Got a good question for you all about oil changes. I had my 05 cavalier converted to synthetic. I know its supposed to be changed usually between 3500-4000 miles. The last time I went and had it done, it cost me $63.00. Is that right?? Seems a little expensive to me. Maybe I'm just wrong here?

change your own oil. it costs like 15 bucks for oil and a filter.

its not hard and only takes like 10 minutes tops





GO PATS!!!

It cost me about $25 for 6 quarts of Mobil 1 synthetic and about $5ish for the filter.....
If it wasn't synthetic it would cost about $15. Synthetic oil isnt cheap.
Later
Redrider02


"i reject your reality and substitute my own." -adam savage "mythbusters"

exodus 259 wrote:Got a good question for you all about oil changes. I had my 05 cavalier converted to synthetic. I know its supposed to be changed usually between 3500-4000 miles. The last time I went and had it done, it cost me $63.00. Is that right?? Seems a little expensive to me. Maybe I'm just wrong here?

Yeah, you got jacked. about 5 a quart for syn. so 5x5=25+ 10 filter+ 20 for labor= $55 max

holy crap, never realized synthetic was that expensive. either way, change your own oil.





GO PATS!!!

Sunfires rule! (Tom) wrote:

exodus 259 wrote:Got a good question for you all about oil changes. I had my 05 cavalier converted to synthetic. I know its supposed to be changed usually between 3500-4000 miles. The last time I went and had it done, it cost me $63.00. Is that right?? Seems a little expensive to me. Maybe I'm just wrong here?

Yeah, you got jacked. about 5 a quart for syn. so 5x5=25+ 10 filter+ 20 for labor= $55 max

Who in there right mind would pay 10 dollars for a filter???


____________________________________________________________________

Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.

If you have your oil changed at jiffy lube, ez lube ect. they will charge what they want.

The oil filter for an ohv is dirt cheap compared to an ecotec filter

i think my filter is like 3 bucks

costs me 13 dollars for 4 quarts of quaker state and a fram oil filter





GO PATS!!!

Jbody2nr - The filter for the 2.4 cost 11.35$can. that is almost 10$ US. I've check the Pf59 and it cost more here.



Gilles
2.3 Ho

Jbody2nr wrote:

Sunfires rule! (Tom) wrote:

exodus 259 wrote:Got a good question for you all about oil changes. I had my 05 cavalier converted to synthetic. I know its supposed to be changed usually between 3500-4000 miles. The last time I went and had it done, it cost me $63.00. Is that right?? Seems a little expensive to me. Maybe I'm just wrong here?

Yeah, you got jacked. about 5 a quart for syn. so 5x5=25+ 10 filter+ 20 for labor= $55 max

Who in there right mind would pay 10 dollars for a filter???

a K&N oil filter costs $10



Im a Xbox 360 fanboy...and damn proud of it!!

Alrighty . . . I can start changing my own oil. i know how to do it . .

Jack up car, unscrew oil screw, drain, unscrew oil filter, rescrew in new filter, reput in screw, put in oil. Yay.

Now my new question then. I've only changed oil myself in a few cars. How many quarts do I put in? I have an 05 Cavalier, 5-speed. I've been going with synthetic if that matters. Any type of filter recommended?

5 quarts.....AC Delco ...some stores dont carry it so I sometimes buy STP.
Later
Redrider02


"i reject your reality and substitute my own." -adam savage "mythbusters"

I've figured it's a little less than 5 quarts. Like 4 7/8's.

On the 98 2.4's, is the oil amount the same?


__________________________

1998 Cavalier Z24

4.5 quarts

i've always used a fram filter cuz its not too expensive. some people don't like them for some reason. k&n makes a filter too.

oh, and you sound like a newbie saying "oil screw." its a drain plug.





GO PATS!!!

You dont even need to jack your car up. I didnt and Im a big ole boy.

How do you guys get to the filter? Mine is hard as hell to get to, do you use an oil filter remover tool to help you?


Girls suck, buy a fast car.

the filter on a 2.4 is really easy to get to. never changed it on a 2.2 though.

if you have to use a filter removal tool to get it off, you're a sissy with no grip.





GO PATS!!!

Its not that I have no grip, its that its in an extremely hard to reach location and I have huge gorilla arms.


