Why you should change your own oil

[cyberfalco]

I noticed a leak while changing my own oil. Turned out to be a major problem. See attached.

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[dadjoke]

Yikes. What's your setup and mileage?

 

[cyberfalco]

Yikes. What's your setup and mileage?

22, 2-door, 4cyl, manual, badlands, Sasquatch, 25k miles

 

[cyberfalco]

It took 5 weeks to diagnose and get all the parts together

 

[604Bronco]

I would hope the dealership or wherever you get it changed would notice issues during their inspection they typically do.

Some places would hopefully notice.

 

[cyberfalco]

I would hope the dealership or wherever you get it changed would notice issues during their inspection they typically do.

Some places would hopefully notice.

My past experiences would suggest that they don’t.

 

[Wobblez]

I am a dealership technician, (not for ford) and we are not allowed to “upsell” warranty work. Meaning if a car comes in and we notice an oil leak but the customer is not complaining about it, nothing gets noted. I too advise to change your own oil if you are capable and inspect your vehicle for any issues.

 

[cyberfalco]

I would say at least have a roll around under your vehicle occasionally and see what it looks like if you do not do your own maintenance

 

[JT58Bronc]

This is what I do at every oil change.....or sooner....I inspect everything underneath and look for leaks, issues, rust, dirt accumulated in crevice's, grease from torn booths, etc. In the case of the Bronco I also re-coat the driveshafts and other steel parts that are not coated with Fluid Film. If there are any leaks you can catch them early.

 

[NorthShoreBronco]

Depends on your dealership or shop you go too. I'd also say most people wouldn't know the difference between an oil leak and condensation dripping from the evaporator core... so...

I work in parts and the only oil plugs we sell are to people who stripped them doing their own oil change. Also wheel studs during tire change season.

I do encourage people do do work themselves 100%. But don't paint all "dealerships" with the same brush.

 

[ksdon]

At minimum, fairly often look at the floor/surface that you park on regularly. If there is a wet spot that does not evaporate, it is in need of a deeper look.

 

[thesocalexplorer]

I agree, this is one of the main reasons I like to change my own oil. I get to take my time in inspecting the entire drivetrain and undercarriage.

I also pop the hood and inspect the engine bay at least every other week.

 

[PWillette]

At minimum, fairly often look at the floor/surface that you park on regularly. If there is a wet spot that does not evaporate, it is in need of a deeper look.

Reminds me of my old Land Rovers except in reverse...if there wasn't an oil spot in various locations it meant that it was time to check the fluids.

 

[Happycampinman]

I must be in the minority. I have had all my routine maintenance and repairs done on all my vehicles done at either a local shop or a dealership. My Ram currently has 125k and my previous F150 had 185k on it. I am of an age that I frankly don’t want to invest the time and energy doing it myself. To each his own, but I can honestly say I haven’t had any problems with the dealership taking care of the maintenance.

 

[harpo]

22, 2-door, 4cyl, manual, badlands, Sasquatch, 25k miles

Did you notice any changes in clutch or shifting?

I don't see an oil leak in mine but the clutch and shifting seem a little different than last fall.

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