I've done maintenance on my car before, changing the brake pads, flat tires, filling/replacing fluids, etc. None of that has involved me getting under my car. I've watched others change oil and my friend showed me where my oil filter and plug are and I have those pictures. You shouldn't assume so quickly. If you would have read my initial post, you would see that I was concerned about doing work under the car and how to properly jack it up where I can do the maintenance.
Pro tip: When you change your oil make sure you check your high speed muffler bearings while you're under the car.
My apologies. You would not have any trouble changing your oil. I'm probably sticking my foot in my mouth again, but there is one thing I don't understand. You can change car brakes, but you had a friend show you where the oil filter and oil drain plug is?
#1 reason to change your own oil: time. I can change my oil in 15 minutes, I can't get in within 30 at most oil change places. Disposal is free at most auto parts stores, and if you just keep a bucket in your garage, you don't have to bring it for disposal except 3rd or 4th time.
Just an fyi that ramps don't work for all cars. I've had a couple of cars where the front spoiler will hit the ramp before the front wheels do. Also, make sure you put the jack stands in the right place under the car so you are not damaging your car. Also I agree with ling ling that getting under a car is dangerous (deadly) and you need to weigh in the risks when calculating the savings (which will be gone by using synthetic oil - though you are getting a better oil). Lil Pun is a smart guy but sometimes its a matter of someone not being there to warn someone of the danger on some information not stated in the task list.
As I said, you don't get under the car to change the brake pads and with the brake pads my girlfriend's father showed me how to do it the first 2-3 times. Also, I want to make sure that I had the right plug because I didn't want to drain some other fluid. I believe it is called taking precautionary measures.
This is one reason I want to do it too. At Walmart it can take up to two hours, which I think is a ploy to get you to walk around and shop there while you wait. I have places in town that promise a 10 or 15 minute oil change but even they can have waiting times of almost 45 minutes.
I know that would not be a problem for me. I can walk to my nearest Walmart in 5 minutes and the nearest auto parts store is a 5 minute drive. As weslinder also said, if you keep a big bucket to store the oil, there is no need to drop it off every time and buing supplies in bulk can also limit your trips.
The closest auto parts store is closer to me than the closest oil change place. Even so, I rarely make a special trip. I usually run by after I go grocery shopping or something.
Especially if ling ling is watching - he saw a guy didn't have the car jacked up correctly and let him continue the work under the car... BTW, how do you change tires from UNDERNEATH the car?
It's too bad you can't find a reliable place that will do it in a reasonable time. Both my wife and I go to our respective dealerships. I make an appointment and it takes less than 30 minutes. She just drives up to the Toyota dealership and it takes around 15 minutes and she gets a token for a free car wash. Mine tends to cost around $22 with all the fees and hers are generally $26 and sometimes a bit lower. Also, since we regularly rotate the tires, every other time we go in we get that done as well. I love those places that have a guarantee but then you don't get anything if they aren't finished within the guaranteed time. Years ago, Sears promised 1 hour tire service. We purchased 4 tires and I said we'd be back in an hour to get the car. He replied it may not be ready by then and I asked what we would get if they don't meet their "guarantee". He replied "nothing". I told him that wasn't much of a guarantee and that we wouldn't be needing the tires. Our car was immediately put on the rack.
He was done w/ changing his tires when I got there and was lowering the car. I assisted in airing up his spare. You can have your arms, head or legs close enough to the car to where the car can collapse on you. Maybe that's why some people put the tire under the car as a precaution in case the car collapses.
What year is your Corolla? I have a 2003 I still take to the dealership. I'll think of it this way: if you paid so much for your investment, why not let the experts take care of it and if they don't do a good job, blame them eternally and sue their *sses for not doing it right. Seriously, though, I'd rather pay the $20+ for all the hassle, and it takes about 30 minutes. I LOL'd, ma'am. And, by the looks of it, he doesn't get it, either.
I don't think there's much I can add, but I will say, good for you for doing it yourself. Even if the difference in price is negligible, there is still a sense of pride in being able to do at least basic maintenance operations on your car. It might be a slow go if you've never done it before, and it might be a little messy...but like anything else, all it requires is practice. If you position the oil pan right, then you won't have a problem with oil getting everywhere; otherwise that's what old newspapers are for..to soak up any spillage. My wife has a Corolla S and it's profile was too low to get underneath myself. The ramps my mother has in her garage are too steep; the front bumper would scrape them. So I just measured the length and height of the front end and found some ramps at WalMart that would work with the car. Sure it's an extra 30-40 bucks, but the savings you accrue doing it yourself will pay for the ramps over time...and again you get to do it yourself. A lot of times, I might wash and vacuum my truck along with changing the oil...so it makes it easier doing that all at once instead of having to take it to multiple places, paying for a car wash, and having other people potentially f*** up my truck.
