who changes their own oil?

[turbohawk]

I used the dealer for the first few oil changes primarily for the convenience and they had a "30 minutes or it's free" policy and they almost always took 40-45 minutes so I didn't pay for oil changes for the first 4. However, I noticed that they NEVER put the full 6.5 quarts and I always had to buy and add one more quart to get it to the top of the dipstick mark. When I finally confronted the service manager when it happened again he told me "We add what the manufacturer recommends and as long as it's above the "add" line, it's all good." He then gave me a coupon for a free oil change. I never used it.

From that point on I've used nothing but Mobil 1 and the toyota filters. I'm only putting about 5000 miles a year now on the Tundra as I have 4 other more economical vehicles to drive so I change my oil annually now.

I tire of dealerships that have idiots managing the place and kids without care wrenching on your cars. Everytime I've had my truck at the dealer there is a new scratch or dent added for free. I used to make a big deal about such things but it just got my blood pressure up and free oil change coupon (which I throw away). I avoid the dealer like the plague. I winced when the ball joint recall was announced, and yes, I got a 3 inch long scratch on my left rear fender flare from them.

Unfortunately, the dealers are all bad around here, every make too. Keeps me from buying new cars (which is a good thing!).

[micron929rr]

the first part is true...just as long as it is between the two marks on the dipstick it is fine....

sounds like your dealer is a hack shop....if they dont care not to scratch your car imagine what else they do while working on it!!

I hate the dealers too...only one good one in MD Bill Kidds Toyota...besides that they other suck around here too

[turbohawk]

Originally Posted by micron929rr

the first part is true...just as long as it is between the two marks on the dipstick it is fine....

sounds like your dealer is a hack shop....if they dont care not to scratch your car imagine what else they do while working on it!!

I hate the dealers too...only one good one in MD Bill Kidds Toyota...besides that they other suck around here too

What kind of an outfit drains your 6.5qts of oil and only puts back 5.5 since it's right at the "add" line? It's just horribly bad business! Their argument at first was something about an incorrect dipstick! This may have been true on the 2000-2002 models as someone here mentioned something about a recalled dipstick... My argument is if I'm paying for an oil change I demand the oil be filled to the top of the stick! Plain and simple. You'd think a REPUTABLE dealership wouldn't play these kinds of games.

[Isaiah3210]

Originally Posted by KLS

So-called extended warranties are a concern. They are legally not warranties, they are service contracts. As such, you are bound by the exact wording in the fine print. If it says that you must have a dealership oil change every 3000 miles, and you get one at 3001 miles, you have just voided the service contract you paid all that money for. This is an exaggeration, but you only know what you're faced with if you read that fine print.


Ken

Had a friend with a 99 4runner. His engine blew on him after he had the oil changed at a Jiffy Lube. Apparently they did not put enough oil in. Since the engine blew, and could not show that there was not enough oil, he could not pin it on Jiffy Lube. He had purchased the extended warranty, which is not from Toyota, but an aftermarket warranty company. They pointed out his fine print, and he was suppose to get an oil change every 2000 miles, otherwise warranty was void!

For myself, I have heard one too many horror stories about the quick lube places. They get in a rush, not monitoring what is going on, everything is too routine, and from time to time, forget to do the service properly on your vehicle. I was doing oil changes with my dad since I was about 11 or 12. (sometimes I let out the gear oil on his 89 tercel by mistake!) I still enjoy doing the oil change myself 19 years later. I'm able to see what is going on with the oil, how dirty it is, check the side walls of the filter and see how the filtermag is doing. I'm able to check for leaks, clean the engine off a little bit, etc. I think I pay more than your usual oil change. I use Mobile 1, and a Bosch filter. I've been thinking about useing some of lucas synthetic as well. I have always used lucas products...but since I have switched to synthetic, I have stopped. But I think I will continue on. I had a 93 Geo Metro, that I always used lucas on, and at about 160,000 miles, I switched to synthetic. Noticed a little pickup driving on the steep grades. I got 210,000 miles on it before I sold it. It still ran like a champ! I had a 97 Altima that I always used lucas on as well, and regular oil changes, and got 237,000 before I traded it in. No problems what-so-ever. Engine still had great compression. Now I have a 03 Tundra, 4x4, limited, and now have 58,000. I have been using synthetic, but change my oil at 3000. I know the book states 5,000, I figured I can't be hurting it doing it sooner.
I had one mechanic tell me when asked which oil is better, he replied which brand of water is better for you? As long as it's pure right. You may have a preference as to taste, but the water is still good for you as long as it's clean and pure. Same with oil. As long as it's clean, it will do it's job.
Made sense to me.[IMG]images/icons/icon6.gif[/IMG]

[TONYJETT]

I do my own use Mobil 1 & Toyota oil filter....also before changing I add 1
qt of Engine Flush run it for 5 min @ idle & give it a long drain time I dont
do much mileage so I change it every 6 months. Use the 5/30 of course.

