The Facts of Life About the Oil Change
#41
09-28-2011 | 10:34 PM
Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 134
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
I came across this article and it says we don't even need to use 5W20 or 0W20 on our Fit.
Truth about 5w-20 and 0W-20 Motor Oil - technical facts
Truth about 5w-20 and 0W-20 Motor Oil - technical facts
I just bought my Fit from the dealer and free oil changers there or not I may just take it to them all the time.
Reasoning.
1. Resale. The little sheet of paper they give me = $$$ or a better chance at selling my car down the road.
2. Warrenty. Easier to get it if things go kaboom.
3. Used oil hassle. Yea fuck transporting dirty oil in my fit.
4. Lazyness. As much as I like to do my own changes Im lazy. Im also a mechanic and I've worked in a few Euro dealerships and I know what goes on there. Also I trust my dealership as everyone there has been VERY professional and nice. Theres even a few guys running really nice fits!
Also the dealership in question just moved to a NEW location and they have a drive through area for Oil changes. To get in and out takes 45 minutes tops including paperwork and such.
I did notice that on a work order they did state it was BULK 5-20. Now this doesn't surprise me but I also do know that good oil is used. When I worked at a Euro dealership we used factory spec Castrol Synthetics for the cars that needed it and castrol semi-synthetic for the older models.
Now there was a few cases with new Diesels that NEEEEDED special oil and there was no demand for bulk yet so bottles were used.
I know tons of people worry the "stealership" is trying to screw you but thats only on the sales floor. The Service department is an independent section and is treated that way. The sales guys make ZERO off their work so there is no need to totally bone you over.
I'll probably go to Honda for most my oil changes. Especially when Im slammed next spring. It took me 40 minutes to get my vw in the air enough to change the oil when it was low lol.
#42
09-29-2011 | 04:14 AM
#43
09-29-2011 | 07:58 AM
![Lyon[Nightroad]'s Avatar](https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/customavatars/avatar31469_2.gif){kind=avatar}
Call 1-800-Allstate and ask for a quote. They will not quote you. Wont even offer a price. No insurance company wants touch Queens, Kings, Suffolk, Nassau, Manhattan, and that general area because its Just. That. Bad.
I guess what I'm trying to say is: penny wise ; dollar foolish
Last edited by Lyon[Nightroad]; 09-29-2011 at 08:12 AM.
#44
09-30-2011 | 11:22 AM
Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,500
From: New York
Gee, Lyon, hate NY much? You know who drives a car in Queens? People who live there and need (or just prefer to have) cars. And yes, they can buy insurance. It's kind of the law to register a car here in NY State. I live a mile from The Bronx and my ins is way less than my car payment (and I put about a third down on my Fit).
#45
10-03-2011 | 04:10 AM
Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 65
From: Good Old Texas
Remember the only fluids that should go into your engine are the ones which are specified in the vehicle's owners manual. My owner's manual states they prefer the fluid to be 0w-20. I know, in the past, you could get away with putting just about any oil in your car, but times have changed and engines have changed. Engines have much tighter main bearing clearances. If you put a different oil in your car then whats specified in the owner's manual, then you risk shortening the life of your engine.
As for oil filters the only filter that goes on that engine is the one purchased from the dealership parts department.
Oil Change price considerations-
- The price of just changing the oil and tire rotation at my local Honda dealership is $70 which includes the semi-synthetic Honda 0w-20 oil which goes for $5 per quart. All of the service done at the Honda dealership goes on the Carfax history. So if you plan on selling the vehicle at a later date then the next person who buys it will look right at that Carfax and see what you did. Also, if the dealer does something dumb like not tighten the oil plug properly then they have insurance and there is a greater chance they will make the situation right.
- The price of changing the oil and rotating the tires at my independent mechanic is $30. If we threw in the semi-synthetic oil then it would probably go to $50. The independent mechanic may or may not be insured or may not easily accept the responsibility of an accident in their own shop. Ive seen it firsthand in the past where independent shops do everything in their power to push the blame on the owner rather then accept responsibility. Dealerships tend to accept responsibility more then others. There are other cheaper shops that I know which do an oil change for as low as $15, but I would not drive my car into their shop unless its a 100k+ Corolla beater. Most of those cheap oil change shops are not places you want to have your car serviced at. I wouldnt trust a low mileage car in those shops.
