# Do you change your own oil on your vehicle's? Brand or price loyal? Dino or synthetic?



## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

I change my own oil on my three personal vehicles and three business vehicles. I been using Walmart house brand synthetic lately cheap without rebates or sale. For a odd reason I enjoy changing my own oil.


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

I change my own most of the time. I make exceptions when I have to have state safety inspections done, so I have them change the oil for me then. It is getting harder to find places to take used oil....

On my lawn equipment, ATVs, and motorcycles, I change my own oil. Racing oil in the motorcycles....

Mobil 1 synthetic for the cars and bikes and ATVs (always); Pennzoil dino oil for John Deere mower.


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## CharTech (Aug 26, 2019)

I change the oil on my personal vehicles. I have been using Mobile One full synthetic but have heard good things about Supertech so I think I will probably give that a try next oil change.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

CharTech said:


> I change the oil on my personal vehicles. I have been using Mobile One full synthetic but have heard good things about Supertech so I think I will probably give that a try next oil change.


I been happy with the Walmart oil it's made by Warren. It meets all the specs for my vehicle's including dexos 2. Full synthetic 5qt jug for $15 it's a good deal.


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## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

Take my wife's car to the dealership since I want them to have a record of it since it's under warranty. I change my truck oil at home. Amsoil XL and Amsoil filter. Runs me about $60 an oil change for 5qt. I buy a case of oil (12qt) and two filters and it'll last me a year. A little expensive but I've been happy with it.


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## mytmouse (Jan 28, 2019)

I have always changed my oil. For my last new car purchase, a manly 2007 Toyota Yaris hatchback, I ran Royal Purple and then upgraded to Amsoil. Recently though I've just gone with supertech synthetic. I've got 265k miles on it... At this point if the oil is cheap and exceeds what the manual calls for, I'll use it. LOL


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Change my own. SuperTech as well. I do buy the OEM Camry filters online as I can get 5 for about $15 (eBay) which is significantly cheaper than anything in store. Someday I won't want to do it. I'm inching closer to that time.

Might even lease :shock:


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I pay to have it done at the same place we buy our tires. They rotate for no charge, so we just have them change the oil at the same time. We both drive company vehicles during the week, so oil changes in our vehicles are infrequent/inexpensive.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> Might even lease :shock:


Don't make me come up there! :lol:


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

Real men mow their own lawns and change their own oil. Or change their own flat tires, in the rain.

Smart men know that sometimes it is better to have real men to do it for you. Wives all know this...!


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

I've always changed the oil in my cars, I have never been able to justify paying triple for someone else to do it. for as long as I can remember I used Castrol fully synthetic but the last oil change I did was with Amazon basics thanks to the tests Project Farm has done on youtube. He has several videos with amazons oil, it's also made by Warren https://youtu.be/a9DWGtXpYUc


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

FlowRider said:


> Real men mow their own lawns and change their own oil. Or change their own flat tires, in the rain.
> 
> Smart men know that sometimes it is better to have real men to do it for you. Wives all know this...!


 :lol: :lol: :lol:

One of these days I'll be one of those smart men. In the meantime I'll keep changing my own oil and mowing my own lawn. :lol:

Btw, why is it that the emblem on the car affects the price of removing a bolt to let oil drain out?? 😬🙄😳


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## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

corneliani said:


> Btw, why is it that the emblem on the car affects the price of removing a bolt to let oil drain out?? 😬🙄😳


That is because the owners of Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lexus, and Cadillac vehicles are "special." :lol:

Everyone knows that. Especially the car dealerships and some repair shops. :bd:

I have a good buddy with a Lamborghini. I hate to see what he has to pay. I'll have to ask him....


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

If lawn care is not enough and you want to get into another rabbit hole, there is oil testing too. Blackstone labs will test your used oil to see how fast it is breaking down, what metals are wearing (buckle, chrome, etc), TBN and all sort of info.

I use Penzoil ultra platinum syn. It is made from natural gas, so the process yields a very consistent oil and it keeps for a long time.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

g-man said:


> If lawn care is not enough and you want to get into another rabbit hole, there is oil testing too. Blackstone labs will test your used oil to see how fast it is breaking down, what metals are wearing (buckle, chrome, etc), TBN and all sort of info.
> 
> I use Penzoil ultra platinum syn. It is made from natural gas, so the process yields a very consistent oil and it keeps for a long time.


There is a forum called Bob is the oil guy that I'm a member of. It will make you over think the process of a simple oil change almost as bad of what fertilizer to use.


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## Jacob_S (May 22, 2018)

Change my own, have been a John Force fan for many years so I run Castrol, ran GTX back when younger run full synthetic now. I use K&N oil filter, primarily cause it has a 1" nut welded to the bottom so no need to fight filter wrench.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

I suppose millions of vehicles are out there operating that are not maintained/repaired by their owners/drivers. But that's just not the case for my personal fleet. I do our oil changes, synthetic only in everything from the mowers to my turbocharged BMW.

