always that it was a little silly to change your own oil when wal mart can do it for only a few dollars more than it would cost me (plus it cuts out trying to get rid of waste oil). as time goes on and i get more attached to my cars, the thought of someone else doing something unnecassary to my car just feels dirty to me.
so: does anyone bother with the hassle of doing it themsleves?

[Scott R]

Yes, always except for the two cars that I have under warranty. I always do my 951 myself, then I take the oil to the local Autozone and they recycle it for free.

I have been doing this since a "Grease Monkey" dented the hood on my 85 Mazda RX7. Although it was a dreadfull car, it still pissed me off. You see the RX& oil filter sits on top of the engine, and if you screw a filter on that is too tall, well then it dents the hood. Big arguement with there insurance company, so now I do my P-car myself.

[gearhead290]

I DO I DO!!! I figure, why pay somebody to do 15 min (on a bad day) of work??? God, it'll take me longer to drive the car down there to have it changed than it would just to do it myself. hey man, you're wasting good money that could be spent on making your car faster

[Roger Hall]

Always do it myself in all 3 cars. I let the dealership change the oil in the Intrepid. It was covered under waranty untill this January. I like to know what goes into my cars. Oil change places use inexpensive oil and filters. If you change the oil every 3k you may never have a problem, but I like o make sure that Castrol 20w-50w goes in and a qualitity filter is used. I also make a habbit of using aditives. Alot of people here dont like them though.

Also crawling around the bottom of the car and looking around allows you to spot potential problems. Its just good PM.

[pearldrum]

I also change my own oil. Maybe it's because I'm only 17, but it feels good when you finish knowing that you did it yourself...and nothing went wrong.
It's kind of funny I enjoy working on my car, and I know of one person at my school that actually knows where the oil drain plug is on their car...

[rammstein]

Some people here might remember one of my first posts- something like "where's the drain plug". When I first got my Porsche, I'd never done anything to a car. Now I've changed oil, trans. fluid (17mm allen socket fiasco), and bled my brakes. I guess I need to start somewhere. Someday, I'd like to do something actually mechanical to it. I think my first project like that will be putting in a test pipe. But to stick to topic, changing my oil is what's gotten me started. I've admired my car from underneath and marveled at the rust-free galvanized body. I also think the fusebox is pretty cool, never seen one before with a tester and all those nifty slots for extras. I filled it with extras just because. Rambling...

[gearhead290]

Originally posted by rammstein
I think my first project like that will be putting in a test pipe.

Not to be a thread jacker here, but good idea. I reccommend just taking off the second peice of the header and ramming a bunch of crap into it untill all the fiberglass comes out. Also, you can do a custom intake pretty cheap (did one to my buddy's Saab yesturday, sounds mean with a low growl now [it used to just whine])

Sorry, back to the oil discussion.

[rammstein]

The PO had the intake done already. Has a nice big K&N cone on it. Also has a B&B exhaust, but I swear its still almost silent. People tell me the turbo is like a natural muffler.

Gutting the cat (hee hee) is an option I suppose, I just want it to stop that incessant rattle @ 2000rpm. Once it gets warm it pretty much stops, maybe the gunk warms up and gets sticky. Is the inside really brittle enough to just bash out? Anyhow, until yesterday when Sid told me it just bolts off, I thought I needed welding skills, so maybe when the car gets back from the mechanic I'll give it a shot.

[SidVicious]

Back on the oil subject...

I just washed my hands from doing the oil change on one of my cars. When I was younger I had someone else do it. One time I went to do it and the "paid professional" had put the drain plug in so tight I was afraid he had ruined my oilpan.

I also agree with Roger. Doing my own work puts me under there where I might see if something else is wrong. When I changed my fuel filter I noticed the cv boots didn't look good, and I had time to order parts and do that maintenance before I had a problem out on the road somewhere. Much cheaper to do that kind of stuff myself.

[Mike B]

I defintely do my own oil changes...Too important to trust to someone who doesn't really give a $hit about your car...

[gearhead290]

I've always just beat the crap outta outta the cat with a big metal thingy. And if it's just hallowed out it will be able to pass a visual inspection (that way you can take it to a shop to have it worked on if need be, just as long as they don't take the exhaust off). Anyways...sorry I jacked the thread...back to oil changing.

[Crippler]

I always change my own oil. No one will give my car the love it needs except me. Also I too had a mechanic dent my car. When they were tensioning the timing belt they dented the nose panel.

However my body shop guy who had just painted the car a week before , fixed it for free.

[944ThatCould]

keep in mind that Walmart will not change the oil in a porsche.

[winddance@att.n]

I am appalled that everyone doesn't change their own oil. Of the very few times I have brought my vehicle in to fast lube places for oil changes: 1) The tech forgot to put my radiator cap back on. It was the middle of winter so windows were fogged a little. I stopped when my temp gasuge was doing funny things. There went my top end. 2) The tech put the wrong fluid in the back end of my 4 wheel drive, put too much oil in, put too much tranny fluid in, all in one visit. I ended up in Jackson Hole WY getting a very good 4x4 shop to repair the damage. Took a year for the lube place to refund my oil change. This is besides the point that they use the cheapest filters, bulk nondescript oils, and don't pay much attention to what the vehicle really needs. Oh, maybe I am a little picky, but I get an average of 300,000 miles on my vehicles, fly a 1956 cessna, work my ranch with a 1946 farmall and a 1962 bobcat. Guess I'm cheap in wanting my vehicles to last as long as possible. As for my porsche, well, that's just pure fun.

[todwic]

I do change my own oil Hell, I rebuilt my own engine, how could I not change my own oil? After the oil is drained, I take a vacuum pump and suck out all the stuff on the bottom of the pan and in the little nooks and crannies where things could hide that I should know about. Mostly, though, I'm just too damn cheap to pay someone to do something I can do myself.

[coupe]

I let the workshop change my oil and flush the engine, and then add fresh Mobil 1 Syn. oil, while I supervise. I live in an apartment and dont have the right place, tools to lift and get under the car.

However, I do my own oil changes in Portugal, I have all the gear to get the job done.

[rbt944]

I change my own oil. The first time I did it I was confident since I change the oil on my Honda. But I was in for a surprise as how fast that thing drained I also used to work at a certain fast lube place. Price's are outrageous and they use cheap oil for a price that you can do it yourself with better brand oil.

-Gus.

[MrPants]

well perhaps ill give it a go myself (thats hilarious that the devi... uh i mean walmart doesnt change the oil on porsches)

[stray15]

i change mine...of course, i have access to a 6 lifts also...

[sasquatch]

I could have never afforded to drive the cars I have owned through my life if I could not do the repairs myself.

It was covered earlier, but getting under my cars gives me a chance to really look at things and hopefully catch them before something tragic happens.