Oil change cheap

smudger1964

Just got the oil changed today at my local National Tyres and Autocentre the cost was £21 .I checked out my local motor factors first and the oil was £17.99 for the same quality semi synthetic that national used and a quality oil filter was 6.49 .So instead of paying £24.48 and spending over an hour of my time fiddling about with my ramps under my car getting oily and dirty.I saved £3.48 and sat in a waiting room having a coffee while it was done for me.

Quinny_2

Can't knock that,although I changed the oil on my 406 HDi at the weekend,and the filter was about £6,and the oil was free,courtesy of the fuel card of a former employer.........

Ken.

highguyuk

£21? Shouldn't it be £20 for semi - synthetic? (I'm being picky but still ...)

http://www.national.co.uk/specials.asp

mr_accountant

I do rate national highly(for a fast fit outlet!), but one thing you have not mentioned is the immeasurable satisfaction price you get doing the job yourself. Let me give you my example.

National tyres Duckhams Qxr 10w 40 oil and filter change £21- less £5 voucher i have =£16

Me £10 5 litres Total Quartz 7000 10w 40 + 100% genuine oil filter GSF:A £19

Thus with the voucher national are £3 cheaper, but the car recommend total oil and a genuine manufacturers filter, in my opinion the £3 saving at national is wiped away using the manufacturers recommendations plus the enjoyment i get form doing a job well done (and I know I have done the job perfectly) puts me in a debit balance, and i am 100% satisfied. Also i do not need to go to an intimidating environment.

However for those less mechanically minded i do believe national are a good choice. and if they were significantly cheaper i would go there myself!

smudger1964

highguyuk wrote:

£21? Shouldn't it be £20 for semi - synthetic? (I'm being picky but still ...)

http://www.national.co.uk/specials.asp

picky is good but the £21 is because they charge £1 on top of the advertised £20 for oil disposal

bootman

Can I ask where the voucher can be found?

Many thanks.

carl310166

How about this then.

I needed the oil changed on my 106 before taking it for an emissions re-test, i didn't have time to borrow a set of sump plug keys, so i took it to ATS hoping they could do it there and then. I asked how much, they said £25 for my size of engine, being in a rush, i said go ahead, but they told me they would have to order the filter in, i replied that i already had a new one waiting to be fitted, so they proceeded with the job, 20 mins later it was ready, so i was expecting to pay about £20, they charged me £9.40 !

On the same subject, how do you dispose of your old oil at the local tip, do you take it down there in the container it was drained into, and pour it into a big tank when you get there, or do you transfer it into an old oil can and dump it like that? does that make sense?

smudger1964

carl310166 wrote:

How about this then.

I needed the oil changed on my 106 before taking it for an emissions re-test, i didn't have time to borrow a set of sump plug keys, so i took it to ATS hoping they could do it there and then. I asked how much, they said £25 for my size of engine, being in a rush, i said go ahead, but they told me they would have to order the filter in, i replied that i already had a new one waiting to be fitted, so they proceeded with the job, 20 mins later it was ready, so i was expecting to pay about £20, they charged me £9.40 !

On the same subject, how do you dispose of your old oil at the local tip, do you take it down there in the container it was drained into, and pour it into a big tank when you get there, or do you transfer it into an old oil can and dump it like that? does that make sense?

At my local tip you take the oil in the old oil container and pour it into the large oil container at the tip

tomstickland

I buy 4 x 5L of semi synthetic oil for £20 down motor factors and change it every 2-3 months. Doesn't take an hour, takes 15 minutes.

smudger1964

tomstickland wrote:

I buy 4 x 5L of semi synthetic oil for £20 down motor factors and change it every 2-3 months. Doesn't take an hour, takes 15 minutes.

thats a good price for the oil what make is it?
A lot depends on what car you have as mine has an under engine plastic tray that has 8 screws in it that alone takes 15 minutes you should also let the old oil drain out for at least 5 minutes, get the ramps out as access underneath with out is difficult. Also you need to run the engine to let the oil circulate then recheck levels then youll have to take the old oil down the tip for recycling as national do all this for you.Id like to see you do a complete oil and filter change involving all this in 15 minutes but whatever!

tomstickland

Happy shopper oil - "Planet Oil". It doesn't matter though, because regular changing of oil is very important. It's the build up of combustion particles in the oil that ruin it, turning it into a grinding paste.

Jack car up, one axle stand under corner, socket set out, one drain plug out.
Leave to drain oil, meanwhile take old filter out and fit new one.
Pour a bit of new oil in with sump plug still out.
Sump plug back in, pour in 90% of the can.
Lower back down.
Job done.
Maybe 25 minutes then. I enjoy it.