Oil Change tip/question

[mspdfreak]

I used to just pour it out in the alley behind my house. But as I've grown older, I started feeling guilty. It's WAY bad for the environment, plus it's a hefty fine if you get caught. You're supposed to take it to a local disposal facility. (same place they take used batteries, engine coolant, etc.)

 

[b00sted]

you mean like a junkyard or landfill place?..i guess i can call an oil place and ask them

 

[mcstark]

A lot of car parts stores take it back for free now; I know for sure that Autozone will accept it. I have a drainpan with a container on it that stores up to 15 quarts of oil. Once it's full I dump it into empty laundry detergent bottles and drop it off to be disposed of.

I'm not big on the "quick lube" places -- no offense Matty -- because I don't trust the ham-fisted punks there. I've had oil caps not tightened and air filter housings left unclamped. And I love how they try to get you to change everything else. Last time I went to one, I had it out with the manager about my air filter. I'd just changed it and he claimed I needed a new one for $19.99. I told him it was new and Fram filters were only $10. He continued to argue with me and I basically finished by telling him he was an asshole.

I like to do things myself so I know they're done right -- as long as I have the knowledge and skills to do it.

Again, no offense to anyone...these are just my feelings on the topic.

And please don't dump your oil in your grass, the sewer, or anywhere else. That s*** will eventually make it into the water table and it's a HUGE carcinogen. Be responsible and not what the world thinks a typical American is like.

To quote Dennis Miller: "That's just my opinion...I could be wrong."

 

[spacemonkey]

I use Mobil1 10w30. I never had any problem removing my filter. Just grab a socket wrech and buy one of those oil filter cup things that attach onto your socket wrench. It old cost me $3 for one of those cups.

After a bunch of people said to get Mazda oil filters for warrenty purpose I ended up going to my local dealer to get one. And let me tell you...it would have been cheaper to have them change my oil. It cost me $11.11 for the oil filter. A quick glance at it and I can see its quality like K&N and Mobile1. Before this I used STP and K&N (50% cheaper).

Part number is: B6Y1 14 302 9A (Mazda Cartridge, Oil filter)
should be a problem if you went to the dealer, just tellt hem you need a filter for the MSP. Tell them its the small filter.

Note: I would never let anyone change my oil unless its me or the dealer. It takes me around 30min. After seeing the ABC primetime special on how alot of oil changing places try to scam you. They talked about Jiffy Lube's "invisible ticket" How, let say the target is $50 per car so if you go in for a $38 oil change..they have to make it up somewhere. Usually prey on women and senior citizen. This poor girl went in for a $65 oil change and left with a $500 bill. They poored cleaners into her fuel tank turned on the car and told her the smoke comming out of it wasnt good. Plus you never know what they put in your car. They forgot (dealer) to put the oil cap back on my moms car...oil everywhere...errr. I just rather do it myself so I know its done right and I know what goes into my car.

 

[mspdfreak]

Yeah, but unless you're elderly or a dumbass, you will see that scam coming a mile away.

 

[computerGeek]

i stopped going because of the harrasments like above. When i get my K&N filter i want to take the car in and see if they tell me to change it after 5000 miles. i would just smack em'. I went 50,000 yes 50 gs on a stock honda filter. hehe i have a pic!!! good ol days eh?!?!?!?!

 

[iluvmacs]

With my old car it got to a point that the dealership was screwing things up terribly. I went in for a 150k mile checkup which included an electrical system check. All my electronics worked fine (radar, 3 amps) and after, the radar went off every 30 seconds, and I had terrible noise from the speakers. Whatever they did F-ed my cars electronics completely.

Oil change places are a bit different. They don't require any experience to get hired like a dealership. They train you at their own site, but you really don't need to know anything about cars to work there. One place even epoxied my drain bolt so that only they could change it in the future. They strip the drain bolt, the bolt threads, they neglect to change the filter, and basically don't give a crap about your car. $15 for a car you're going to trade in is fine, but I plan on keeping mine another 10 years like my last car (90 civic, actually 16 years old, but I'm second owner), so I would rather have simple maintenance done right.

 

[Turbo Matty P]

wow, I couldn't disagree with this more. I used to work for the largest quick lube in the southeast and this was NOT something that went on. Quite the contrary. Before anyone was allowed to touch a car (other than their own) they were required a two week course in proper procedure, safety, knowledge, sales, and service. They are like the army....they teach you the same pattern over and over again so you treat every car the same. The pitman below the car has the hardest job as he's usually working on three cars at once. However there is constant survailance in the pit to monitor what goes on down there. As one of the newer mechanics at this shop I was often called in to cover the pit while the pit man ate lunch. It is very much a tight operation. There is a lot of stuff to check and fill and he gets it all done in under ten minutes.

