This is true if you're losing time at work to change your own oil. Otherwise its not a valid excuse imo. The only reason I take my STi to the dealership is because it costs the same whether I do it or let them do it.

 

Actually IMHO quite the opposite, my free time is worth infinitely more than my work time. The only time it's really smart to change your own oil is if it's something you enjoy doing.

 

I sometimes forget how easy it is to change the oil on a MINI. I just got done changing the oil on my Ducati motorcycle. I have to remove 23 screws and four fairings to get to the filter and drain bolt, and no kidding, the second step in the process is "remove the rear-view mirrors"!

 

I can understand that.

 

Hmmm.... My local dealer (Portland, OR) has just changed hands. They've been bombarding me recently with "special offers". For the sale price of $150 (saving of $32!) I can get my oil, filter and cabin air filter changed.

Think I'll pass.......

 

A coupon from my dealer, good 'til the end of the month: Oil change with free tire rotation (plus top off of fluids and inspect air and filter system), $32.95.

 

Great timing on this thread, I just got a quote from the dealer today and was going to ask. Dealer quoted $165.60 to change the engine oil, but would give a 15% discount if the work was done today. I thought this was a little high.

They also quoted $78.88 for "standard scope," which they recommended I have done now???

 

75-80 dollars is fine with me. But $110 here in Ramsey, NJ. Just wondering the $30 extra is for what.

 

Full synthetic as required.....$80.00.

 

Wow... We just picked up out new CM last week ( So far very happy!). One of the things that really enticed us is that oil changes are covered by our dealer up to 90k! Not a huge chunk of change but every little bit counts.

 

If you give your email address to your dealer I'm sure a coupon will be coming regularly.

IMHO, the real cost of oil changes is not doing them frequently enough if you plan on keeping the car past 100k miles. Not so long ago you could not change fluids frequently enough on a BMW vehicle, but they lasted 300k miles (I had two 3 series hit that mark.)

Since I have matured a bit, I am happy getting 150k out of a car but I also want the next owner to get a good car hoping he / she may hit the 300k mark. I do oil changes with Lubro Moly (now Liqui Moly) every 7,500 miles, change trans and diff fluid at 30k, brake fluid at 2 years, coolant at 4. It's not a lot of money when you consider how much the car costs and it's good insurance against component breakdown. Just ask the former NAM members on the R53 forums who had to spend thousands to replace their CVT transmission. They're probably all driving Hondas or Scions now.

Sorry about the rant but lack of maintenance is exactly why I walked away from CPO X3's and X5's and ended up ordering a new CM4.

 

My wife's car uses dino and cost $15.99 plus they rotate tires,this is a no brainer let garage do it!
I ordered the Mini filters filter socket bought the recomended Castro full syn tech 5 qt container.(less than $30 at Wally wolrd) and did it myself.The easiest oil change I've ever done.No mess at all.
Rather enjoyed doing it.I dare say I could do the next one in 20min or less.Thats a profit margin of up to $300 hr from some of the dealer charges I've read about.
Bring me your Mini's I'll do em for 1/2 that

 

Yep, each dealer can charge what he likes...free enterprise

 

An old thread, but thought i would post...$150 at Long Beach MINI. I laughed when they told me the price and the lady said, "but we use synthetic".

I am so in the wrong business...less than $35 in supplies and it takes less than 20 minutes.

 

ummm... the mini dealer dreyer and reinbold in Indianapolis, will charge you $120 if it before the 15k recommined oil change screw that. When the 15k comes around it's free so i will doing mine every 3k myself.