Oil change question

[Humboldt]

My (blond) girlfriend brought her 2012 Mini Cooper S in for an oil change.
Looked at the receipt and they charged her for the oil change AND the oil.

Certified Oil Change 42.99
Mobil 1 Synthetic (4.44 x 7.50) 33.30

Is it just me, or should I be giving them a call in the morning?

[Mark]

you should be changing the oil for her, pretty easy job for a guy like you.

[Philip]

You can call them, but they probably charge premium for using synthetic oil instead of conventional, not much you can do. The Mobil 1 Synthetic is supposed to be one of the best oils, together with Amsoil products. Seems like it is very hard to find a good mechanic that doesn't upsell and overcharge anymore.

I usually bring my car to a car wash/detailing place and they change the oil for $25 total, including filter and exterior wash in like 15 minutes (after trying to sell me synthetic oil, wiper blades, air filter, etc.) If I try to change the oil myself it will take me an hour and $20 for the oil/filter anyway.

[TonyT]

You got ripped off.
5 qt oil at wally mart:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-5W...ingMethod=p13n

To be fair, the place has a right to charge 7.50/qt for the oil, but the labor is a rip off. It's a 10 min job. WTF is a CERTIFIED oil change?

[Easto]

Around here a Mobil 1 oil change is about $70 - $75.

[Humboldt]

you should be changing the oil for her, pretty easy job for a guy like you.

Too busy this week, and I didn't even know she was going in.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Those seem to be normal "stealership" charges.
The price for synth oil is typical/average. (I have to use that in my HEMI truck..needs the 5w20 pee water thin synthetic oil. I use the Penzoil 12k mile stuff. You can often find it for under 7 bucks, sometimes down towards 6 bucks on sale.
But the deale...I mean..stealerships..always bend you over, without Vaseline, and with barbed wire wrapped around the base.
Tis why I always do my own. Pops tought me around age 12 and I've serviced every vehicle I've owned since.

[Mark]

today i just bought 2 5gallon containers of mobil 1 @ walmart for $23 each, 2 NAPA platinum oil filters @ NAPA for $12 each, so for $30 i do my own change and get top notch parts, none of that fram/generic filter crap they sling @ oil change joints.

but i understand folks who don't want to mess around with doing it, i have a nice 2 car garage that is a joy to work in.

i bet they dealerships that do oil changes don't even make money on them, after overhead and whatnot.

[Dan]

I get a synthetic blend oil change and filter on all my vehicles for around $25 at firestone,they are the only one I use for my cars,

and BTW,screw that getting dirty & disposing of oil & filter crap ,I used to change oil and do all the work on my vehicles when I was 25 ! LOL

I have better things to do now than work on cars.My days of working on cars is done,let somebody else get dirty.I don't have the energy,time,or desire to do any car maintanence anymore.

I have been using firestone for years now and am quite happy with them,

[YeOldeStonecat]

and BTW,screw that getting dirty & disposing of oil & filter crap ,I used to change oil and do all the work on my vehicles when I was 25 ! LOL

I have better things to do now than work on cars.My days of working on cars is done,let somebody else get dirty.I don't have the energy,time,or desire to do any car maintanence anymore.
,

It's "bonding time"...between me, and my truck or bike!
Some cold beers, crank up tunes in the garage, and have fun fiddling with 'em.

Especially important for me on my bike...seen/heard too many horror stories of those young kids that work at the garages...forgetting this, not doing that. Overtightening the drunk plug, or filter, or not tight enough. My life is at hand when I'm on my bike, ain't trusting that work to nobody else.

Plus you get to eyeball other things on your ride...find something that needs attention.
I don't like synthetics for bikes...makes the top end too "chatty/noisy" cuz it's so watery. Prefer a thicker dino oil.

[Philip]

I put Amsoil 20W-50 in my Softail, I've noticed it runs a few degrees cooler compared to the Harley's Syn3 oil. From what I've read both Amsoil and Mobile-1 are better alternatives. I changed the oil on the bike myself a couple of times as well, but I don't do it for the cars.

I changed the differential oil on my AWD Honda CRV, as they wanted like $125 for the job and I did it for $20 and some creativity getting the fluid into the differential. It was a bit of a challenge getting it into the rear axle. I had to change it as the car was starting to experience some clicking noise when you make hard turns from the rear, oil change fixed it.

[Dan]

so we actually dropped off our 07 Honda today for an oil change and tire rotation(free at firestone) and for a conventional oil change/filter/labor it's $19.99 +tx,I did ask about a full synthetic change and it is still only $49.99 there,maybe check out a firestone there in your area humboldt.