Of course our shop charged almost $30 for an oil change I know for a fact we did the job right and that persons car was well maintained. To say that they are all rip-offs is a lie. Maybe you should switch who you go to.


p.s. I worked for Express Oil Change

 

[iluvmacs]

I shouldn't have been so general. This was at 2 shops, and I find that every major city has a different set. I've never heard of "Express Oil Change". Cleveland has lubestop, where I am now ONLY has "jiffy lube". They're the ones that epoxied the drain plug. I applied to work at lubestop but the "army" training turned me off. I look back now and think that's not really effective, because all cars have little differences that can make quite a difference in procedure. I don't know though, I didn't go through the training. Just trying to relate my experiences, certainly not always the case.

 

[Turbo Matty P]

when I said "army training" I meant in that the routine is beat into you until it's second nature.

Kiffy Lube is funny because their procedure list is almost identical to ours was.....so much in fact that express sued them over it and won.

A pitman who epoxied a drain plug to a pan did it because they were lazy and didn't want to tell the owner they stripped the plug...they just want them gone and they'll deal with it later.

 

[Mike R]

when I said "army training" I meant in that the routine is beat into you until it's second nature.

Kiffy Lube is funny because their procedure list is almost identical to ours was.....so much in fact that express sued them over it and won.

A pitman who epoxied a drain plug to a pan did it because they were lazy and didn't want to tell the owner they stripped the plug...they just want them gone and they'll deal with it later.

LOL, I worked for Iffy Jube for 5 years. We went through some minor training, and they have gotten much stricter about saftey stuff, but there are a lot of morons working at those places. Yes, the pit sucks. I worked the pit for 5 years. Never epoxied a drain plug, or stripped one out for that matter. They usually came from somewhere else with a preexisting problem and we'd get to fix it!

 

[iluvmacs]

Now that makes sense. I did have to drill out the bolt hole, retap a new size, and use a double plug system to cap the oil pan. That sucked.

This is why I don't go to oil change stations.

 

[mazdaspd2003.5]

Good stuff, I like that hair dryer trick. I want to change my own oil to save $$, I also want to use synthetic. I've read only good things about switching to syn. I now have 1400 miles on my perfectly broken-in MSP and I want to go ahead and change the oil for the first time. Do you guys think that now is the best time to switch to syn? Or should I wait a few more thousand miles?

If you read on the net, and have experience with fourstroke dirtbikes and quads... YOU DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE TO SYNTHETIC OIL BEFORE 10,000 KMS.
There are really good websites that show proof on this FACT. Before ten g's on your car your engine is still breaking in... you need regular oil in order for your rings to seat properly. Search up on it.... if I can remember what the site is I will post it.

P.S. You should change the oil in your new car right after you buy it... as the oil pan has potential of having metal shavings/bits in it from the factory.

P.S.S. If you find one of these sites im talking about, they also tell you to drive your car very hard for the first 100km then change the oil, as it will make sure the rings seat well and scrape your piston walls clean of any burrs(very small, but do to the production of the piston walls there are small "hairs" or burrs left along the walls). So its telling us to basically drive in a consistent drag race for 100km to make sure the engine is going to last.. and to clean anything out of the engine.

As an avid quad, dirtbike, and crotch rocket owner... I personally( In My Own Opinion) agree with this websites statements of how to break in an engine.
If you buy a car and break it in like the manufacturer wants, it works great.. your happy... 3yrs later your engine dies..OOPS NO WARRENTY. BUT.... if you test the engine (while cleaning it up to perform more consistently for longer) at the beginning you will find out if its strong enough to last or if its a lemon.

By the way.. quads... when you break them in you drive them hard and they perform excellent... if you break them in easy... not as much performance... not much change in reliability.

This post is for info only... IMO... but I have a 2003 KFX400 a 99 ZX6-R and a CRF 450. all running strong. My first kfx400 died a week after i got it... because it lost allot of the compression... dealer wanted to just "fix it", F@#K that, If the engines a lemon, what else could be... so i got a new one... WARRANTY

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

TurbomattyP- huh? The only new cars that come with synthetic oil from the factory are cars that the manu. wants you to use syn. oil. For you to say ALL new cars come from the factory with syn. oil is.....well wrong.