- The price of changing the oil may seem like the cheapest way to do it, but if you purchased the required oil from the then it would be at least $30. So you would not be saving a lot of money. You would also be getting dirty, taking time out of your day to do it and then the hardest part of it all is the oil disposal. Then what if that oil goes on your clothes, your driveway or the vehicle's interior? What if you do something dumb like not tighten the oil plug and the engine becomes damaged? Changing it yourself IMHO is not worth it. Ive done it before and it results in hazardous waste and just a big mess...a royal waste of time. Then again if you enjoy cars and doing that kind of work then be my guest. I wouldnt do it.
The best place to get the oil changed and tires rotated is the Honda dealer IMHO. They call that type of service "A1". As for other services such as brake changes and tires then you can get away with that at the independent. IMHO, there are some aftermarket brake pads like the Autozone Duralast or the NAPA Ultra-Premium which are better then Honda brand, but as for fluids in the engine then I would go with Honda all the way. When you go to the dealer, you can have any service done to your car...not the service the Maintenance Minder specifies. So if it says B2, you can just tell them A1 and get the light reset.
Now you might ask, synthetic or semi-synthetic? If you plan on using your car past 100K miles, then I would use full synthetic, but if you are going to sell it sooner then go with semi-synthetic. Using a fully synthetic oil will probably make the engine last longer. I say "probably" because we don't know if there will be any difference. However, I would go with the full synthetic if I knew I would be keeping the car for beyond 100k+ miles.
As for oil filters the only filter that goes on that engine is the one purchased from the dealership parts department.
Oil Change price considerations-
- The price of just changing the oil and tire rotation at my local Honda dealership is $70 which includes the semi-synthetic Honda 0w-20 oil which goes for $5 per quart. All of the service done at the Honda dealership goes on the Carfax history. So if you plan on selling the vehicle at a later date then the next person who buys it will look right at that Carfax and see what you did. Also, if the dealer does something dumb like not tighten the oil plug properly then they have insurance and there is a greater chance they will make the situation right.
- The price of changing the oil and rotating the tires at my independent mechanic is $30. If we threw in the semi-synthetic oil then it would probably go to $50. The independent mechanic may or may not be insured or may not easily accept the responsibility of an accident in their own shop. Ive seen it firsthand in the past where independent shops do everything in their power to push the blame on the owner rather then accept responsibility. Dealerships tend to accept responsibility more then others. There are other cheaper shops that I know which do an oil change for as low as $15, but I would not drive my car into their shop unless its a 100k+ Corolla beater. Most of those cheap oil change shops are not places you want to have your car serviced at. I wouldnt trust a low mileage car in those shops.
- The price of changing the oil may seem like the cheapest way to do it, but if you purchased the required oil from the then it would be at least $30. So you would not be saving a lot of money. You would also be getting dirty, taking time out of your day to do it and then the hardest part of it all is the oil disposal. Then what if that oil goes on your clothes, your driveway or the vehicle's interior? What if you do something dumb like not tighten the oil plug and the engine becomes damaged? Changing it yourself IMHO is not worth it. Ive done it before and it results in hazardous waste and just a big mess...a royal waste of time. Then again if you enjoy cars and doing that kind of work then be my guest. I wouldnt do it.
The best place to get the oil changed and tires rotated is the Honda dealer IMHO. They call that type of service "A1". As for other services such as brake changes and tires then you can get away with that at the independent. IMHO, there are some aftermarket brake pads like the Autozone Duralast or the NAPA Ultra-Premium which are better then Honda brand, but as for fluids in the engine then I would go with Honda all the way. When you go to the dealer, you can have any service done to your car...not the service the Maintenance Minder specifies. So if it says B2, you can just tell them A1 and get the light reset.
Now you might ask, synthetic or semi-synthetic? If you plan on using your car past 100K miles, then I would use full synthetic, but if you are going to sell it sooner then go with semi-synthetic. Using a fully synthetic oil will probably make the engine last longer. I say "probably" because we don't know if there will be any difference. However, I would go with the full synthetic if I knew I would be keeping the car for beyond 100k+ miles.
#46
10-03-2011 | 06:44 AM
I have been changing oil in cars for 45 years and only had it changed on a few occasions by a guy who had been an engineer with Buick that had opened an oil change business and state inspection station... He was also a bicyclist that had spent a great deal of money at my shop and was involved in organizing charities that I was also involved with... We had a Lincoln and Cadillac back then and they were a lot of trouble to jack up, put jack stands in place and check every thing out on.
#48
10-03-2011 | 02:51 PM
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,295
From: Wandering around.
