This has always confused me - oil changes

Jordo!

I sometimes bring my oil and filter to local dealer. They charge less than 10 bucks for the labor.

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Enjoy it. Destroy it.

Jeffblue

the guy who changes my oil makes me a sandwhich while the oil drains out of my car.

b1adesofcha0s

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Project: b1adeZmobile (2009 370Z) | Uprev Tune by AAM Competition | Berk Exhaust
Project: b1adeZmobile 2.0 (2014 C7 Z51) | Corsa Xtreme Exhaust

TreeSemdyZee

I take my own oil, they install their filter and change the oil for $18.
I have to believe the $90 dollar changes you're speaking of are the Nissan Ester Oil, which is a $14-15 per quart.

Jeffblue

nah my brother gets charged 90 for a synthetic change on is 2003 A6.

Mecinoid

Yep, Ester Oil Changes run me $85. Parts are $67. Ends up being a $18 oil change. Heck... The car run smoothly... I believe, if my reasearch is right you might experience valve train noise if you use Mobil 1 etc... I think Amisol, Castrol have more Ester properties in them. I might give that a try after I get 10K on the car or so... I only have about 2500 miles on the car and wanted to do a factory fill change after 1500 to get oil shaving out of the motor etc...

I noticed a bunch of black material on dip stick even after oil change... Wtf ??? So, I went back to the dealership to see if they even changed the oil. We could tell by the marks on the bolts etc that it had been done.

During the process I checked a bunch of Z's on the lot. The dip sticks all had some blackish material on them. I believe this is break in lube making it up on to the dip stick. Any one else with same experience? I checked dip stick just now.... and blackish material all gone. Plus, I noticed one more thing that I like about this car over my old 350Z. The dip stick is straight and it easy to get it in and out of the dip stick holder unlike the old 350Z. That one bent all over the place and would take two or three tires to get it back in properly. You never really knew if you had a proper oil reading because it would scrap the oil off of the side of the dip stick tube.

I love my 370Z more and more each day... More than my Vette.. well, as a daily driver yes. But, as a long distance road car with the wife... The Vette is still better. I expect over the years to come the Z will hold up a lot better. I'll deal with that down the road.

Sorry for the banter but, I always wondered about these things and thought I'd post up my honest thoughts for those thinking the same thing.

Excuse the extended post.... Enjoy the ride !!!

Skeeterbop

If the guy making the sandwich/changing oil is the same guy that is waiting on the oil change; then it doesn't count

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FL 4Motion

those dirty rat bastards! I won't fall for their trickery.

CC_370z

Me too.

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Mods: Redline Synthetic Motor oil (5W30) - K&N Oil Filter HP - K&N Drop-Ins - Lumar CTX Tints - F.I. HFC - F.I. TDX CBE SS /w 18" Resonated.

spiGini

The reason why conventional oil is so cheap to do is because shops buy it in bulk so they get a greater discount from the distributor. synthetic on the other hand you have to buy case by case just like you would at autozone or where ever else. they still receive a discount for buying it from the distributor but it isn't as big of a discount as if they ordered 100 gallons of conventional oil. plus they have to put a markup on the oil so they can still make money causing the price to be higher. $90 for only 5 qts is def high no matter what but at my shop for 5qts synthetic mobil 1 and oil filter is about $60+tax . 7 qts about 85+ tax so its all depending on how many qts it takes. again $90 for 5 qts is ridiculous and i would def get it done someplace else if he can't do it himself

sonic370

Well said which is why i bring my own oil. Who knows whats really in those
bulk tanks they pump out of............. Just saying far as we know could be
wal-mart special brand..............

haitech

They try to take your life savings.

kenchan

$25 5qt jug at walmart for mobil1 silver cap + $5-6 for the filter and 1hr of my time.

bvl

Service is a business. Yes there are horror stories everywhere, but most people post bad things, almost never good things. People also seem to feel that prices are not worth what they are.

Lets break it down.

You get an oil change for $30 for your Z, takes 5.2 qt with filter.

$5 oil (5/30 bulk 55gal which is what large shops buy)
$5 OEM filter and washer (their cost, no profit. Actual loss: they pay people to stock the shelves, run the parts department).

Oil Change: start to finish 30m. This includes person who checks you in (service advisor), person who drives car in, tech who works on the car, cashier who checks you out.

So that is effectively $40/hr for labor on the service. Well below their rates.

$40/hr is roughly $80K year...I bet most people on this forum are close to that or over that if they drive a 40K car. If you want equal quality as yourself, why should you not expect to pay equal value? Do you want a $10/hr spanky doing your oil change and hosing it up? Alrighty, check out Jiffy-lube where the odds are better.

So is a $50 oil change really a rip off? I think not. The oil changes are low margin service at high volume for customers. Larger services are more profitable since it takes more time (highest margin is in labor costs), and more parts where there are some markups.

My local dealer charged me $27 or so for the Z's oil change when I brought my own oil. With conventional its $35+tax. More then reasonable.

With any service, I simply itemize it. The 'package' services are typically higher margin as well. Instead of the 30K package, I say do X, Y, Z only. And the break down is reasonable as parts plus exact labor.

Note: I have done almost all of my routine maintenance for 20 years and am pretty experienced. This has saved me a lot of money and helped finance my car habits

While under warranty, given the complexity of modern cars, the Z is the first car I am taking to the dealer while under warranty and letting them do it. Yeah I can save $20 on my oil change, but jacking it up, dealing with the splash pan, crawling under it, etc...takes time.

Sitting in waiting room with my laptop and wireless working == money. Its a value equation I am quite happy with

I still work on the WRX and G35, so all is not lost.

- b

shadoquad

What one person considers a value, another will consider a ripoff it is as simple as that.

But yes, garages try to take all they can get, especially at dealerships.