Should I change my car oil myself or take it in?

I took auto tech class in high school, so I know how to do this stuff. I have a 1995 Mitsubishi Galant S. How do I know what type of oil to get and oil filter. Do I use 5 quarts? Is it cheaper to do it yourself?Should I change my car oil myself or take it in?
You might save $10 dollars to do it yourself..



you also might ruin a $10 shirt ... lolShould I change my car oil myself or take it in?
I save $15 by doing it myself. My brother lives in MI and it cost $9-15 at quick oil change and he lets them do it. Add up the cost and see which one is cheaper. Also, you need to find an oil recycle center to dispose of the used oil. If you have to drive 100 round trip, it's not worth it.
didn't learn much in school did ya....

1 if you put in 5 qt the engine will die...its little...buy 5 and put in 3...run for 1 min check level...add as needed

2 get 10 w 30 if you dont know..[owners manual or oil cap will tell you..but 10 w 30 always safe

3 filter go to auto prts store look it up..or as counter person..
How are you going to get under the car to reach the oil filter with the oil filter wrench? You can't go under a raised car without safety jack stands and wheel chocks in place (on a level surface).
You just have to crunch the numbers.



Oil and filter will run you about $15 and take you about half an hour. Do you have a cheap shop around that will do it for 20? If so, there's no way the time and trouble is worth $5. Around my town the cheapest I can find is about $28. Makes it worthwhile for me to do it myself, $13 in half an hour is decent savings.



Most cars take five quarts of oil but some are different, it's pretty easy to put 4 in and check the dipstick and add if necessary. What kind of oil? Should be right on the oil fill cap. If not, just ask the shop where you're buying the oil. Same goes for the filter, the place where you buy it will have a manual.



Here's the tougher part, getting under the car. Without at least having ramps, it's likely too crowded under there to do it yourself. Ramps will be another $30 or so but if you use them a lot, they pay for themselves quickly.



If you plan on doing more than just the occasional oil change a Hayne's manual is a good investment too. In fact, I think it's a good idea to have one for every car you own, even if you don't do repairs you can do a little diagnostic at home so the mechanic can't fool you as easily.
Anyone can change their own oil and its cheaper, go to autozone or any autoparts store and they have manuals in the back that tells you what oil filter you will need and what oil to use. They also have CSR's up front that can pull everyhing up on a computer and get it ready for you.
Do you enjoy working on your car? Is it fun?Have you done it before?

If the answer is yes,do it yourself. If it sounds like a hassle,have it done at the dealer,not quick lube. Here's why I've heard by more than 3 people,some times forgets to put the oil back in after draining,which locks up the engine.Granted they put another engine in it,they will put a used engine in. Dealer will put in a brand new one,so chances are,dealer will replace the oil. Also,using factory parts as often as possible will make the engine last much longer. I also recomend 1 qt of Lucus in that particular car.Mitsubishi's are bad about valve guide seals.It makes the car smoke alot! Lucus will prolong the problem.May make it last much longer! Go to dealer,on about $24.00 and they check out more of your car,an inspection(check dealer coupons!
If you use conventional oil, you save $15 doing it yourself.

If you use synthetic oil, you save $40-$100 doing it yourself.



I personally only run Royal Purple synthetic oil. Expensive, but works.
i go to wal mart and get the oil and filter for about fifteen dollars they have it a five quart jug and a book that tells you the correct filter number and brand
Firstly, the info pertaining to what weight of oil to use and how many quarts to use is contained in your owner's manual. Get it out of the glove box every once in a while. It's a good read. As for your filter, any auto parts store will be able to look it up for you-- just go in and tell them you need an oil filter for a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse. They'll ask you which engine your car had-- I'm assuming there was a four-cylinder and six-cylinder version. Once you tell them that, they can tell you which filter to buy.



Secondly, yes, it'll probably be cheaper. But even if it costs the same as taking it to a lube shop, I recommend doing it yourself as a good way to get to know your vehicle on a deeper level than most people ever will.



As an added benefit, when you do oil changes yourself, you won't get taken advantage of by unscrupulous lube places who often don't care about the quality of work they do. Did you know some of the quick-lube places actually recommend against lubricating the oil filter gasket now? That's a long-standing practice in automotive maintenance, but they want to do away with it as a cost-savings measure. For a piddly single cubic centimeter or so of oil on each filter's gasket. How do you feel about them making sacrifices in the quality of their work all in the name of profit, no matter the consequences to your car? Maybe they're not so terrible, but my point is, you never know until something goes wrong with your car as a result of their negligence. At that point, you wouldn't be able to prove anything was their responsibility-- they get off scot-free, and you get left with a big repair bill.