I kinda miss bumper jacks... I think our Buick Regal had it... though I wasn't old enough to drive when we had it.
My brother almost killed me in that thing. He was driving me to school and I thought he stopped to drop me off, so I opened the door. To my HORROR, he started moving and made a left turn! I was in sheer terror trying to hold the door of a 2-door coupe from "over opening" AND trying not to fall out at the same time! You know how heavy that thing is?!? I was only 10 or 11 at the time (and scrawny to boot)!!!
As for this topic... I HATE IT... a "facts" topic from some that obviously doesn't know all the facts... especially when the so-called facts themselves are subject to debate.
My brother almost killed me in that thing. He was driving me to school and I thought he stopped to drop me off, so I opened the door. To my HORROR, he started moving and made a left turn! I was in sheer terror trying to hold the door of a 2-door coupe from "over opening" AND trying not to fall out at the same time! You know how heavy that thing is?!? I was only 10 or 11 at the time (and scrawny to boot)!!!
As for this topic... I HATE IT... a "facts" topic from some that obviously doesn't know all the facts... especially when the so-called facts themselves are subject to debate.
#49
10-03-2011 | 03:01 PM
#50
10-03-2011 | 03:39 PM
I think I didn't have a floor jack at the time. I had 4 floor jacks stolen from me over a 12 year period. I found out who got the last 2 years later but by then there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it.
#52
10-03-2011 | 08:37 PM
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,462
From: Vermont
I stay away from dealerships the way vampires stay away from crosses. I do not believe for one bit that Honda dealership does a better job changing my oil than me doing it myself. Dealerships rip people off their hard earned money. My girlfriends brother works as a mechanic for a local Honda dealership and when I asked him what he thought of the dealership he works at, he told me that he wouldn't take his car to be worked on there!!!
I did a search on amazon:
M1 5w20 (or 0w20) About $50 for 6 qts
Filter $4 for the cheapo - $6 for midrange
Crush washer (didn't see it on Amazon) but for argument's sake, I'll say $1 from the dealership.
For 4 qts of oil, the midrange filter and the crush washer ($33+$6+$1), that's $40 (If I were to do it myself). I'll let the dealer change it for $39 with no mess, no cleanup, no frozen fingers in the winter, just 45 min of my time in the waiting room drinking Green Mountain Coffee and surfing the internet - like I do daily anyway. Also, it goes on file as being changed at the dealer. Also, the $40 above by doing it myself is the "cost' of the oil change, not how much I would have to pay. Payment is still made for the other 2 qts (an additional $17 worth of oil that get to sit around for 10K miles waiting to be used at the next oil change). At the next oil change, another 6 qts must be purchased to get the same "deal", this time leaving the remaining 4qts sitting around another 10K miles or 1 year. So the first oil change costs $57, the 2nd oil change Costs another $57 but the third oil change only costs $7. That's $121 over 3 oil changes. (vs my $117 over 3 changes).
You could always go for $5.30/qt of name brand oil and pay $28/oil change instead of the $31 the dealer charges.
$70 for an oil change... yeah... that's a ripoff, but most dealers I bet aren't even close to that.
~SB
PS. That oil change above also includes topping off the vehicles fluids and a pressure wash.
#54
10-04-2011 | 01:27 AM
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,295
From: Wandering around.
It bugs me to hear generalizations that dealerships rip people off. My oil changes aren't a ripoff since I pay $39 for a Mobil1 Synthetic oil change.
I did a search on amazon:
M1 5w20 (or 0w20) About $50 for 6 qts
Filter $4 for the cheapo - $6 for midrange
Crush washer (didn't see it on Amazon) but for argument's sake, I'll say $1 from the dealership.
For 4 qts of oil, the midrange filter and the crush washer ($33+$6+$1), that's $40 (If I were to do it myself). I'll let the dealer change it for $39 with no mess, no cleanup, no frozen fingers in the winter, just 45 min of my time in the waiting room drinking Green Mountain Coffee and surfing the internet - like I do daily anyway. Also, it goes on file as being changed at the dealer. Also, the $40 above by doing it myself is the "cost' of the oil change, not how much I would have to pay. Payment is still made for the other 2 qts (an additional $17 worth of oil that get to sit around for 10K miles waiting to be used at the next oil change). At the next oil change, another 6 qts must be purchased to get the same "deal", this time leaving the remaining 4qts sitting around another 10K miles or 1 year. So the first oil change costs $57, the 2nd oil change Costs another $57 but the third oil change only costs $7. That's $121 over 3 oil changes. (vs my $117 over 3 changes).