Girls suck, buy a fast car.

haha, gorilla arms. thats funny....where is it located on a 2.2 block? on a 2.4 you can reach it from the top (kinda akward) or from the bottom. its right behind the radiator and there's nothing at all in the way.





GO PATS!!!

On my 2.2 is basiclaly on the firewall.


Girls suck, buy a fast car.

no wonder there's always stupid "how do i change my 2.2's oil" questions being asked...





GO PATS!!!

Yea... when I changed my oil... I didnt change the filter becuase it pissed me off lol. So when I do change it next time, Im gonna use my friends "stab it with a screw driver" technique.


Girls suck, buy a fast car.

in my autos class at school the teacher had the metal shop take apart the filters that places sell, and comparing the AC Delco or other more expensive filters to the cheaper ones are as light as day, the cheap ones have so little filter paper, and held together really crappy and also the can is really flimsey. The more expensive ones are alot better its definetely worth the 9-10 dollars they cost for a good filter

Drain plug... That was the name of it. I knew that, but I couldn't think, lol. O posted that at work and I was half out of it. 4.5 quarts. That works. Thanks

I know i'm not going to very popular for this...but, flame retardent suit on, check. Okay then...


1) there is nosuch thing as 3000 mile oil, or 5000 mile oil, or whatever. "OUR brand fights viscosity breakdown up to a million miles!" LMAO right!

2) even if some oil is "better", the main enemy of oil is the stuff that gets dissolved INTO it...thats carbon and other crap, plus minute amounts of gas that gets past the rings/piston walls. Just like "how much sugar you can dissolve into water", oil has a point it can contain no more, and it just rides in it, causing wear and potential blockage.

3) some filters may well be better/more long lived, but...dont get to the point it MATTERS, lol

why buy "special" high dollar oil and filters? Buy the cheapest oil and filters, and DO IT MORE OFTEN!

by the time the oil starts to get completely dark black, it is nearing the point it can contain no more dissolved crap in it...the crap will start riding IN it instead of dissolved, and start wear. By this time, the gas that gets past the rings and piston walls willhave thinned it as well. In higher mileage vehicles, this happens faster.

in any used car, the best thing you can do, is change the oil every 2000 miles, buying the cheapest filter and oil you can, so you can do it twice as often. I use exclusively high mileage "disposable" cheap beater rides...i change oil and filter very often at fanatically low miles...and have been rewarded with no internal mechanical problems...this "freezes" metal to metal component wear.

there is no such thing as "5000 mile" oil, its just an ad campaign to get you to pay two or three times for your oil...long before the viscosity breaks down, the crap the oil is supposed to dissolve and carry inside it is "filled up".

more frequent oil changes; not better oil and filter with "better" more expensive filters and oil !!. If you change it like a RELIGION at very low mile intervals, you can use the cheap stuff and do it twice as often. Changing the oil more frequently, at lower mileage intervals, is the single most important (and useful) thing the "home mechanic" can do. If you do nothing else, this should be it.

1) drain the oil out of the bottom oil pan by loosening and removing the oil pan plug.
2) let it drain completely.
3) replace the plug, being sure not to miss the little plastic or soft metal washer for the plug, or it will leak there. You MAY have to dig this out of the drain pan, thats where mine always ends up. DO NOT overtighten the drain plug.
4) locate and unscrew the filter. it may be easier from the top or the bottom. have the pan handy, about a half quart is in the filter, too.
5) dip you finger in the new oil, and lube the rubber gasket on the new filter; screw the new filter on. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN.
6) add maybe 3 quarts, and run the car for a few seconds, then shut it off and check the dipstick. repeat #6 until you get it right. Too little, and you risk component wear, too high, and it can be just as bad.

the things newbs do most often:

They over torque (tighten) the oil pan drain bolt.
They over torque (tighten) the filter.
They lose the plastic or soft metal washer on the drain plug.
They dont do it often enough.

after a few times, it will get like breathing; you will know how much oil to put in after the change. if the oil drain plug or filter is hard to remove, youre over tightening it.

if youve been paying duke of oil or similar to doit for you, you'lllikely find greatly over tightened drain plug and filter. Dont replace them THAT tight.

I prefer the kind of filter wrench that fits over the end of the filter like a "cup" and a 3/8 ratchet unscrews it. after youve been doing it a while, you wont even need a filter wrench.


Is an '82 Olds Firenza a "Flash Ride" ?