I have changed the oil dozens of times on every vehicle I have owned. I now choose not to with the G. There is a minor cost savings if I buy the oil/filters in bulk (when I did the math, it worked out to every 6-7th oil change being "free" after I recouped my costs on the oil/filters).

Overall, I've decided it's not worth the time/hassle/clean up most of the time (especially with being married, having a house to take care of, and full time work). While a have the wrench, jack, filter wrench, etc, since I'm dealing with a jack/jackstands and not a lift, it's still a hassle... Just my opinion.

 

Same here. On all my previous vehicles (Toyota's and Honda's) I've always done the oil change myself as they were straight forward and easy to do. I even change my own oil on the motorcycle.

But the G35 is a bit of a hassle. I own 3 vehicles (one other 4 door and a sportbike). I change the oil myself on the sedan and the motorcycle but the G35 I take to the shop. 2 out of 3 ain't bad..

 

Again, a lot of you are missing the point. It's not about the money. Or how "inconvenient" it may be. Or how long it takes.

I'll give some of you another perspective and propose a question to you. If you gave your mechanic control of your entire life, would you trust him/her with it? Because for me, if my life were in the hands of a mechanic, my answer would be nope. No, never, nope. Therefore, I don't trust them with my car. Because really.. In extreme cases, a mistake the mechanic can make can cost you your life. A mechanic is dealing with multiple cars at a time, and many mechanics don't get paid per hour, but by how many cars they churn through. It's very, very easy for them to forget a step in the process when they're multitasking - hence the stories of them not filling the oil after draining which can cause your engine to seize while on the freeway, causing you to lose control... Forgetting to tighten the lug nuts after a tire rotation which again, can cause you to lose control of the car, etc. etc. etc.. I'm not saying they're all BAD people (some are the scum of the earth, but that's beside the point), but because of the conditions and the stress they're under, these mistakes can happen, and they happen more frequently than some of you guys may realize. Sure, it hasn't happened to you, but for me personally, it's not worth the gamble. It HAS happened to me. I HAVE dealth with the side effects. I know with 100% certainty, when I maintain my vehicles, the job has my full and undivided attention so I know, with 100% certainty, the job will be done correctly.


THAT, people, is my argument (albeit slightly exaggerated, but the principle is there). That is why I am saying people should learn to do their own regular maintenance. Because these little things are the most important things in owning a car. AGAIN, not because I'm saving 10 bucks. Not because it takes 30 minutes too long. But because I take the time to learn how to do these relatively simple procedures so I don't get screwed by someone else's mistake.

 

Not missing the point at all. And your hypothetical question is quite extreme.

It its plain stupid to give full control of your entire life to a mechanic. I don't even know where you got that notion. Mechanics are supposed to be trained to work on vehicles. 2 of my good friends are mechanics and I trust them to work on my car. If you've had bad experiences with mechanics, then sorry to hear.

I think the key is to find a trusted shop and get to know the staff that works there. Usually dealerships, albeit expensive, know how to work on cars (since that is what they specialize in) which is why I bring my G35 to the Infiniti dealer.

The point you may have missed, is that not everyone has the skill or tools to learn to work on their own vehicles. Car owners can make mistakes just the same as a mechanic.

Would you let a 19yr old girl who has no idea how to work on cars do their oil change? Or a 60yr old man/woman? Or a mother of 4 children who has no time or knowledge about cars?

Many people fall under the umbrella that should not be working on their car or doing their own maintenance because they have no mechanical skill and can hardly be trusted with even driving a vehicle. Some people, like us car guys, sure we can do our own maintenance. But that is highly situation-dependent, whether you have the time, space, and inclination to do the maintenance yourself.

 

Yes it is possible for a mechanic to forget to add oil, these chances go up when you have some high school kid working at some fast oil change place. Isn't it possible for someone who isn't trained or mechanically inclined to over fill/not fill their oil? If you go to the dealership, it gets recorded and shows up on a car fax report and you generally get someone qualified to do the job right.

I know how to change my oil, I'm glad I learned how, it was quality time with my father that I'll always remember. I've taught all 3 of my kids how to change oil and tires and do basic maintenance. But at the stage of life I'm at now, I take it in and have it done at my Infiniti dealership, I also take my F150 to a Ford dealership.

Never had a single problem at Infiniti, my ford dealer didn't fully fasten my skid plate once, I ripped their a$$ and set clear expectations when I go in each time so there are no repeated issues.

If you change your own oil, great, more power to you. I just don't get why you chose to rant when some people don't.

 

Well put...

 

Now you just sound like a tool. It is their profession, they know what they are doing. Plus a 15 year old girl can do an oil change.

 

I know of, personally, at least three cars/trucks that have had the oil filter not tight, or the drain plug not tight. Left people stranded. If I do it, I know it's done right.