You could always go for $5.30/qt of name brand oil and pay $28/oil change instead of the $31 the dealer charges.
$70 for an oil change... yeah... that's a ripoff, but most dealers I bet aren't even close to that.
~SB
PS. That oil change above also includes topping off the vehicles fluids and a pressure wash.
I did a search on amazon:
M1 5w20 (or 0w20) About $50 for 6 qts
Filter $4 for the cheapo - $6 for midrange
Crush washer (didn't see it on Amazon) but for argument's sake, I'll say $1 from the dealership.
For 4 qts of oil, the midrange filter and the crush washer ($33+$6+$1), that's $40 (If I were to do it myself). I'll let the dealer change it for $39 with no mess, no cleanup, no frozen fingers in the winter, just 45 min of my time in the waiting room drinking Green Mountain Coffee and surfing the internet - like I do daily anyway. Also, it goes on file as being changed at the dealer. Also, the $40 above by doing it myself is the "cost' of the oil change, not how much I would have to pay. Payment is still made for the other 2 qts (an additional $17 worth of oil that get to sit around for 10K miles waiting to be used at the next oil change). At the next oil change, another 6 qts must be purchased to get the same "deal", this time leaving the remaining 4qts sitting around another 10K miles or 1 year. So the first oil change costs $57, the 2nd oil change Costs another $57 but the third oil change only costs $7. That's $121 over 3 oil changes. (vs my $117 over 3 changes).
You could always go for $5.30/qt of name brand oil and pay $28/oil change instead of the $31 the dealer charges.
$70 for an oil change... yeah... that's a ripoff, but most dealers I bet aren't even close to that.
~SB
PS. That oil change above also includes topping off the vehicles fluids and a pressure wash.
For myself, it's not the cost effectiveness of one over the other. If I were to go to a dealership, I would GLADLY accept the price ($35-$40). It's the feeling that I need to be more "responsible" about something and be more hands-on about it... though I think that's cause there's plenty in my life that I feel not in control of... anyway.
point being, doing it myself is just a decision I made, for no real reason than to just do things myself.
#55
10-04-2011 | 02:08 AM
I don't have a whole lot to do and not a whole lot of money so I happily change my oil and do whatever else is needed... When I worked on cars for a living I tended to neglect my cars after a while mainly because business was good.. Most mechanics I knew drove crap cars but some of them were sleepers that would tear up the muscle cars back then.
#58
10-04-2011 | 03:40 AM
Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 65
From: Good Old Texas
It bugs me to hear generalizations that dealerships rip people off. My oil changes aren't a ripoff since I pay $39 for a Mobil1 Synthetic oil change.
I did a search on amazon:
M1 5w20 (or 0w20) About $50 for 6 qts
Filter $4 for the cheapo - $6 for midrange
Crush washer (didn't see it on Amazon) but for argument's sake, I'll say $1 from the dealership.
For 4 qts of oil, the midrange filter and the crush washer ($33+$6+$1), that's $40 (If I were to do it myself). I'll let the dealer change it for $39 with no mess, no cleanup, no frozen fingers in the winter, just 45 min of my time in the waiting room drinking Green Mountain Coffee and surfing the internet - like I do daily anyway. Also, it goes on file as being changed at the dealer. Also, the $40 above by doing it myself is the "cost' of the oil change, not how much I would have to pay. Payment is still made for the other 2 qts (an additional $17 worth of oil that get to sit around for 10K miles waiting to be used at the next oil change). At the next oil change, another 6 qts must be purchased to get the same "deal", this time leaving the remaining 4qts sitting around another 10K miles or 1 year. So the first oil change costs $57, the 2nd oil change Costs another $57 but the third oil change only costs $7. That's $121 over 3 oil changes. (vs my $117 over 3 changes).
You could always go for $5.30/qt of name brand oil and pay $28/oil change instead of the $31 the dealer charges.
$70 for an oil change... yeah... that's a ripoff, but most dealers I bet aren't even close to that.
~SB
PS. That oil change above also includes topping off the vehicles fluids and a pressure wash.
I did a search on amazon:
M1 5w20 (or 0w20) About $50 for 6 qts
Filter $4 for the cheapo - $6 for midrange
Crush washer (didn't see it on Amazon) but for argument's sake, I'll say $1 from the dealership.
