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Jiffy Lube really hopes I can’t read
By Mr. Stupid | March 29, 2008
I drive about 26,000 miles per year. That’s alot of wear and tear on the engine, so I am religious about changing my oil… every 4,000 miles. With a typical oil change costing $30 at Jiffy Lube, that’s 6 and a half oil changes per year.
6.5 changes * $30 = $195
$195. That’s real money. That’s almost 10 lap dances worth of oil changes per year.
Jiffy Lube recommends you change your oil every 3,000 miles, no matter what make or model your car. I have always known that they low-ball the number of miles between changes. It’s not a new revelation. The manufacturer-recomended intervals have been on the rise for years. What I’ve been doing up until now is going to Jiffy Lube when my odometer is 1,000 more than their recommended oil change interval. As long as I am consistent, I won’t forget to change it regularly. And I thought I was being smart by extending the interval by 33%.
Turns out I haven’t been Stupid enough.
Yesterday, I looked on page 163 of the Honda Civic 1999 Owner’s Manual. Recommended interval between changes: 7,500 miles.
I’ll round down and get a change when my odometer is Jiffy Lube + 4,000. I just saved $84.
3.7 changes * $30 = $111
$195 - $111 = $84
This year I plan to start changing my own oil. I’ve just been lazy and not Stupid enough. But now that my girls are getting older, I’d like them to see that they can do it for themselves. And I’d like to show them how.
By the way, if you gotta get your oil changed soon, go to Jiffy Lube’s web site. They’ll email you a link to a $5 coupon that you can print as many times as you like. To save you some time, here’s the link: http://www.jiffylube.com/couponoffers/fivedollarsoff_coupon.pdf.
Topics: hacks |
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March 29th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Changing your own oil always sounds like a good economical decision. Hell, I’d even prefer to do it myself just b/c you’ll know the job is done right and you’ve got the oil you want.
However, the pain comes when it is time to dispose of it. I move around a lot, so it’s not worth it to jump through the disposal hoops in a new town every other year. You’ll have to check with your town about disposal. When I was growing up the municipality only accepted oil waste 2x a year at the town dump. There are usually additional fees as well. It can quickly turn into a headache.
March 29th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
That’s a great point. I hadn’t really thought about it. But I looked into it.
According to my state’s Dept of Environmental Protection, I can return used oil to the store where I purchased it. Retailers are required to accept used oil for recycling (up to 2 gallons per person per day) if I have the receipt.
This might help explain why stores like Target don’t sell engine oil around here. They don’t have an auto service center like WalMart and Sears to handle the disposal.
March 31st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
The owner’s manual does say 7,500 miles between oil changes for most foreign built automobiles. But, that is why they last so long because people change the oil every 3000 or 4000 miles. The $84 you save a year is not worth the extra years and miles you will get out of your civic if you stick to the 3000 or 4000 mile intervals. Another thing is that alot of owners manuals call for “premium” gas. Unless you are running a high compression engine, which 99% of vehicles are not, you should just be putting in regular gas.
April 4th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Consumer Reports says to consult the owner’s manual, and mine only requires an oil change every 7,500 miles.
It’s funny how when they’re selling you the car, they tell you it only has to be changed every 7,500 miles, but when you they’re servicing the car, they tell you it should be at least every 5,000 miles.
March 22nd, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Here’s another one: Don’t ever go to Jiffy Lube. A friend got her oil changed there. Showed her the checklist at the end. She pays and drives off. Few miles later the engine starts smoking. She drives it back to the JL. Turns out they neglected to refill her oil. One bad egg? Maybe. I won’t chance it though.