Oil changes are some of the most basic, fundamental, and crucial aspects of car ownership. The problem is that if you’re a luxury car owner, chances are that you’re getting charged $100-$200 for a simple oil change by your dealership.
The other issue is that, if you go to a quick lube place offering $19.99 oil changes, they’re using junk oil, not suitable for your car.
This article answers this question: “how do I save the most money on oil changes without compromising the maintenance standards for my car?”
Here’s the simple way to do it:
Go to your nearest Walmart to find your spec of oil. You’ll be surprised to see that a 5 quart jug (just about what most of our engines take) of high quality, full synthetic oil is available for a mere $22. Pick up an oil filter for $5 and you’re $27 out the door.
Always refer to your owners manual about which spec of oil to use. For a majority of our cars, we can’t go wrong with Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, Castrol Edge, or Valvoline Synpower.
For you non-synthetic users, you can get high quality dino (non-synthetic) oil for a mere $15.
Don’t feel like driving? Order it on Amazon and have it shipped to you. The prices are almost identical.
Bring your oil + filter to the nearest oil change place. Most of the guys I use will only charge $20-25 for the labor for an oil change. Keep in mind that some garages don’t allow this so that they can mark up the profit margins on oil.
Voila! $50 for a premium, full synthetic oil change. Gotta love wally-world.