For 4 qts of oil, the midrange filter and the crush washer ($33+$6+$1), that's $40 (If I were to do it myself). I'll let the dealer change it for $39 with no mess, no cleanup, no frozen fingers in the winter, just 45 min of my time in the waiting room drinking Green Mountain Coffee and surfing the internet - like I do daily anyway. Also, it goes on file as being changed at the dealer. Also, the $40 above by doing it myself is the "cost' of the oil change, not how much I would have to pay. Payment is still made for the other 2 qts (an additional $17 worth of oil that get to sit around for 10K miles waiting to be used at the next oil change). At the next oil change, another 6 qts must be purchased to get the same "deal", this time leaving the remaining 4qts sitting around another 10K miles or 1 year. So the first oil change costs $57, the 2nd oil change Costs another $57 but the third oil change only costs $7. That's $121 over 3 oil changes. (vs my $117 over 3 changes).
You could always go for $5.30/qt of name brand oil and pay $28/oil change instead of the $31 the dealer charges.
$70 for an oil change... yeah... that's a ripoff, but most dealers I bet aren't even close to that.
~SB
PS. That oil change above also includes topping off the vehicles fluids and a pressure wash.
By the way I buy my Mobil1 5-20W full synthetic oil at Walmart and for 5 quart jug I pay $24.50 and for Mobil1 oil filter $8.50. My Fit needs 3.5 quarts of oil with a new oil filter which means that my grand total for oil change was about $26.65/round it up to $27. If I end up owning my Fit for next 200,000 miles and saving about $15 per oil change because I do it myself and not at a dealership/auto shop I am looking at about $400 in savings; plus peace of mind knowing I did it is PRICELESS!
#59
10-04-2011 | 08:09 AM
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,462
From: Vermont
you can buy a 5 qt jug of M1 0w-20 for just under $30.
For myself, it's not the cost effectiveness of one over the other. If I were to go to a dealership, I would GLADLY accept the price ($35-$40). It's the feeling that I need to be more "responsible" about something and be more hands-on about it... though I think that's cause there's plenty in my life that I feel not in control of... anyway.
point being, doing it myself is just a decision I made, for no real reason than to just do things myself.
For myself, it's not the cost effectiveness of one over the other. If I were to go to a dealership, I would GLADLY accept the price ($35-$40). It's the feeling that I need to be more "responsible" about something and be more hands-on about it... though I think that's cause there's plenty in my life that I feel not in control of... anyway.
point being, doing it myself is just a decision I made, for no real reason than to just do things myself.
As for your other post and experiences with the dealer. It's sad that dealers in you are are so shady. I've had our honda dealer here go waaay out of their way to help us. They made sure the cost was covered completely on both front rotors and the brake pads when one of our calipers siezed on the ridgeline. They could have pro-rated the pads at least but they covered the entire $700 job. They also make recommendations about services but have gotten to know me well enough that there are certain things like Air filters that I do myself. They'll make note of it on the invoice but won't change it. Also, When asked, they "cracked" the screws on the rotors and re-tightened them to make it easier for me to get the rotors off when I changed them - No charge. I've also had good experiences with other honda & Acura dealers as well as our local Nissan Dealer when we owned the altima. The service Manager is also the owner and has had people drop off/pick up my wife here at the house during the longer services. Even the Oil changes there weren't rip-offs. I'd say maybe it's becase we are in VT but the Acura Dealer I bought 3 of my cars from is in NJ, and the one dealer that performed the Ridgline Brake Work was in PA (our dealer covered the cost so there was no out of pocket expense). Maybe the difference is i've gotten to know the dealers service departments. I've brought down cookies or brownies that my wife made (that we won't finish) and gave them to the service guys while both the ridgeline and FIT have been serviced (but I didn't have to). Never once has their been a problem.
There's no doubt that some services are overpriced but that's honda's base price I believe. Oil changes (at least for me) are spot on price-wise and the techs here have been there for a while.
~SB
#60
10-04-2011 | 05:17 PM
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,295
From: Wandering around.
A few weeks into my road trip, I bought 4 separate qts for $6-something each from a Walmart in Kearny Mesa (San Diego), California. I had originally bought it for $8.50 each from Autozone, until I saw it at Walmart.
Oh, if it matters, both Walmarts are "SuperCenters."
One other person in THIS thread posted being able to get a 5qt jug for similar price.
Maybe not the "norm"... but obviously not impossible if you shop around.
Maybe keep an eye out for sales, even when you're not ready for an oil change... who says you have to wait for you oil to need changing to buy some?