re: Is there a bigger racket than getting your oil changed?

quote:

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While i think 100 is pretty high, i have a hard time believing all the people in this thread paying less than 40 bucks

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My area of expertise is the earthmoving heavy equipment field, but as part of my job I once was part of a team that had to study the automotive oil change industry, specifically their cost structure, as Cat was placing a greater emphasis on preventive maintenance services. What I found out was pretty surprising.

First, when it comes to oil change places, the say "you get what you pay for" is very true. Basically, if you're going to a place that changes your oil for a far cheaper price than other places, you need to ask yourself why they're so much cheaper.

These cheap oil change places keep their costs low by using sub-par parts and sub-par fluids as well. Using cheap filters & fluids will not protect your engine properly and will thus shorten the overall life of your engine. What's worse, oftentimes cheap oil is not blended properly to last to the extended oil change intervals that's common on newer vehicles.

So while you may think you're doing right by getting your oil changed every 5,000 miles as per the manufacturer's recommendations. What you're not taking into account is those recommendations are based on the proper filters & fluids being used in the automobile. If your vehicle service interval is 5,000 miles and you're running oil that loses proper viscosity before that mark, you're putting excessive wear on the engine and risking engine failure.

So my advise is before allowing any oil change place to service your vehicle, ask to see what filter they use and make sure it meets the manufacturer's specs. A cheap oil filter can also lead to engine wear and even failure. I've seen it happen. Same thing for the oil. Make sure it meets manufacturer specs in viscosity, blend, detergents, and overall lubrication.