I like AMSOIL, They have a very broad selection of products targeted to the needs of specific applications. They even have a high-quality group IV synthetic for air-cooled small engines. They are seldom the cheapest product available but they usually are less than some of the "boutique" brands and satisfy my need to have something better than what's available off the shelf at the local auto-parts store or Wally World. Their filters are top-shelf too, although I have no qualms with some of the better options available off-the-shelf.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Just installed a Fumoto valve on my Camry. It leaked a bit but I got it tightened up and so at next oil change I'm hoping it works great.


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## Monocot Master (Feb 28, 2021)

Has anyone noticed it is getting harder to find Conventional oil? Seems almost everything is Synthetic or Synthetic Blend.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

pennstater2005 said:


> Just installed a Fumoto valve on my Camry. It leaked a bit but I got it tightened up and so at next oil change I'm hoping it works great.


There's no way I'd put one of those things on a car. I'd consider it on a truck, but the oil pan is already one of the lowest parts of a car and many already come close to scraping on your average speed bump.

It's also kind of hard to trust a product who's promo video shows putting it on with an adjustable wrench without even considering a torque spec.

I'd consider something like this on a mower or SxS, but I'd be too leery to even think about it on a vehicle. I'm not saying it's not viable or not a decent solution. It's just not a solution I'd sleep well enough with.

(I also have access to a hoist and a vehicle lift, so it's much less of an issue for me, but half the time I don't even bother to put the truck on the lift. It's already leveled on 33s, I don't need much more clearance to just slide under there on a creeper.)

If I'm checking suspension or brakes or rotating, yeah I'll put the truck on a lift, but with my fishing traveling schedule, those things have different time frames for me than oil changes do. (I spend a decent amount of time at idle coming off the water each day just to cool things down in the truck while I'm loading the boat, getting everything strapped down...etc.)

Also fwiw they mention putting them on a boat, again that would not just be a no from me, but a double hockey sticks no. There's already enough things that can go wrong on the water that we have to prep for, this is one of the last headaches I would need.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Monocot Master said:


> Has anyone noticed it is getting harder to find Conventional oil? Seems almost everything is Synthetic or Synthetic Blend.


My car is full synthetic but I know what you mean. I saw it at Walmart yesterday but its definitely a very limited selection now compared to full or blended synthetics.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

@Amoo316 Fortunately my bolt isn't on the bottom but rather the backside. So no danger of being affected. As far as spec for torque I used two crush washers and cranked it down. It leaked because I wasn't sure how tight. Once tightened I drove and all is well.

I'll definitely post back if issues.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

pennstater2005 said:


> @Amoo316 Fortunately my bolt isn't on the bottom but rather the backside. So no danger of being affected. As far as spec for torque I used two crush washers and cranked it down. It leaked because I wasn't sure how tight. Once tightened I drove and all is well.
> 
> I'll definitely post back if issues.


So did you use the provided washer (looked to be fiber) and two crush washers or just the two crush washers?

There is a torque spec for oil drain plugs, I would assume you can google it. It's not the typical German Gud-n-tite, usually closer to a 1/4 turn past snug as they can strip out easily. I don't know how that would be affected with the two crush washers, but it may be worth looking into.

Either way I'll be interested to hear how it turns out. As I said, I wouldn't touch it on some things, but would consider it for something like a mower.


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## falconsfan (Mar 25, 2019)

Headed to Tires Plus for my oil change today. The Ram has a filter location guaranteed to soak your arm in hot oil! Full synthetic change costs me $42, hardly worth it to do myself. Will also get a free rotation and alignment check. Chick Fil A within walking distance so it will be a good morning! Retired from Bridgestone so I do get a deal.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Amoo316 said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > @Amoo316 Fortunately my bolt isn't on the bottom but rather the backside. So no danger of being affected. As far as spec for torque I used two crush washers and cranked it down. It leaked because I wasn't sure how tight. Once tightened I drove and all is well.
> ...


Just the 2 crush washers. I'm gonna check it again after work. Hoping it won't leak.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> Just installed a Fumoto valve on my Camry. It leaked a bit but I got it tightened up and so at next oil change I'm hoping it works great.


What's the appeal? A tool-less oil change? (If you had one of these, and can hand-spin your filter on/off, then technically all you need is a rag and drain pan.)

I'm with @Amoo316 on this, for the most part anyways. If a drain plug isn't simple enough, maybe DIY oil changes aren't the way to go. And if undercarriage access is the issue (as it is for me with one of my vehicles), using a fluid evacuator from topside is usually a great way to go.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Monocot Master said:


> Has anyone noticed it is getting harder to find Conventional oil? Seems almost everything is Synthetic or Synthetic Blend.


