Stay Out of the Long Lines

We live in a world where most of the services and maintenance we used to perform on our own vehicle are done for us at a price. Have you ever noticed the line leading out of the local quick-lube station on the weekends? These lines are usually fairly long with people who need to get their oil change completed. While the technicians at these locations use tools that make their job much faster, they do charge a premium price for the services provided. If you don’t mind sitting in a long line to wait for the services you could perform on your own, this article isn’t for you, otherwise, keep reading.

Change Your Own Oil

There aren’t that many things needed to get your oil changes. You need an oil filter wrench, the right ratchet size, a drain tub for the oil, and a few rags. All you need to do is jack your vehicle up high enough to get underneath and open the oil drain plug, which has likely been overtightened by air wrenches for as long as you’ve been taking your vehicle to the quick-lube location for the job to get done for you.

Now that you know you’ll spend less than $20 for the tools you need to get the job done, which you can use over and over again, head to the auto parts store and find the oil and filter you need to get the job done. Now that you have these items, total up the cost of what you’ve spent, its likely to be a fraction of what you would have spent when you went to the quick-lube location to have your oil changed for you. Take your vehicle home and get to work making the oil change.

The Process

Jack up your vehicle, loosen the oil drain plug with the oil pan underneath, let out the old oil, replace the plug, remove and replace the oil filter with a new filter, and fill your engine with the right amount of new oil. That really is all that it takes for you to get your oil changed and once you’re done you can take the old oil to the auto parts store to be recycled properly. This is one of the easiest maintenance items you can complete on your own and it will give you a chance to get to know your vehicle better.

Overall, the cost of changing your own oil is your time. The fact is, if you get in the long line at the quick-lube, you’re going to be in that line longer than it would take you to change the oil yourself. Over time, you’re going to save a lot of money by changing your own oil and you can get to know your vehicle and see things that might need to be looked at. While you’re changing your oil you could see a belt that’s getting worn or a hose that appears to need attention, which might not be found at the quick-lube station.