Cheap oil change place

There is a large dealer (Al Serra) near me that changes my oil for $53 using Mobil 1 and an OEM filter. If I do it myself, I pay no less that $60, plus, I have to dispose of the old oil. They don't sell BMW's but they sell nearly every other brand. They change conventional oil for $25. Their hope is that if they provide a good service, cheap enough, some of those customers will look into buying their next car from them. If anyone lives near or happens to be passing by Grand Blanc, MI, it's worth getting an oil change there.

That is a good deal.

No less than $75 around Milwaukee for a full-syn change, using random parts, by someone whom you'd rather not have working on any car.

$53 is cheap! Unfortunately, not cheap enough to drive halfway across the country and there is for sure no place around here (Boston area) that will change it for less than ~$70.

That is about the cost of the parts for me. I just can not bring myslef to trust someone I don't know to do a good job. I had an oil change place leave the drain plug loose once. I have done my own ever since.

I use to change my own for years since my first set of wheels.

Then one week in 2007, the stars aligned, and the schedule got tight enough to warrant the idea of paying someone else to do it.

$80 for some idiot to strip out the drain plug.

...back to doing my own again.

After watching two mechanics snap my oil pan drain plug off while I paid them as I lost money from not being at work, I decided that I needed a new approach.

So in steps my mityvac 7201 and 15 minutes of labor any time of the day.

What's neat is going to an auto parts store, picking up synth oil(I order filters online), changing your oil right in the parking lot, and dropping the old oil back in the store for recycling. It's literally as easy and fast as changing wiper blades. I know you might think it's tacky, but people like watching it do its thing.

No more hours off work. No more snapped and stripped bolts. Just find cheap LL01 certified synth oil and grab a $8 Mann filter. Yahtzee.

Your hands stay clean if you are careful with the oil filter. It's a nice.

I agree with many of you not wanting some yahoo stripping threads or leaving the plug loose but I've been going to this dealer for years and have never had an issue. I believe if they DO ever screw it up, they will cover the repair cost of any damages done by their techs. They can't afford lose sales from negative publicity and pay lawyer fees so they are careful.

Originally Posted by TemporarySanity

I agree with many of you not wanting some yahoo stripping threads or leaving the plug loose but I've been going to this dealer for years and have never had an issue. I believe if they DO ever screw it up, they will cover the repair cost of any damages done by their techs. They can't afford lose sales from negative publicity and pay lawyer fees so they are careful.

I think in this case it is very good advertising for the dealership, just consider your glowing endorsement. I can do oil changes on the cheap all day if it keeps you, the customer, coming back for years. As long as they have someone with a brain doing the work, which is MUCH more likely than at a jiffylube type place.

Sounds like a great deal, that is what I pay for M1 x6 and a Napa gold filter. Will they let you watch and inspect under your car while it is up? I would be REALLY nice to them, I have always been let out on the floor to talk to the tech. Almost worth $50 every few months to see it on a lift Then if you get the same guy, and he has a brain, and you get a perk like watching, I would slide him $10 everytime. Insurance that when your sweet old bimmer shows up, it gets great service whether you watch or not.

Originally Posted by snowsled7

IWill they let you watch and inspect under your car while it is up? I would be REALLY nice to them, I have always been let out on the floor to talk to the tech. Almost worth $50 every few months to see it on a lift

Had my car in at Paul Miller in Wayne New Jersey(my #1 favorite dealership #shamelessplug) for a 32(?) point inspection. I had a kid, albeit knowledgeable and trustworthy, working on my car. He came out to the showroom to bring me out to the garage to discuss the car.

Walk out to the service area and right there, was my E34 8ft in the air surrounded by dozens of no older than 2011 BMWs. Him, two other techs, and myself were under the car going through everything.

We diagnosed a VANOS gasket leak, rear brakes needing service, LCAs digging into my dust shield, blown end-link, shot blower motor and got quite a few compliments on my "stance".

The best hour I've spent in a long long time. Doing that little bit goes a long way.