I agree with the comments about the sense of accomplishment a DIY oil change gives. But there are added pluses as well: oil changes at my house are guaranteed to have the pan bolt tightened with a torque wrench and both the oil and filter will the best I can buy. I will be using either Pennzoil Platinum or Mobil 1 5w20 for oil and Motorcraft filters. All these easily meet the manufacturers specs and I am able to verify that these are exactly what went into my truck.Dealers many times use bulk oil which may or may not be top shelf stuff. Also, many times engines are over / under filled during oil changes which is something I can keep a very tight rein on by doing it myself. Unlike a dealer mechanic I am not tethered to a productivity schedule and as a reslt give the car the added extra care I want to see it have.Having said all that, when someone else does your oil changes there are positive attributes as well: you are not dirty, sweaty or freezing cold and the old oil and filter are someone else' problem. That alone has value.Sorry for the long rant!Cheers all!

 

It really comes down to whether or not you trust the dealer (or shop) to do it correctly - I'm sure there are some techs who will be very careful to fill to the correct level, torque the drain bolt, not overtorque the filter, etc. It's definitely not cheaper (especially if it really is only $25 at the dealer) to do it yourself, depending on the oil and filter you get (if you get "the best you can buy") - and then you get to dispose of the oil which is a chore.

 

I'm at a crossroads here!
I used to change my vehicle's oil by myself.

Last 8-9 years, I've taken the Dodge Van and Tercel to Jiffy Lube for the convience of it all. Who's got time with three kids running about and the weekends being the only chance to have some free, fun time?

Sooo here I am with my first new vehicle ever and wondering what to do when it comes time for the oil changed. Granted, I have a long way to go before I decide ( I don't commute and use the F150 only during the summer months) if I want to return to oil jobs of my own, or continue using the local Lube.

I had peek under the hood of my truck and was blown away how accessible and simple it call looked compared the cramped styling's of my Dodge Caravan! I could get used to this truck.

~ H_E_H, looking left, looking right

 

Little things like inspecting the oil filter you bought for your car, making sure the sealing ring is perfect and the inside of the filter looks good (no machining debris inside etc.).

During one oil change I actually had a Super Tech filter that had metal shavings inside from when it was assembled - don't know how it got in there, but none the less, there it was. Automatic reject.

I plan on using the Motorcraft filters as they appear to be nicely built.

And then there's the business of the oil; I had a quart of Mobil 1 a couple of years ago that somehow had the additive pack go bad or something like that. As I was pouring it into the funnel it was black! I broke the seal when I opened it and it was suprise city when I saw it. I pulled the drain plug on the car and ran a few quarts of GTX that was on sale through the engine to flush that stuff out, then refilled with Mobil 1.

I am 57 years old and have been changing oil since I was 16 and I can't say that I have seen that much bad stuff happen to cars - anyone reading this would probably think I am paranoid. Once in a blue moon you'll hear about an oil change gone bad, but it's not very often; it's just with cars being expensive as they are nowadays I want to do everything I can to make sure all goes well for my cars.

As far as recycling the oil goes, the city of Morgans Point (where I work) has recycling centers located in several convienient spots around the city so it's not a problem to get rid of waste oil and filters. Of course, I ain't getting any younger so maybe in the near future I will start letting the dealer take care of my cars, it just depends on badly I tear down in the coming years.

Cheers!

 

I will be using the Schaeffer 5w20 7000 series oil and a Amsoil EA synthetic filter.

 

Be glad you don't have the Tundra that requires you to remove the skid plate to get at the oil filter.

 

I had a S10 4x4 in the past with a 4.3......The same thing,remove the skid plate