--- How do $19.99 oil change places do it?! ---

[Doofus McFancypants]

Walmart is famous for Loss Leader.
Sell the latest "Toy Craze" UNDER the cost to Walmart.
Get every Mom going there to get the latest "Fondle-me-Elmo" toy for Cheep. then purchase there OTHER items at the same time. cause who has time to run to 15 different stores to get all the Loss Leader items.

So you buy 15 other things with an additional $0.50 markup over "Normal price" and BAM - walmart has made Profit on the Loss Leader.

[alohaspirit]

Ive been changing oil for 10 years and I typically pay around $5 for oil & filter

I look for sales and I buy bulk/discounted/rebate/etc.

Because of this, I do use Fram and 10w-30 a lot but thats ok. Never had problems.

(I always dread having to buy oil/filters)

[Christ]

I never really think about it. When I worked at Sears, they only used a certain kind of oil, and it wasn't the cheap stuff. Sure, it was bulk oil, but the bulk oil was Castrol GTX in 2 or 3 viscosities. I think we had 10W30, 5w30, and 10w40 at that store. The filters are an off-label Wix filter, same thing as Fram, IIRC.

Really, there's nothing cheap about the oil change for Sears, besides the fact that they're making money because of the bulk they buy the stuff in. They're also supposed to top off your wiper fluid, check/grease your chassis/suspension (if applicable) and make recommendations about tire wear and rotation, all as part of the oil change service. They also paid something like $1.80 commission for the oil change, not based on time, but based on completion. I used to do like 4-5 an hour, on top of my normal $9.00/hr paycheck. I had more income than the Alignment Technicians at times, based on work load. And I almost never had to work.

[99LeCouch]

Like others have said, they buy in bulk. It's amazing how cheap oil and filters get when you order a lot. So they're spending maybe $5-6 for supplies. The oil isn't the worst stuff either, since it is all SM-rated oil these days.

If you know where/when/how to shop you can still get crazy-cheap DIY changes too.

[Doofus McFancypants]

I have often considered changing my own oil. But I usually figure the financial payback is not there ( would I buy want to buy enough oil to make it worth it? then I have to store / dispose of it)

Besides for $20 and being out of there in 20 minutes - is it such a strain that I need to start doing myself?

I am sure the "self satisfaction" of doing it would probably get me to break even.

[alohaspirit]

i bought a few of these too ($5-$20)

its a different model but the idea is the same

(mine is low-profile)



i drive the car on ramps

open the valve with a hose going into a container

go do something else while it drains

after thats done I unscrew the filter and put in a new one

detach the valve and pour in 4-5 quarts

probably one of the easiest thing to do on your car besides changing a tire or replacing a wiper

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted by Doofus McFancypants

I have often considered changing my own oil. But I usually figure the financial payback is not there ( would I buy want to buy enough oil to make it worth it? then I have to store / dispose of it)

Besides for $20 and being out of there in 20 minutes - is it such a strain that I need to start doing myself?

I am sure the "self satisfaction" of doing it would probably get me to break even.

Can you actually get out the door for $20? In Canada at a chain the cheapest I could get out the door for was around $40-45 after taxes and fees of all sorts... My dealer could do it for $32 but an appointment was needed most of the time. I do it now myself for $13-15 for summer changes(honeywell filters, Rotella T 15W40). My winter changes to rotella T syn 5W40 cost about $25 if I get the oil on sale. Syn oil at a quick lube here is probably $60+ out the door. Plus you'd have to fight them to put in "diesel" oil into your car...
I can do both cars in an hour on the driveway so its pays way more than my day job after taxes!

[Christ]

After calculating fuel costs, etc... it's still cheaper usually to do it in your driveway. Disposal is free, go to a parts store.

The only time it's better (ok, not better, but you know) to get it done elsewhere, is when you're already there doing something else. It'll help keep your car warm for better fuel economy, too! :P

I do my oil so few times (like once a year, maybe) that it just doesn't really matter how I get it done. Problem is, to get the oil I use, I'd have to pay extra for it. They won't put on my choice oil filter, either. They'll also probably over-tighten the oil drain plug.

With all those potential problems, I'll just do it at home. Besides, we use waste oil for heat in the shop during the winter. Sure, it's not the most eco-friendly thing to do with it, but economics comes into play at some point... if I recycle the oil, I have to pay for more dino-oil to burn for fuel, or rely solely on wood, which becomes wasteful on days where the wood burner isn't quite enough, or is just too much.

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by 99LeCouch

Like others have said, they buy in bulk. It's amazing how cheap oil and filters get when you order a lot. So they're spending maybe $5-6 for supplies. The oil isn't the worst stuff either, since it is all SM-rated oil these days.

If you know where/when/how to shop you can still get crazy-cheap DIY changes too.

The Pep Boys in my area is currently running a special for 5 qts of Pennzoil + a Purolater filter for $10.00 after rebate.

[99LeCouch]

Advance Auto has a $10 coupon, and Pennzoil is running a $15 rebate on 5 quarts of Pennzoil Platinum. AA was (might still be, will check it tomorrow) selling Pennz Plat for $5/quart. So it's $0.44 (or whatever it is now) for a stamp, plus sales tax. Comes out to about 48 cents a quart, or ~$2.50, for 5 quarts of oil.

Add in a $4 filter, and you have a DIY oil change for under $10.