How much for an oil change?
Oh for petes sake. You expect an answer on the internet when your location is unknown. Use Google or even the yellow pages.
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… as well as the car’s oil capacity, and whether the manufacturer specifies synthetic oil.
Posts like this make me wonder just how helpless are some people. Are we destined to have a world where people can’t do anything for themselves ?
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I agree 100%. I have seen posts (not here)(yet) like “what is 20% of 100 dollars?”
I dunno, I think you have to have some mercy on the new generation. I picture someone in class taking a math test and desperately trying to get the correct answer on their phone for 20% of $100. I fear for the future.
So if the oil change costs $100, and they have a 20% off coupon, the oil change will cost them $80 plus tax. Or for that same $80, you can buy a repair manual, a set of sockets, and oil and a filter and do it yourself.
My suggestion is to find a trusted independent garage and let them take care of your auto maintenance. Ask your friends about a shop where they have had a good experience. Stay away from chain franchises that do quicky oil changes. Another alternative is to take your car to the Dodge dealer.
Don’t do price shopping for oil changes. You have a late model car and you need to protect your investment.
In my area, I found the Chevrolet Dealer’s price competitive with other shops when I owned an Uplander and the Toyota dealership is where I go with my Sienna.
My favorite one is… Watching a college basketball at a local sports bar. One of the guys in our group girlfriend shows up in the middle of the third quarter. She ask’s - “How much of the game is left?”. To which her boyfriend said “It’s near the end of the 3rd quarter.” And her response - “How many quarters are there?” I almost sent beer spewing all over the bar.
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Yes, yes we are.
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@Mustangman and @VOLVO_V70. Yes, we are destined to have people who can’t do things for themselves. Starting in elementary school, students are given state-wide multiple choice standardized tests. This continues through high school and all along the teachers prepare the students for these tests. The students who then go on to college attend large lecture classes where they are tested with multiple choice tests. These students then graduate from college with their only skill is the ability to take multiple choice tests. I don’t think there is much demand for multiple choice test takers out in the world.
And never suggest that some students should maybe go to the vo-tech high school (if it even exists) or trade school instead of college. But the local school admin probably doesn’t rate the teachers on how many referrals to vo-tech, just those wonderful multiple choice test results, sooo…
We can’t build enough homes to meet demand because of worker shortage, can’t fix the complicated cars we drive because of a shortage of techs, anon anon…
What college is this?
None of my kids had classes like that. My youngest son had at least 20 papers (each 10+ pages) his freshmen year alone. My oldest (majoring in Chemistry or bio chem [I forget which]) had written more lab reports and taken more lab classes…geez by the time she got her degree I’ll be she wrote well over 5,000 pages of lab notes and analysis.
My middle son - who has a degree in Computer Science (finally) has probably written well over 100,000 lines of computer code.
Test Takers? Please tell me what college that is as a warning to stay away. Just because that college is, doesn’t mean they all are. Must be a 3rd to 4th tier school.
I try to hire a couple of computer science college interns every summer. The lowest tier college I’ll hire from is one of the local State Schools (UMass Lowell, or even UNH). Extremely happy with the interns I hire every year. There is no way they could do the work if they were just glorified test takers. It was obvious that they had written a lot of code for their 2-3 years of school.
You have to remember that @Triedaq was a college professor for many years (math), so it is a view from the inside out.
@bing I had a great 44 year run teaching mathematics, statistics and computer science. It became transparent to me that there are two types of students: 1) the students who are truly interested in learning and 2) students who just want a degree, do the minimum, and believe the college degree guarantees a wonderful high paying job.
I also saw similar differences in colleagues. I served on a panel for several years judging research proposals. Some of the best proposals I critiqued were written by colleagues with degrees from rather undistinguished institutions
On the other hand, I had colleagues from big name institutions who not only weren’t productive, but very critical of those who were productive.
I think the important factor for both professors and students is an excitement about learning and mastering new knowledge. When my son went off to college, he asked me what courses he should take. My answer to him was “challenging courses”. I advised him to listen to the upperclassmen and find out what professors they complain about the most and then sign up for the classes these professors teach.
I was being somewhat facetious about college students graduating with their only skill being the ability to take multiple choice exams. However, when I see the most important outcome of teaching a high score on an exam, we have made education a product rather than an ongoing process.
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I saw this post before anyone replied and figured, “Oh boy, this WILL get some responses!!”
You have not disappointed!
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Any responses are good responses. I remember back in the old days, there was so much activity that if you didn’t catch something right away you’d have to look on page two or three or more to find it. And they didn’t seem to be mundane. I miss all those folks that used to post with their diverse comments. Funny there are so many people here on “Car Talk” that can’t wait for driverless cars. I miss the old days.
@Mustangman I think that industrial arts courses should be offered in the upper elementary school through junior high and be required of all students, both boys and girls. For those students who have skills in this area, advanced industrial arts courses should be offered through high school.
One reason I think required industrial arts courses are important is that children less talented in the industrial arts gain an appreciation for those who do.
My technical skills are really bad. I can round off a bolt head just by looking at it. I have to do electrical repairs and plumbing work at the same time so that the fires I start with my electrical work are put out by my plumbing work.
When I was growing up, money in our family was tight. My brother and I, along with my dad, had to make many of our household and automotive repairs. This was valuable education for me in.many ways. I learned how to do electrical wiring, some plumbing work, hang drywall and mud the joints, do repairs on my television and high fidelity amplifier and do maintenance and some repairs on my car. Having to do things for myself gave me an appreciation for those with skills to do the job quicker and better than I can do them and I am willing to pay for a job well done.
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It’s about a 1/2 hour job on the 1.4L turbo engine, plus the cost of the new oil and filter. So figure $80-$100 or so. It’s common sense when doing an oil and filter change to check all the other fluid levels and top them off as required, and lube the various things that need lubing, like the door hinges, latches, check the tire pressure, etc. If you elect that type of oil change — which I recommend – figure $140-$175.
My closest Dodge dealer advertises a synthetic oil change for $70.
No matter the cost or perceotion, oil changes are a money losing deal for mechanic.
Every place I ever worked we got paid .2 hours (note the decimal…) to do an oil change; a whopping 12 minutes for the entire process including time spent cursing at the parts dept. to hurry it up and the associated paperwork.
Recently I was made aware of a dealer who cut the .2 down to .1. A measly 6 minutes. Think any mechanic is going to give a crap or act in a conscientous manner while being paid in bread crumbs…
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