Going to do oil change myself at the DIY shop (and rent a lift). What do I need?

[7milesout]

The maintenance manual also states 3,750 miles.

You and I both know that's the severe duty o.c.i. / chart. How many Mirages are going to be doing severe duty? Not many. Very few. 1% or something.

I don't care if the engine holds a half quart. If I'm running synthetic and the engineers say it can go 10k mile o.c.i.'s, I trust them explicitly. I've done that job, I worked side by side with engineers covering every part and system of Toyota & Hyundai vehicles. If the engineers recommend a 10k mile o.c.i., it is because they have done a ****ton of research and testing (or they say to because that's what Toyota's engineers recommend). Been there done that. I'm fine with the standard duty maintenance intervals.

[Fummins]

You and I both know that's the severe duty o.c.i. / chart. How many Mirages are going to be doing severe duty? Not many. Very few. 1% or something.

According to the severe schedule that we have here in Canada, practically nobody should be following the regular schedule unless they don't drive anywhere and only do so on mild summer days. At least that's what I recall last time I looked.

I think the oil and filter longevity topic has been beat to death. I'm just gonna stop changing oil so there!

[Ares]

@OP - I forgot to ask how much the bay rental was an hour. How was you experience?

I'm going to keep an eye out on shops that die and maybe lease/purchase the building and do something similar. Just need to know what the demand is around here.

[Wallythacker]

@OP - I forgot to ask how much the bay rental was an hour. How was you experience?

I'm going to keep an eye out on shops that die and maybe lease/purchase the building and do something similar. Just need to know what the demand is around here.

Not to rain on your parade but the few DIY shops I knew of always faced the same problem, getting affordable insurance. The insurers were concerned that poorly qualified persons would be using tools capable of breaking bones and would sue the shop owner for all sorts of injuries, self-inflicted or not.

[defensivetackle88]

it went very well. I brought my own tools just to avoid a fee. I don’t feel like a rookie anymore thanks to this awesome forum. i KID YOU NOT.

TBH i personally wish i could do the basic maintenance myself without hurry because i get charged per hour for specific lift but I just don’t. Better than being stuck with paying Mitsu dealers for the job anyhow.

i’ve thought of doing so at Walmart parking lot just to do the oil change down under myself but it would be mildly inconvenient. The shop that i went to just have everything ready for me to help get the job done. nO snacks of course. That place simply supplies tool with a on-duty-automotive technicians on duty, patrolling, advising knowledge and guidance to the patron (me for example).

[Mark]

You and I both know that's the severe duty o.c.i. / chart. How many Mirages are going to be doing severe duty? Not many. Very few. 1% or something.

I don't care if the engine holds a half quart. If I'm running synthetic and the engineers say it can go 10k mile o.c.i.'s, I trust them explicitly. I've done that job, I worked side by side with engineers covering every part and system of Toyota & Hyundai vehicles. If the engineers recommend a 10k mile o.c.i., it is because they have done a ****ton of research and testing (or they say to because that's what Toyota's engineers recommend). Been there done that. I'm fine with the standard duty maintenance intervals.

If you want to disregard one schedule, that's your choice. By your advice, no one should change their CVT fluid, too. If you don't want to keep your vehicle very long, I would go that route.

I think your 1% figure is a bit off, but everyone should do what they think is best.

I listen to guys who tear apart engines for a living. I cuss at engineers almost every time I work on something!

[7milesout]

i’ve thought of doing so at Walmart parking lot just to do the oil change down under myself but it would be mildly inconvenient. The shop that i went to just have everything ready for me to help get the job done. nO snacks of course. That place simply supplies tool with a on-duty-automotive technicians on duty, patrolling, advising knowledge and guidance to the patron (me for example).

DT88 - That seems like a cool shop, it seems ideal. There's nothing like that, that I'm aware, in my area. However, there's not too many jobs I ever need to do that would require a lift. Although it would be great to have a lift.

As for the Walmart parking lot, I don't know if they would let you dump your collected old oil in their automotive facility or not. A place like Autozone would, but I don't know if they would want you to do an oil change in their parking lot. In any event, you're not going to want to ride around with collected oil. Even my covered drain pan stays a mess. I wipe it down real good every time I drain it (at Autozone) and it still stays a mess. I only carry it around in the back of my pickup truck. I would never carry that thing inside any car. Maybe in a big cardboard box, sitting on top of newspapers ... maybe.

[Fummins]

When I worked at the junkyard they installed an oil burning furnace and the government paid I can't remember how much per liter for burning used oil. Eventually the rebates/incentive stopped.

The shop I'm at now used to get paid by a disposal(recycle?)company to haul away our used oil, they also collected used coolant but charged more than what they paid for oil to dispose it. In the end I typically have far more oil than coolant to dispose of so it used to work out being basically free disposal for both.

Over the last year the oil collection company started charging to haul away used oil, I don't know if everybody started doing this but if so then I can see people having a hard time disposing of oil for free at shops.

[Mark]

DT88 - That seems like a cool shop, it seems ideal. There's nothing like that, that I'm aware, in my area. However, there's not too many jobs I ever need to do that would require a lift. Although it would be great to have a lift.

As for the Walmart parking lot, I don't know if they would let you dump your collected old oil in their automotive facility or not. A place like Autozone would, but I don't know if they would want you to do an oil change in their parking lot. In any event, you're not going to want to ride around with collected oil. Even my covered drain pan stays a mess. I wipe it down real good every time I drain it (at Autozone) and it still stays a mess. I only carry it around in the back of my pickup truck. I would never carry that thing inside any car. Maybe in a big cardboard box, sitting on top of newspapers ... maybe.

I haul used oil the same way I haul new oil I buy from the store. I use a leftover clean 5 quart oil jug to measure out my 3 quarts or whatever amount I need for a particular oil change. I have two ice cream pails with lids. One stores my clean oil funnel, & the other has my dirty funnel in it. After I drain the oil, I use the dirty funnel to put it into 5 quart empty oil jugs. Transporting dirty oil is no different than clean oil in my mind.

For a long time, my garbage/recyclable pickup would just take the used oil in 5 quart jugs. They stopped doing that a year or two ago. Our local county shop has a large tank to dump used motor oil. In that case, I have to pour the oil into their tank & take my empty oil jugs back home. They have it set up to contain any spills, & they have it designed with metal steps so you can access the top of the tank funnel box with ease.

I'm pretty sure Auto Zone takes motor oil, & I would use them if I bought more oil from them. A local tire/mechanic shop (was formerly an old Ford dealership building) also burns used motor oil, & I'm pretty sure they would take it from anyone, too.

2 vehicles, 2 ATVs, UTV, riding lawnmower, diesel compact tractor, 2 push mowers, rototiller, log splitter - they all generate used motor oil (some way more than others). The joy of two stroke chainsaws & grass trimmers - no oil changes!

[Wallythacker]

When I worked at the junkyard they installed an oil burning furnace and the government paid I can't remember how much per liter for burning used oil. Eventually the rebates/incentive stopped.

The shop I'm at now used to get paid by a disposal(recycle?)company to haul away our used oil, they also collected used coolant but charged more than what they paid for oil to dispose it. In the end I typically have far more oil than coolant to dispose of so it used to work out being basically free disposal for both.

Over the last year the oil collection company started charging to haul away used oil, I don't know if everybody started doing this but if so then I can see people having a hard time disposing of oil for free at shops.

If this becomes common I'm finding myself a used Land Rover diesel, price be damned (to a point) and I'll haul used oil away for 1/2 what the other guys charge. If I set this up right it could turn a tidy profit.