Is It Cheaper To Change Your Own Oil? DIY vs Expert Oil Changes

Do you want to change your car’s oil yourself or use a professional service? It’s a decision all car owners have to make with every oil change. We all wonder, “Is it cheaper to change your own oil?” and the answer seems to change from person to person. Learn whether changing your own oil is worth it or whether the professionals at Take 5 are the better choice.

The Basics of Changing Your Own Oil

Changing your car’s oil is a relatively simple process if you know what to do.

1. Get Ready for the Oil Change

Make sure you have everything you need to complete your oil change before you start. There’s nothing worse than realizing you’re missing something while under your car.

The tools you’ll need are:

• Car jack
• Jack stands
• Funnel
• Socket set
• Ratchet
• Gloves (optional)
• Rags
• New oil
• New oil filter
• Oil filter wrench
• Old oil container

Important note: Don’t try to change your oil if you’ve just used your car. It needs to cool down to prevent injuries.

2. Figure Out How Much Oil Is Needed

Each car requires a different amount of oil for its engine to run smoothly. Too little oil can cause heat buildup and damage to the engine, while too much can cause the engine to hydro lock and no longer work.

You can figure out how much oil your car needs by looking at your driver’s manual or calling the dealership. You can also try Googling for the answer, but you must ensure you’re using a trusted source.

3. Lift Your Car Up

Using your car jack, lift your vehicle up and then use jack stands to stabilize it. Before you crawl under your car, ensure that it’s safe to do so. The tires need to be securely on the stands and have no chance of falling off.

You should never work under your car if you’re just using a car jack. It’s unstable and dangerous. You need jack stands for safety.

You can use a car ramp if you don’t want to use a car jack and stands.

4. Drain the Old Oil

Grab your container and go under your car. Once you're under the car, grab the container and put it under your oil pan. Then, using a wrench and turning clockwise, unplug your drain plug. Once it’s loosened, the old oil will pour out. It will probably take around five minutes to fully drain.

5. Change Oil Filter

After you drain the oil, keep the oil container where it is. You’ll need it when you take out the oil filter.

You’ll find the oil filter under the hood of your car, not under the car. It tends to be a cylindrical object screwed into your engine. You can remove it either by hand or with a wrench.

More oil will drain out, so you’ll have to wait for that to finish.

Grab the new oil filter. Before you put it in, make sure the oil filter gasket, a thin rubber ring, isn’t in there. You don’t want that in there because your new oil filter has one. Having two gaskets will cause the filter to seal incorrectly—causing leaks.

6. Put New Oil In

Now that your old oil is drained and the new filter is in, it’s time to pour the new oil in. Just make sure to put the oil drain plug in before you do, or it will drain out immediately.

7. Check Your Work

All you have to do now is double-check everything.

First, start and let your car run so the oil can circulate throughout the car. You only need to let it run for 10 seconds.

After that, check for leaks. If there are no leaks, use your dipstick to ensure your oil is at the right level.

Cost Comparison: DIY vs. Professional Oil Changes

Let’s discuss what you really came here for. Is it cheaper to change your own oil instead of letting professionals do it?

The short answer is no.

While you might save a few dollars, the overall costs are similar.

Supplies

Doing DIY Oil changes requires you to have all the equipment and new oil and filter. If you don’t have the supplies listed above, buying them will probably cost more than going to a professional.

If you already have the tools, that’s great, but you should still consider the cost of the oil and filter. If you get them on sale, you may save money, but it might be worth comparing prices to make sure.

Time

While changing oil usually takes half an hour at the most, that’s still 30 minutes you can spend on something more enjoyable. Free time is in short supply for most people, so the ability to drop off a car and do something else is just as valuable as money.

Plus, professionals probably will change your oil in half the time it would take for you to do it yourself.

Effort

Changing your oil yourself can be a lot of work. You have to physically do everything from lifting your car to crawling under, and you have to learn how to do everything. If you don’t know how to change a car’s oil, you’ll need to learn, which requires extra effort.

Convenience

Doing this task yourself is not as easy as you think it is. While we laid out the basic steps before, we didn’t mention disposing of the old oil or cleaning up afterward.

You can’t just pour the old oil down the drain—seriously, don’t do that. You also can’t dump it in your yard and hope the soil soaks it up. Not only will that not happen, but it’s bad for the environment.

Most likely, you’ll have to pay to dispose of the old oil.

Then there’s the cleanup. Once you’re done changing your oil, you and your car’s undercarriage can be covered in oil. You’ll have to clean everything before you’re truly done.

Potential Errors

We aren’t saying you’re automatically going to fail at changing the oil yourself, but it’s a possibility. With that possibility comes the cost of the mistakes you make—which boils down to potentially costly repairs to your car.

Pros and Cons of DIY Oil Changes

We’ve already touched on this a little bit, but here’s a definitive list of the pros and cons of DIY oil changes.

Pros of DIY Oil Changes

The pros are:

• Save you money (though not really)
• Learn a new skill
• Job satisfaction
• More control over the process

Cons of DIY Oil Changes

The cons are:

• Taking time
• Taking effort
• Disposing of the old oil
• Making potential (costly) mistakes
• Breaking your warranty (potentially)
• Needing to buy tools if you don’t already have them

Why Take 5 Expert Oil Changes Might Be the Better Choice

Overall, it’s not worth it to change your oil yourself.

If you don’t have the background knowledge and tools already available, it’s easier to find your local Take 5. Our quick service can get you in and out in no time—all without you even having to leave your car.

If you have the skills and tools to change the oil yourself, the convenience and time saving of using professionals is equal to the money you’d save.

Find the closest Take 5, and let us take care of all your oil needs.