I just called Firestone in Eureka,and for that mini coop with full synthetic it is $75.67 otd,so she was charged pretty much the going rate.

and BTW,the reason I like firestone is that no matter where I travel,they are everywhere and I always have a record and warranty anywhere I drive in any of my vehicles.

they give free tire rotations with their tires,and I always have a mileage record for insurance purposes also,I get a discount from my auto ins co for driving under a certain amount of miles each year,and they need proof once a year.I also get discounts for good driving records,multiple vehicle,and my age.

I always buy tire road hazard ins.

[Leatherneck]

Yep, typical price for full synthetic at dealership. My Wife's new Renegade uses 0w-20 so I buy Pennzoil Platinum at Wally World for $23 per 5 qt jugs. Single quarts are $7+.

We used to get an oil change here and there out in town when specials were around $17.99, but no way for full synthetic.

[YeOldeStonecat]

I put Amsoil 20W-50 in my Softail, I've noticed it runs a few degrees cooler compared to the Harley's Syn3 oil. From what I've read both Amsoil and Mobile-1 are better alternatives. I changed the oil on the bike myself a couple of times as well, but I don't do it for the cars..

I never bought the Harley brand oil...I tend to stay away from Harley branded stuff, they take average parts and put way too much of a markup on it. Last I knew, Citgo made the oil...and it was Kendall before that. Not sure if Citgo still makes it..they just put it out to bid and pick the lowest bidder every few years.

I know Synthetic is superior for holding up under extreme heat and stress, but Harley's are low tech, low revving, low compression, low stress engines....the advantages of Synthetic really diminish with "farm tractor tech" engines, versus some ricer rocket that screams at 15,000 rpm all the time.

I've used it a few times when I had my twinkie FX, and I usually ended up changing back to dino within a month...I couldn't stand the noisy clatter/chatter coming out from the rocker boxes of the v-twin. Thick dino keeps the engine quiet and happy sounding. My Shovel used straight 60 dino, but with my current Evo...thicker 20/50 dino. Even after long hard runs...the Evo won't go above 180*..,..and typically under 160 with average riding....150 if I'm lazy riding.

Been just getting Milwaukee Twin brand oil from JP Cycle...it's cheap. I'm a believer in changing frequently on the bike. So brand choice doesn't matter much to me, as to some people claiming one lasts longer than the other. I change it well before time is up.

[Philip]

If you change it often enough, and with the lower temp on the EVO it doesn't really matter I suppose. The TwinCam (twinkie, lol) gets much hotter, close to 200* sometimes standing in traffic at bike week in the heat, so dropping a few degrees using Amsoil worked out great for me. AFAIK the thermal degradation is slower with synthetics, they may also retain their properties better in extreme heat.

[downhill]

you are also paying for oil disposal at those places plus the better ones check your fluid levels, lights, turn and brake lights and vacuum the interior

[Dan]

you are also paying for oil disposal at those places plus the better ones check your fluid levels, lights, turn and brake lights and vacuum the interior

they don't vacuum,but firestone does a "courtesy check" and they check and top off all the fluids if needed and they rotate my firestone purchased tires for free every time too,they do use seat & steering wheel plastic covers & paper floor mats too,which I like.

[YeOldeStonecat]

If you change it often enough, and with the lower temp on the EVO it doesn't really matter I suppose. The TwinCam (twinkie, lol) gets much hotter, close to 200* sometimes standing in traffic at bike week in the heat, so dropping a few degrees using Amsoil worked out great for me. AFAIK the thermal degradation is slower with synthetics, they may also retain their properties better in extreme heat.

Synthetics definitely maintain their properties (don't break down) at extreme temps...they'll go to 500* without failing. Probably higher with some new ones. Dino oil ranges from 220 to 250 (depending on brand/type) degrees before it starts stressing.

My TC-88 would hover around 200*...maybe 205 on hard runs. I know some of the newer 96 and 103 models can get uber hot. Read/hear lots of complaints about them getting super hot. Hence all of those dumb things like "love jugs" after market fans 'n stuff.

I have a large oil container and make regular runs to the dump for other things..at which point I pour my oil in their recycle bin...FREE.
Re: them checking lights...really ain't that hard, and on a bike it's a much larger safety concern so I just trust myself with that. I fiddle with other parts so I'm more in touch with other fluids too.

[Humboldt]

I fiddle with other parts so I'm more in touch with other fluids too.

You go, boy. Ride hard.

[YeOldeStonecat]

you go, boy. Ride hard.

lmao