How much does it cost to do an Oil Change?

A frequent question we get asked is “How much does it cost to do an Oil Change?” Well, there’s a difference between the price of something and what it actually costs you. We’re hoping to give you a little bit of insight on that today. Welcome to Mercie J auto care, where compassion and craftmanship come together. I’m Rick Smith, master certified technician. There are many shops that do a fantastic job on oil changes. These auto repair shops will not only change the oil and filter, they will also top off all your fluids, air up your tires to the correct tire pressure and perform a good thorough inspection on the car to make sure it’s safe and reliable for you. Unfortunately, not all shops do that. Some auto repair shops won’t top off the fluids, some don’t do an inspection or some mechanics will do an inspection, but it’s what I called pencil whipping. Look at it really quickly and just try to find things that they can sell you, not actually give you a good report on your car. Another thing to consider is the type of oil. Most vehicles now have what’s called variable cam timing, so most vehicles really do need synthetic oil at this point. Lastly is the frequency of the oil change service. We used to do oil changes every 3000 miles. Now we have car manufacturers recommending them as long as 10 to 12,000 miles. I really think there’s a balance somewhere in the middle that’s best. So here at Mercie J, we recommend about 5000 to 6000 miles for our clients. So those are all things to consider to determine what it’s actually going to cost you in the end because you need your car maintained properly. Now if you want to know what it looks like to do a cheap oil change which we call a “spill and fill” watch our next video on that. I hope this has been informational to you and I hope it helps you become a better consumer know how to look for the right price. Until next time, safe travels and blessings to you!