 

Other people grow and prepare the food and drink you buy and eat..... That could kill you too if done wrong. Other people probably built the house you live in and the buildings you go into during your day to day existence... all of which could kill you if something went wrong with them during their building and maintenance. Other people also made most of the tools you use to work on your car, and those too could hurt or kill you if not built right. Your car was also built by other people... how do you know that they didn't mess it up in the factory when it was made and it isn't going to kill you? If you rent cars, take a bus/taxi/train/airplane, you don't know the service history of them or who worked on them.... what then?

If mechanics really were making these kinds of deadly mistakes all the time and making everyone's car unsafe then everyone else would be crashing their unsafe cars all over the road too... and probably crashing them into your car coincidentally while they are at it since we all share the same roads. If this were true then it wouldn't matter that yours is maintained by you while the majority of other cars out on the road so dangerously are not and are rocketing all over the roads uncontrollably.

It's "interesting" how you're blatantly making fun of the work ethic and abilities of people who don't work on their own cars in the same thread that you are later on in questioning the integrity, work ethic and skill of the mechanics who work on those same cars for other non-do-it-yourselfer people and claiming that as part of the justification for why you work on your own. I think you just want to make fun of people... and honestly, doing so in this fashion makes you come off like a 16 year old kid whose dad just taught him how to do his own oil change and all of a sudden he's running around bragging and looking down on people like he's an ASE certified master mechanic.

I work on all of my own vehicles too. I do it because I want to, it saves me money and is a refreshing change of pace from my software engineering day job, while also just generally liking to figure out how things work and how to fix them. It also allows me know my vehicles better so that I can understand and troubleshoot future problems more easily and be aware of the condition of things that might need future repair or maintenance. Deep down inside I also just feel like repair/Mcgyver skills and knowing how to turn a wrench and figure things out could someday save your life in a survival situation or possibly in an unlikely end-of-the-world Armageddon scenario. 90% of my friends don't do any of their own maintenance even though I've offered to teach them how and do so using my own tools. So what? I'm sure it won't end up mattering in the grand scheme of things and they aren't better or worse people because of it. There are far more relevant traits to judge people on than whether they work on their own vehicle or not.

 

Fair enough. I apologize if I've offended anyone; it was not my original intention. My logic and reasoning in this case was not sound, and jaded by my own bad experiences and stories I've read.

I'll carry on doing what I do, and you all do what makes your boat float.

Peeaacce.

 

Not saying it is impossible for techs to make a mistake, just unlikely. If plug was not tight and leaking, it is also partially on the owner for not noticing leaving pools of oil everywhere they went. Doing DIY work also leaves room for costly mistakes, ie anyone here that has ever done exhaust on G35/350Z know. The O2 sensors are very easy to break and cost $100 a pop. At least if shop breaks one, they will replace it at their cost, not yours.

I am not saying it is better to DIY or go to a shop. It is up to each person to weigh the individual pros and cons and make the decision themselves. There really is no right or wrong in the situation. Just dont like seeing people like OP that look down on others simply because they dont want to change their own oil. That is all.

 

"I don't trust my mechanic to run all aspects of my life, therefore I don't trust them to change my oil"

Dude... wat?

nothing against changing your own oil - I've done it countless times (as my wife's frustration with milk jugs full of old oil in the garage can attest to...), but:

1- if you have someone else do it because you can't be bothered, just check the dang dipstick before you roll away - not that hard...
2- use a place that you trust, can watch them do the job, and have built a rapport with... And then check behind them before you go anyway

 

I feel your pain. The things I absolutely love about doing my own work is. 1. I know its done right 2. I absolutely trust me and 3. I'm not going to give myself the shaft. Plus doing my own maintenance allows me to learn more about my car. Plus I'll never hear me say "I'm going to screw me over on this oil change, I'm gonna charge me more", or how about, "since I wonna act like a dick, I'm going to make sure I come back for something else.

 

You realize that logic applies to MANY areas of life.

Do you trust your doctor, who probably has too many patients and is running around to them all?

Do you trust the electrician you hire to refinish the basement to do it in such a way that doesn't possibly electrocute you?

Do you trust the plumber to do a good job and not flood out your house and cause thousands in water damage you are liable for?

Do you trust the pilot of the plane you are on to be well-rested and not make a mistake or decide this is the day he wants to plunge the plane into a mountain?

Do you trust that the guy driving the 18-wheeler behind you at 80MPH hasn't been fudging his sleep logs and has been up for 36 hours straight to make up for a late delivery?

Do you trust that the engineers who built the bridge you are about to drive over made it sturdy enough that it won't collapse?

Do you trust that the guys who installed the elevator in the 110 story building you are in did it in a way that will not randomly fail at some point?

Do you trust the carney folk who assembled the carnival rides in 24 hours in a dirt parking lot installed each and every bolt where it needs to be?

Do you trust the captain of the cruise you are on won't run the ship aground because he's flirting with a 20 year old mistress?


There's a lot to worry about in this world that can affect you negatively. Unfortunately, we can't do everything ourselves. You gotta trust people sometimes.

 

I got it? I said my logic was flawed a few posts up so...?