DIY Oil Change or Dealer

Ive performed 78 oil changes on my 2013 taco in my garage
got 374k on her
getting close to doing number 79 at 375k

do it yourself yo!

 

That’s actually a pretty good deal. I DIY, but the Achilles heel of it all is getting rid of the old oil and filter. I hate the mess of it all. I take it to a hazmat collection site when I store up enough. I don’t love that part.

 

The costs, drive, wasted fuel and wait time for something you can do in your driveway in 15-20mins. DIY everytime.

 

is hazmat collection site code for autozone/oreillys/advance auto parts stores?

 

Changing oil is not for everyone. Most here are DIY'er's but it's not for everyone. Member's here have drained the ATF and added fresh oil to the crankcase. If you have any reservations, have someone with experience show you, as many times as it takes, to change your truck's motor oil. As many as I have done, I've messed it up also - twice I have forgotten to replace the oil cap, making a mess of the engine bay after driving off. I've spilled oil on the driveway many times. And burned my hands changing oil on a hot engine. At least if a shop messes up an oil change, they become responsible for fixing it.

 

hell ya buddy!

 

Only you will treat your vehicle with care. The dealership won’t.

An oil change on the Tacoma is literally the easiest of any vehicle out there. You might not save any money, but you’ll definitely save time and get higher quality oil doing it yourself.

Sure a couple people have drained their transmission fluid by mistake, but I’ve seen many more people leave the dealership with bigger issues after going in for a simple job.

 

And there you have it.....

Dealer oil change = Jiffy Lube

Jiffy Lube = Dealer Oil Change

If A = B; B = A

 

DIY 100%. Easy to do and the satisfaction of knowing it was done right.

 

DIY. If you have tools & a place to do so.

Doing an oil & filter change is something I honestly enjoy doing on my vehicles. I am able to hit the zerks with some grease, rotate the tires, check all of the other fluids, and just get a good inspection of the vehicle.

 

My dealer charges me 21 dollars to change the oil if I bring my own oil. The 21 includes an OEM filter. For the 20 bucks its worth it to me. Plus the dealer reports the oil changes to car fax. Many buyers will pay a premium for a dealer serviced vehicle. It gives people a warm fuzzy feeling.

 

I gave up going that route. It was always full. More than half the time. Made me think they just didn’t want to deal with me. I take it to the dump where they have a household hazmat collection site.

 

Friend broke my chops for doing my own oil changes.
Take it to Wal-Mart said he.
Went to his house one day and he is cleaning a spot off his driveway.
What happened said I.
They didn't tighten the oil pan nut at Wal-Mart.

Enough said.

 

That is a heck of a good price for a dealer oil change. Which makes it very tempting.

I do all the mechanic work on my vehicles and know then that it is done right. I don't have alot of trust for mechanics in my area for good reason. Dealerships are outrageous usually on their pricing and well over a 2 hour drive for me. But even if I had one close by an hour in a dealership waiting room for an oil change is time I could be doing something else. I might as well be busy and do it myself and make sure it is done right.
I have a big piece of cardboard I throw under my vehicles that I lay on that keeps any oil drips or spills off the concrete and a nice high lift floor jack.

 

I second the DIY method. If this is your first oil change, absolutely go with a Fumoto valve. The initial cost of the valve will offset over the course of your many DIY's. Complete tool-less oil changes. I don't even have to drop my front armor to get access to the clip. Your oil filter should be hand tight so you shouldn't need an oil filter wrench for that one either. My method of doing oil changes is to pop the 710 cap to allow the oil to drain faster and catch basin for the waste oil. While the tank is draining, I'll hit my 5 grease fittings on the drive shaft. By the time I'm finished zerking off, the oil should be dripping at about 1 drip per min. Close the fumoto and attach the spring clip. Dixy the oil out of the old oil filter basin and swab some dirty oil on the new filter seal and install new filter. Top with about 6qts of oil. 5 qts initially, turn motor on and allow it to run for a few minutes before I put in the last 1 qt. Check the dip stick to ensure proper level, then turn motor off and clean up. Takes me 20 to 30 minutes tops from start to finish. I could probably speed it up if I bought a creeper instead of crawling around under the truck. If you want me to do a better explanation on how to do an oil change that's a bit more serious, I don't have a problem.

-J

 

I'm a bigger guy and don't need a floor jack to do mine including the drive shaft zerks. 2nd gen with the filter on top of the engine = easiest oil change EVER.. DIY all the way.

 

I switched to DIY about 5 years ago and will not go back.

1. cost is the same but I use high end oil and OEM filter
2. the work is done on my time and when it's convenient, no waiting around
3. I don't have to hear the shop try to up-sale me on crap I don't need
4. and most important, it gets me into the garage and away from my family

 

What this really boils down to is personal choice, personal preference. If you like doing you own oil changes, you want to save a couple bucks then by all means diy oil changes. If you don’t like doing your own oil changes, if you don’t have the time, if you don’t like the mess or whatever reason then don’t do them.
I have found in general younger guys tend more to be the do it yourself oil changers. As people get a littler older (40 and above) few still want to deal with that kind of thing. They are either burned out on doing auto repair and maintenance, don’t have the time, have other commitments, would rather read a book or what ever. So do what is best for you, do what you like. What ever is best for you is not necessarily best for others.

 

If the oil filter was in some janked spot ide probably get someone else to do it.

 

Do not let the dealer do your oil changes, unless you are physically unable to do it yourself. They will use a impact gun to tighten the drain plug. Every time I let the dealer change my oil, I had to use a breaker bar to break torque on the drain plug when I did the next one.

Just say NO!