[TONYJETT]

I took mine in for the O2 sensor change and a week later I noticed the rt
front corner of the chrome bumper scratched along with scratches on the
rt side fender flares ...I was able to buff out most of it but still have some
scars....My fault for not doing a thorough inspection when I picked it up!!!

[pistolpete]

I change my own oil still and love the satisfaction it gives me knowing it was done right and like others stated you can see the condition of the oil and ultimately your truck....when I lived in Old Bridge NJ all I had to do was drive 1/2 mile down the street to the twon recylcing center during business hours and you drive right up to a 1000 gal tank...and pour your oil right in....just needed your drivers license to prove your residence (sometimes a squad car there to check it out other times just drive right in)....now there are numerous car part stores and hardware stores by me that take it FREE of charge for numerous reasons

as for the fill mistakes...another reason I do it myself...took my Chevy Blazer in for oil change when it was brand new and they tried to top off the tranny fluid too....one day later the O-ring seal blew on the tranny line and to make a long story short THE DEALER PAID TO HAVE MY TRANNY REPLACED!!! I don't trust most shops and any work I may have to have done, parts replaced etc I mark with a pen or "booby trap" it so that I can check it things were indeed disconnected and reconnect or parts replaced....I try and do all my own work when time/weather permit

[sparr22]

why cant i use fram filters? yes i change my oil and rotate my tires. and change o2 sensors and sparkplugs and air filters.

[allstond]

Anyone know of any good online stores to purchase OEM filters for a 2006 Doublecab?

[Hugemoose]

Sparr22, i'm pretty new to this site as well, and I've seen it on nearly all discussion boards that fram oil filters are simply not the same quality that OEM filters are. Simply, everyone feels that it is a much better plan to stick to the filters toyota designed, especially considering toyota's "long lasting" history. Oil filters are out most important, and cheapest insurance plan we've got for our engines.

Allstond, I believe performanceproducts.com carries OEM toyota filters in bulk. The web site can be confusing to find things on though, so if you request a free catalog for Toyotas, the filters page is one of the last in the magazine. They have oil, and air filters I believe. Goodluck, I hope this helps in your search.

[bizurk2326]

i change my own oil and i use castrol gtx 5w30 oil and a fram tough guard TG3614 oil filter. it costs me about 24 bucks

[allstond]

Thanks... I also found these sites -

http://toyota.autowebaccessories.com..._498_12427.php

http://www.toyotadiy.com/index.php?cPath=697_719

Anyone have any experience with either of these sites? Pros/Cons, positive/negative experiences?

[vegaman]

Remember the TV commercial for Slick50 about how starting your engine is a terrible thing to do? The message was that most engine wear occurs at start-up because the oil is in the pan and not circulating under pressure in the engine. The split-second of no pressure is probably not much of a wear factor, but taking the same logic and applying it to oil changes and you realize that chaning your oil would be much worse. Why? If you don't prime the new filter with new oil, your engine starts up and runs for several seconds with no oil pressure, no oil circulation. The problem is that not all filters are mounted straight up so that you can fill them completely with oil. The worst I saw was on the new Tacoma V6 where the filter is upside down - no priming that one. The only way around a no-prime would be to disable the ignition and crank the engine until oil pressure was achieved. Next time you change your oil and don't prime the filter, watch how long the oil warning light stays on ... 2, 3, 4, 5 seconds or more? Does it really make a difference to prime the filter? It probably depends on the engine and the filter. I also have the feeling that if you take your car to an oil changer or the service department and request that the new filter be primed, they'll likely say "sure" and then forget about it. That's why I change my own oil.

[mayfer]

I always change my own oil simply because no one cares about my truck as much as I do. My first truck had free lifetime oil changes via the dealer. The first time I took my truck in for an oil change, I discovered after a few days of driving that they only put in 4 quarts of oil (very bad). After changing the oil myself for 10 years, I started to get the oil changed again by a national chain. After several changes, I check the oil again and now I have well over the max – about 8 quarts (very very bad). I learned my lesson the hard way. Do you think anyone will ever claim responsibility for the damage they caused – no way! If you must, always double check your oil after getting it changed by one of those services because you may be very surprised! In the end, do it yourself and you will know it was done right.

[maxtorqe]

Have 2003 Tundra 4.7L 4x4 SR5 Access Cab. Use 6.5 Qts. Amsoil 0w30 and SDF 57 filter every 8K miles. Not cheap, but without the dual bypass filter system, I'm not inclined to take any chances. Now that I'm over 70,000 miles I will probably start using the Amsoil 5w30 (not the XL) next change with the new EaO 57 synthetic fiber filter. I've used Amsoil for years in all my cars & truck and never had any oil related problems, but then I change it more often than they recommend.