Changing your own oil?

[Erock]

Taking my truck in for service tomorrow, it will be the first time in my 49 years to pay someone to change my oil...

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[cowinsawdents]

Like others here have said, go for it. Only for the past few years did I join the "not worth my time camp" but I am now going back to doing things myself after wasting 4 hours at the dealer even with an appointment.

I only screwed up 1 oil change and that was early on (maybe I was 17). The o ring came off the filter and was stuck to the car...when I put the new filter on, it was not a great time about 1/2 mile down the road. Lesson learned, make sure the o ring is on the filter you take off before you put the new one on, no need to rush things.

 

[Erock]

My son left the o-ring on when he did his first change also... easy mistake to make on the ones you can barely see these days.

@cowinsawdents

 

[Broncomputer]

The hardest part, by far, is finding containers to store, transport, and find a legal place to dispose of the used oil (always seems to be extra oil in the pan from a lawnmower or something that won't go back in the empty new oil jug.

Yeah this is the bummer.

When I moved recently I had literally like 10 5qt jugs with used oil.

Also every single oil drain pan I've had eventually leaked.

——-

I’ve worked on most of my cars because I had to.

Now that I don’t have to, I don’t.

I mean I’ll still do the bare minimum 5 minute things like wipers, lights, filters. But I’m not sure about the oil yet. If I can just slide under the truck I may start doing it again.

 

[Butzy]

years ago, I changed my own oil and realized that I could have Monroe do it for $20......now I use full synthetic and that runs closer to $70 on my F150. I'm back to doing it myself. I can typically get a filter and 2 gallons for about $40-$45 and know it was done correctly. Anymore, I don't even trust Ford mechanics on my vehicles.

 

[Big Boss]

I used to change my own oil in my mustangs, haven't done it myself since I got rid of them 10 years ago. I just let the dealer do it now, that way if any warranty stuff pops up they have full record of it being serviced by them. Not sure if that plays any factor but worth it for me.

 

[Hoofnmouth]

Geez, all the whining about disposal.
I just take it to Auto Zone or which ever parts store.
Never had an issue. I use either a 5 gallon bucket and sealing lid or the catch pans with lids they sell every where.

That being said, the only cars I change myself are the ones I can slide under without ramps or jackstands.... trucks.
If I had a lift. I'd do them all myself.

I rotate my tires myself also, no crawling under for that.

Well your lucky here in ca used oil is like radioactive waste with herpes.

 

[etmccaus86]

I usually let the dealer change the oil the first few times - whatever's included complimentary on a manufacturer or dealer level - but do it myself thereon out. Easy enough to do, more often than not, and if you shop smart for good synthetic, way cheaper.

Not sure I'll follow that initial tactic with the Bronco; I'm not driving back from MI to IA for a service!

 

[OX1]

It's not so much the savings from the oil or filter itself, it's the other damage to the vehicle that is the real money saved. @ a minimum, it's a full clean up from a greasy boot dragged all over, especially door panels.

@ worst, it is total disregard for paint and interior pieces. I've gotten most of the paint scratches and interior damage on my new Fords from Ford. Multiple dealers, people in general just don't give a crap anymore. At least with the bronco that you may be offroading, the damage will be expected anyway, so won't be as big a deal when dealers/shops do it.

 

[lowmpg]

I'm sitting at a pep boys right now with an hour-long wait, to get my oil changed. I know with the Bronco, I want to change my own oil

For those of you planning to change your own Bronco's oil, do you plan to just slide under there and figure it out yourself? Or will you let the techs do it first and pick it up from there on after?

I don't imagine the Bronco being too different than say, a Ranger. But this is coming from someone who has never changed oil before a day in his life

Be gentle... my dad didn't teach me these things

It is quite simple, you'll be fine doing it yourself with basic tools from an auto store. The most annoying part will be collecting your old oil correctly to recycle it. Even that isn't that bad though. Sometimes though you'll find that changing your own oil in 2021 doesn't save you all that much money over a shop doing it.

 

[Musclecarconvrt]

I always work on my own vehicles. I'll only ever take it back for warranty work.

 

[KyTruckPlant]

To give you an idea of how difficult it is to change your own oil, I started teaching my son at 12 how to do it. Now, he's 17, and now he does all of the oil changes in our household. For the last 2 years, I haven't gone behind him to double check his work.

 

[VelocityBronco]

I am going to start doing my changes, the money is one thing, quick change places are $75+...but you pay for the "quick" part of it.
Dealership in town is a joke...1-2 hours for an oil change, and that is with an appointment! Fuq, I don't have time for that.
$43 for oil and filter, full synthetic. Have the job done is 2 beers.

 

[indio22]

I'm sitting at a pep boys right now with an hour-long wait, to get my oil changed. I know with the Bronco, I want to change my own oil

For those of you planning to change your own Bronco's oil, do you plan to just slide under there and figure it out yourself? Or will you let the techs do it first and pick it up from there on after?

I don't imagine the Bronco being too different than say, a Ranger. But this is coming from someone who has never changed oil before a day in his life

Be gentle... my dad didn't teach me these things

I was having oil changed by shops due to convenience, until last year a dealership overfilled our new car by a quart. I had to carefully remove the excess oil via the oil drain plug - pain. And a few months later, same thing occurred with another newish car, also from a dealer oil change. How do you overfill by nearly a quart? Maybe they have an automated fill setting, and accidently look up the wrong amount?

Since then I've been changing my own oil. Try Walmart for decent oil prices on full synthetic. Should be easy on the Bronco, none of my 4x4s require a jack or ramps to change the oil. Call around some shops take used motor oil for free. Just don't over torque the oil pan drain plug.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

I do the oil on both my Raptor and Audi. It's a good opportunity for me to see what's going on underneath.

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