Cost of Changing Your Own Oil
How much it costs to change your oil depends on several factors. Will you have an oil change service center change it for you or will you do it yourself? If you decide to do it yourself, do you have the necessary tools to complete the task? And if you don't have the tools, are you willing to spend money to acquire the tools to finish the job? Answering these questions will help give you some idea about how much an oil change is going to cost you. But before you answer any questions let's break down the cost of paying an oil change service center to change your oil versus performing an oil change yourself.
Paying a Service Center to Change Your Oil
Oil change service centers save you the time and effort it takes to change your oil. Not only that, but most oil change service centers offer free inspections included with the price of the oil change.
As an example, we'll look at Jiffy Lube. Jiffy Lube offers an oil change service which includes the following:
The Oil Change Itself
Provides up to 5 quarts of motor oil and an oil filter
Inspection of Key Components
Check and Fill Service
Cleaning Service
Jiffy Lube Signature Service Oil Change costs roughly $40 - $50 for their conventional oil change. Most of the other oil change service centers charge pretty close to the same price. Some charge a little more, some a little less.
As an example, we'll look at Jiffy Lube. Jiffy Lube offers an oil change service which includes the following:
The Oil Change Itself
Provides up to 5 quarts of motor oil and an oil filter
Inspection of Key Components
- Check Antifreeze levels
- Check the air filtration system
- Check the serpentine belt
- Check the brake fluid level
- Check the wiper blades
- Check exterior lights
- Check the chassis and lubricate if needed
Check and Fill Service
- Check tire pressure and fill if needed
- Check transmission/transaxle fluid and fill if needed
- Check differential/transfer case fluid and fill if needed
- Check power steering fluid and fill if needed
- Check windshield washer fluid and fill if needed
- Check battery water (excluding sealed batteries)and fill if needed
Cleaning Service
- Clean the exterior windows
- Vacuum out the interior floors
Jiffy Lube Signature Service Oil Change costs roughly $40 - $50 for their conventional oil change. Most of the other oil change service centers charge pretty close to the same price. Some charge a little more, some a little less.
Changing Your Oil Yourself
Changing the oil yourself can give you a great feeling of self-satisfaction and can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. However, if you don't have the tools to change your oil, it may cost you more to change your oil than you would like to spend. Here is an Oil Change Checklist that includes everything needed for a successful oil change, as well as the average pricing for each item.
- Oil - This is the most important item on the list as it is the lubricant for all the moving parts inside the engine. Most engines will hold between 4 - 5 quarts of oil, sometimes a little more. The cost of oil will depend on how much oil your engine holds and also which type of oil you use - conventional, full synthetic, synthetic blend. You can expect to pay between $20 - $50, depending on the type of oil you use and how much your engine needs.
- Oil Filter - Oil filters are also vital as they catch the contaminants that accumulate over time as oil works to keep the engine clean.Oil filters are fairly inexpensive and cost on average anywhere from $4 - $12 on average.
- Oil Plug Gasket (if required) - Your vehicle may not have this or require changing but if you have to replace an oil plug gasket, the cost for the gasket runs between $1 - $3
- Oil Filter Wrench - Oil filter wrenches are a necessary tool for removing the filter and are fairly inexpensive. They can run anywhere from $5 - $14 on average.
- Oil Drain Pan - Oil drain pans catch all the old oil that is drained from the engine when you change the oil. These can be bought for anywhere between $6 - $14 on average.
- Jack - Sometimes you can get to the oil pan and the oil filter without having to jack up your car. But more times than not, you will need to raise your vehicle to be able to access everything. If you don't have a jack handy, you can buy a small 1.5 or 2 ton at any auto parts retailer for about $25 - $35 or buy a heavy duty 3 or 4 ton jack for $60 - $100.
- Jack Stands - Jacks stands keep your vehicle secure while it sits off of the ground. You can find a set of jack stands for about $20 - $40 on average.
- Wheel Chock - Wheel chocks offer added security and safety while you are under your car working. By simply placing these in front and behind your wheels, wheel chocks prevent the car from rolling. You can get a set of wheel chocks from $15 - $30 on average. -
- Piece of plastic (optional) - While working under your car, draining your oil, it is possible that you will spill some oil in the work area. A piece of plastic layed out on the work area can catch any oil and also be easily disposed of when you are finished with your oil change.
After seeing the cost of the tools and parts, you can get a rough idea of just how much money it will cost to perform an oil change yourself. If you have to buy the parts and all the tools, you can expect to spend between $100 - $250 for everything. This may seem expensive but look at it this way, when you change your oil again, you have all the tools and will only need to buy oil and a filter, which would put your oil change cost somewhere between $25 - $60.
There you have it. You now have a rough estimate of oil change costs, whether you pay to have it done or do it yourself. Now all you need to do is determine which way is more cost effective for you.
There you have it. You now have a rough estimate of oil change costs, whether you pay to have it done or do it yourself. Now all you need to do is determine which way is more cost effective for you.