Synthetic blends are "uncertainty in a bottle".  They could be 1% synthetic base stock, 99%, or anything in-between. So basically conventional oils got a little bit of Group III base added to meet API specs for SM and newer. Although now the standards are a mess with the OEMs introducing their own requirements like BMW LL-01/LL-04, GM DexOS, etc. and often listing the API standards as fallbacks. But in today's world, I'd lump synthetic blends in with conventional as one category.

Synthetic isn't just synthetic anymore since the rise in popularity of Group III oils (ultra-refined conventional base-stocks). Mobil 1 and AMSOIL were popular choices through the 90's, and they were relatively expensive Group IV (PAO-based) synthetics. Now, both brands have Group III offerings, although AMSOIL is significantly more transparent about what's in the bottle. There are even some "boutique" brands offering Group V (Ester-based) synthetics.

As complicated as things are these days, you can just shut-out the marketing, and go for a good group III synthetic that meets any manufacturer specified requirements. They really are quite affordable these days. If you're using reasonable change intervals, then it's hard to get hurt doing that. If you happen to own a "problematic" engine, be it for sludge or wear issues, then I'd recommend using short change intervals, and doing periodic oil-analysis via a lab like Blackstone to screen for any issues and adjust to the most optimal change interval.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

MasterMech said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > Just installed a Fumoto valve on my Camry. It leaked a bit but I got it tightened up and so at next oil change I'm hoping it works great.
> ...


The appeal is no ratchet and cranking to loosen the bolt. Less mess. I do two cars twice a year so anything that saves a few minutes and lots cleanup I'm all for.

That said if I have issues I won't hesitant to use the bolt again. No undercarriage issues here.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> > pennstater2005 said:
> ...


I figured the tool-less aspect was the appeal. How tight are your drain plugs? :lol: Using just a crush washer (copper or aluminum) they only need to be finger tight and a "bump" beyond that. Maybe 1/8th of a turn. And once they break loose, which should require minimal effort, they should spin right out freely using fingers only.

Seriously, look into fluid evacuators. We used them extensively in small engines, heavy equipment, boats, etc. They are common in automotive too. Some OEMs (Benz....) even pre-plumbed their engines for them. If your filters are topside, as many more are these days, you don't even need ramps to get to the filter. There's some up-front time investment in setting up for each engine you have. Sometimes the same dip tube will work fine on multiple engines, other times, not. But once you are setup, it's seconds to evacuate, and there's no way you can spill, or even come in contact with the oil.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

@MasterMech

I did check into the fluid extractors. Nice but expensive. If the Fumoto valve doesn't work out I will buy for sure. I've got a nice creeper so rolling around isn't an issue but the wrenching when under the car bothers my shoulder. Hoping this is a reasonable solution.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> @MasterMech
> 
> I did check into the fluid extractors. Nice but expensive. If the Fumoto valve doesn't work out I will buy for sure. I've got a nice creeper so rolling around isn't an issue but the wrenching when under the car bothers my shoulder. Hoping this is a reasonable solution.


My small engine evacuator was a 3 gallon poly tank, some vinyl tubing, and an airbrush compressor. No shop air required, reasonably portable, and cheap compressors are everywhere. Hand pump options exist too. I have setup many larger evacuators, capable of gulping 20 gallons in one go, but they require shop air to run them and aren't as economical as some other options if you only need 2-3 gallons of capacity.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

MasterMech said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > @MasterMech
> ...


I was looking at the manual ones only as I don't have an air compressor. The MityVac caught my eye but there were cheaper options. I'll still have to crawl under for the filter and that's why I opted for the valve first. I did use the little plastic thingy attached to a tube to drain the oil filter and I wished I'd been doing that for the last 4 years. Saved a huge mess.


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## fortyeightjake (Sep 8, 2020)

Mobil 1 oil and Wix filters for all the vehicles. My stable of small engine equipment all get their respective oils and Wix filters where applicable.


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## Zak (8 mo ago)

I use Mobil 1 and Wix except for the small engines. Those typically see Traveller(full syn or dino) oil from TSC depending on what they call for or how long i'm running it.


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

Yep, I do my own oil changes.

I usually let the old oil drain while I mow. Then, get underneath to change the filter and close everything up. Put the oil in. Turn the engine on to run it. Check the air filter and other fluids.

I use Royal Purple full-synthetic high mileage oil but go with whatever filter is on sale. 284,400 miles on my truck.


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## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

I tried the fumoto on my old truck and ended up going back to the drain plug. It kept leaking no matter what I did and I was worried about breaking it if I tightened it more. It never leaked more than a couple drips but not what I wanted to see


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