Change own oil?

Ectophile

REDDDRAGGON wrote: »

I've just read the manual, it doesn't mention any mileage interval that it recommends oil change, just that it might need topping up now and again. I was expecting a 6 month/6,000 mile interval, which would be mid annual service.

Nobody requires 6 months/6000 miles services for a normal car any more. 12 months/12000 miles is more common, and the mileage limit could be even more than that.

Check your service history book for details.

bigjl

Ectophile wrote: »

Nobody requires 6 months/6000 miles services for a normal car any more. 12 months/12000 miles is more common, and the mileage limit could be even more than that.

Check your service history book for details.

The service book is not as detailed as you would expect.

Not all detail severe service requirements.

I have left the oil in my Pathfinder 10k/1 year and it was starting to sound like a bus, i had been doing it at around the 5/6k mark or 6months.

Why?

Because an engine never wear out or is damaged by fresh oil.

And the vehicle spends a lot of time in traffic.

Nissan say 18k!

And there are lots of Navaras and Pathfinders in neednof new camchains at around 60k.

Mine is on 122k with original chain, on the D40/R51 it is only a single row chain amd many think that is part of the problem but personally i will leave ot as is until it gets noisy or upgrade to duplex at 150k.

The wifes Clio dci has a severe service interval in the handbook.

And on my Jag i do an interim oil and filter change.

16k is too long in my book.

If a car is used for long runs on decent roads and is only started cold once a day with and not started and stopped all day it will easily do 12k/1 yr if you use good quality oil.

But move that car to a big town or city and i think it will be too long.

In my old career the vehicles were serviced every 6weeks/3000 miles.

And they were on the run 24/7 with lots of stop start.

When they first got Sprinters in 03 they decided to leave the oil and filter in to the full Merc interval and just do a safety check at 6weeks/3000 miles.

Failed bottom ends was the result and they quickly went back to short ool changes.

In the specific case of the OP.

You need to keep up the service history to maintain the warranty. Reciepts for oil and filters purchased are not good enough, unlike in the US apparently.

And i would only ever use manufacturers filters or filters from an OE quality supplier such as Hengst, Bosch or Purolater.

I would not touch some cheap tat from a local factors as they aresometimes poor quality and i never use Halfords brand as they are expensive for an unknowm brand, Champion seem decent enough though.

On a Nissan you can sometimes get your filters cheaper from a Renault garage, my local Renault dealer is very cheap as far as filters go.

bigjl

droopsnoot wrote: »

On the warranty thing, I'm sure that now you can have it serviced anywhere and as long as it's done to the service schedule, it won't affect your warranty. This might vary between manufacturers, but I think it's an EU anti-monopoloy thing. So even if there isn't a local Nissan dealer, you could have it serviced somewhere else and as long as it's to spec, no problem. Also most manufacturers would agree that not having the oil changed in the engine wouldn't affect the warranty on, say, the gearbox (assuming it's not using the same oil), so it's not quite right to suggest that not having it serviced will automatically void the warranty in its entirety. Not that I'm saying that not having it serviced is a good thing, you understand.

It matters if you're planning on selling it soon, if you're going to keep it for a good few years, having a main dealer service history will start to matter less and less, as long as it's looked after.

Some engines use "long life" oil than can be left in for 20k or more, though a lot of people change it more often just to be on the safe side. It all depends on the engine.

I'm a tinkerer myself, have stripped and rebuilt one classic car and am part-way through doing another one now, but I have the basic service on my daily driver done by someone else. It's not that expensive, I could do it myself for less money, but I like the idea that someone else has checked the car over and might have noticed something I missed.

Agree fully.

Though i have heard of some engine failures on VAG vehicles on the long life service schedules.

Wether the wrong oil was used i don't know.

I would not buy a 3 yr old car that had been serviced outside the dealer network.

But a ten year old car with one owner would be slightly different

iltisman

I now always change my cars oil myself.Dealers have been a disaster on every visit, filler caps left off,over/under filled, massive charges.
Mobil One every 4-5 Kmiles with a new filter . If you are unsure how to do this job find a friend who knows to show you and save a lot.
Fill in the service book yourself and staple receipts to each page. I have sold my cars privatly and shown receipts for parts (cam belts etc) and buyers have been happier than looking at a book of dealer stamps.

Tiexen

iltisman wrote: »

I now always change my cars oil myself.Dealers have been a disaster on every visit, filler caps left off,over/under filled, massive charges.
Mobil One every 4-5 Kmiles with a new filter . If you are unsure how to do this job find a friend who knows to show you and save a lot.
Fill in the service book yourself and staple receipts to each page. I have sold my cars privatly and shown receipts for parts (cam belts etc) and buyers have been happier than looking at a book of dealer stamps.

Yes that's good - but not on a 14 plate car on its 1st service - often dealers will do software updates or minor recall items without telling you.

iltisman

Ah yes I took a car to a dealer once and they connected diagnostic cables to it and they left the cables connected and the car ran like a goat . I went back and asked them to undo what they had done so I am happy to avoid them even with a new car.

oldagetraveller

"Just type in your reg and see what they would charge you - depending on how much oil it needs, prices start at £28.80"

It doesn't inspire much confidence in them if this is the message after submitting registration details. It's only a 1.33l petrol Yaris for goodness' sake!

"We're sorry, but we are unable to find your vehicle details. Our technicians would be happy to provide details of the correct oil for your vehicle over the phone. Please call your nearest centre on 0800 432 0460 for an instant quote."

EdGasket

I have always changed my own car's oil and filter; that way I know its done properly. No stripped threads, no oil filters falling off or drain plugs coming loose, and I know what oil has gone in. ...and apart from anything else its just so enjoyable!

[Deleted User]

One thing to bear in mind, if you plan to sell the car in less than 5 years, the main dealer service stamp (or digital service record) will add 100s or even over a 1000 to the sale price (compared to a car that has no history at all) - this will pay for the cost of the services. Also, the failure to drain fully and slight overfilling that garages tend to do is unlikely to be a problem if you plan to sell the car eventually. And the more major cockups of the sump plug not being put back properly and all the oil draining out are thankfully very rare (although I have a friend of a friend it happened to - thank Halfords)


If you're not planning on selling it then by all means do it yourself, but keep the oil and filter receipts so you have something to show a potential buyer years later if you ever do sell.


The only case for changing the oil yourself is if you're a perfectionist who doesn't trust garages at all, and wants to keep the car running for 200k + miles. For everyone else, just get it done at the garage, it's cheaper and less hassle.

sh0597

I wouldn't do it on a new car. You might cause warranty issues and if you sell then it is useful to have the service book stamped. Not really sure how acceptable it is to tell someone you did the services. Plus it seems odd to shell out a fortune on a car and then try and save peanuts on services.


I'm doing it myself on my 10 year old car. It's cheaper because most garages charge double the price for the parts and then add on labour. Probably saving at least £50 and I know it's been done.