QueadlunnRau

General question, has anybody taken their Vette to an Oil change chain or does everyone DIY?

Searched through the forums for oil changes and general oil questions, read a few scary things bout cracking radiators and rockers and such, but my local Jiffy Lube does not jack up the car to do an oil change (they have a pit you drive over.)

Normally I would do all the oil changes myself, but man this vette is low ... I cannot even get my jack under the car, I know I need ramps.


So just a pole or some advice, have any of you taken your c6 vette to an oil change chain? If so your thoughts?

ZR1Cat

Huh, I don't take anything to the oil change places. I want it done right, so I do it myself.

racebum

buy ramps and use a quality filter. if the guy at jiffy lube actually remembers to tighten the drain plug you're still getting cheap dino oil and an even cheaper filter.

buy ramps, take advantage of the synthetic oil sales at costco, walmart and elsewhere. use a good filter like wix, k&n, mobil1 etc

good for the engine and good for the records for when the day comes and you sell the car.

Homer3D

I stopped doing my own oil change a long time ago. I take it to a place a trust and let them getting dirty and deal with proper disposal. I do a “bring your own oil/filter” thing and they only charge me $15 to do the actual labor. $15 to avoid having to get on the floor, getting oil on me, my clothes, my driveway/garage and not having to bottle the used oil up and take it to an oil change place for disposal, etc…yeah, that’s $15 well spent. Especially since I only change my oil once a year.

studiovette

ROD BROWN

Soud advice.Heed these suggestions and save yourself some grief. Rod

dvilin

I do not change my own oil, but I have never used Jiffy Lube. I take it to a Vette shop to have it done. Would I use Jiffy Lube, can not think of why not. I have never heard of any issues with their service.

obxchartercaptain

There are alot of threads on DIY oil changes. Search is your friend. Having said that...Drive your Vette up on a pair of 2x12's. Use your jack...lay on the ground and you should be able to reach everything you need to do your own oil change. If you track your car...then by all means use the best filter you can get....but in my opinion if you put less than 5000 miles a year on your car, which means a once a year oil change....a cheap Fram Oil Filter will do. Don't skimp on the oil though...MOBIL 1 5w-30

VETTEPLAY

Tried it ONE time and never again. Got it changed at a place like that. drove off and the check engine oil light came on. They shorted me a whole quart of oil.

Biggie G

I've been going to for years, just stand a couple feet from them, watch them. On higher end units the manager always checks the tech's work

Homer3D

I never used Jiffy Lube myself, but the place I do go to shows me the dip stick so I know it was filled with the proper amount.

purvistechie

I don't trust places like that with my DD let alone the Vette. IMHO the only way to guarantee that it's done right, is to do it yourself. Until I can't physically handle doing it myself, I will. I think that there's more to it than just doing the oil change. You familiarize yourself with the underside of the car and see when things might be going wrong, much before something shows up on the floor. While the oil drains, I'm looking around at shocks, exhaust, radiator, tie rods etc. A set of Race Ramps are worth the $. A low profile jack is nice too, although not needed for the oil change.

miami08VETTE

Not all accurate. JL does have dino oil as well as full synthetic. They typically use Pennzoil which is what I use. They carry Platinum and Ultra which are both excellent oils and meet GM guidelines for the Vette.

In my case I use JL and what I do is just show them I am watching. I question anything I see that concerns me and they know I'm involved so the job is done right.

So like any other shop, the more involved and interested you are the more likely they will do things right so you don't call them on it.

IMHO and YMMV.

miami08VETTE

door2416

I drive a company vehicle and need an oil change about every five weeks. Every company vehicle that I've had for the last 15 years has ended up with a stripped oil pan from over tightening the drain plug. I would never take my vette to one of those places.

EtidW

I take mine to the dealer. I supply the oil, the dealer supplies the filter and the labor total cost tax included is $21.00. Hard to beat that.

Xedes

I prefer doing it myself but not because I'm paranoid about the chain places, I just enjoy doing it. However, if I drove out of town and it needed an oil change, I would use a chain.

Look at the business carefully. The places that have pits usually have some type of railing around the pit and it might sit high enough to scrape up your undercarriage.

haljensen

Have used Jiffy Lube for years. The only problem is their constantly changing personel. the location I used for years got a new manager, he claimed he couldn't do 'Vettes because they wouldn't fit over the pit.

I drove to the next Jiffy Lube and went to them for a while, then they got a new manager, he insisted that my car required 6 1/2 quarts of oil and wouldn't change mine unless I bought an additional quart of oil from him and let them install it with the 5 1/2 quarts that I brought.

Next Jiffy Lube broke the neck/cap on my windshield washer reservoir and refused to replace it, said it wasn't their fault, the part had to be bad.

3 shops in 9 years, I'm done with Jiffy Lube.

hawkgfr

I use a place like Jiffy Lube...and have for 25 years. It costs me ten bucks and I drive over a pit in the Vette so its win win...I only let them drain old oil and change filter and refill....nothing else...ten buck and 10 minutes or less and I'm out...(I bmooaf)


I changed oil for a living in my youth and now I can't afford myself to do it...

wolfdogs

jiffy lube..........