# Dealership oil changes are $50 dollars now?



## Gh0st (Oct 17, 2012)

Was told the reason is that Dexos is a synthetic blend. This true? News to me.


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The AC Delco Dexos 1 oil is a synthetic blend. The price of an oil change will depend on your dealership. Ed Bozarth Park Meadows charges me $39 for an oil change.


----------



## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Mine are free for the life of my vehicle .. Dealer offer at signing ..


----------



## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Also depends if they add tire rotation in as well since 6-7K miles is rotation time.


----------



## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

.....and mine remain at < $25 AR for full synthetic as I still DIY.


----------



## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Regular price in the USA for the dexos synthetic blend change is over $50, however most dealerships have long standing sale prices. My dealer in 1.5years has always charged $29 for the Dexos change. 

My brother who lives 50 miles from me & bought his car at a different dealer gets charged over $50 for the dexos change, its almost that much at the local oil change place too.


----------



## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

In all of the years of owning a vehicle with the chore of changing the oil and filter .
These last 3 have been a dream come true . although changing the oil and filter are basically an easy task , I do not miss it . $50.00 would be money well spent .


----------



## airbornedave (Jan 26, 2013)

brian v said:


> In all of the years of owning a vehicle with the chore of changing the oil and filter .
> These last 3 have been a dream come true . although changing the oil and filter are basically an easy task , I do not miss it . $50.00 would be money well spent .


I agree

I have always changed my own oil. However, this is my first brand new car and I let the dealership do it to keep the warranty covered. It's $50 here too, but I don't miss doing it myself.


----------



## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

> .....and mine remain at < $25 AR for full synthetic as I still DIY.


 Same here. The Cruze is one of the easiest cars I've owned to do the oil and filter change.


----------



## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

50 bucks is worth it to me to not have to do it myself.


----------



## airbornedave (Jan 26, 2013)

What is the recommended mileage to change the oil on the Cruze? I still do it every 3k religiously, but I've heard other say 5k and 7k are acceptable.


----------



## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

> What is the recommended mileage to change the oil on the Cruze? I still do it every 3k religiously, but I've heard other say 5k and 7k are acceptable.


 For the 1.4T it depends if you are using semi synthetic or full synthetic. Probably 3-4 k on Semi Synthetic, 6-7 k on Full Synthetic. Others on this site have done oil analysis - try searching for the results.


----------



## Smurfenstein (Nov 16, 2011)

When we bought my car we bought a booklet where we paid ahead ~10-15 per oil change, every 5K for 75,000 miles. So we payed up front for a discount, and now all I need to do is drive my car up to the dealer and leave the next waiver from the booklet on the dash and I'm set.


----------



## RollinOn18s (Mar 28, 2013)

50$ pfffft. I just got my oil done today at the dealer with dexos. Yea and it was 66$. Lol


----------



## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Cost me $45 total including the price of the M1 Extended I left in the car. All I could find was Fram filters so I let them charge me 6 for the oem one. They wrote M1 on the service reciept but marked 3k miles till the next oil change. No tire rotation was done, thats going to be real soon.


----------



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

I don't trust anyone to change my oil. Sounds like an elementary task but you'd be surprised how many people screw it up. Oil change "techs" are often bottom of the barrel high school kids. I've seen drain plugs from stripped as he11 tight to finger-tight. Last time I asked such a place to rotate my tires, they stripped a stud and I had to hammer it out and put a new one in for him on the spot. Last I checked I didn't work there and I was paying THEM. 

We had our engine shields hacked up because oil change techs were too sloppy and spilled oil everywhere. Some people can't even read (or don't care about) the torque spec printed clearly on both plug and filter cap, and that cap isn't that hard to break once you over-tighten it. 

I'm not afraid to get one hand greasy to make sure the job gets done right. I'll never be above that no matter what my salary is. To top it off, I do it cheaper, with better oil, and a better filter.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


----------



## airbornedave (Jan 26, 2013)

Once my warranty is up, I'll be doing it myself. I'm just doing the CYA now in case there ever is a problem, it isn't on me.


----------



## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

The thing about all of this we practically have to go out and buy new tools .
Is the drain plug a T 45 ? The oil filter cap 7/8 ths or 15/16ths 
And do not forget . we recycle the used oil ..


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

airbornedave said:


> What is the recommended mileage to change the oil on the Cruze? I still do it every 3k religiously, but I've heard other say 5k and 7k are acceptable.


Every 5,000 miles, along with tire rotation and balancing. The semi-synthetic appears to be good down to about 40% on the oil life meter and full synthetics down to 25% or so. Since the full synthetic change is twice what I pay for the semi-synthetic AC Delco blend that GM uses I use the semi-synthetic oil. Full synthetic won't take me twice as far between oil changes so it's not cost effective. It also helps to remember the tire rotation/balancing to do them together.

Now if the oil change places would stop putting that stupid sticker in my windshield to remind me to come in in 3,000 miles.


----------



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

brian v said:


> The thing about all of this we practically have to go out and buy new tools .
> Is the drain plug a T 45 ? The oil filter cap 7/8 ths or 15/16ths
> And do not forget . we recycle the used oil ..


Drain plug is a standard metric socket. I don't remember exactly but I think either 10, 12, or 15mm. Anyone should have those and a torque wrench. 

The cap, I don't remember, but the cost of the socket and oil and oil pan and oil jug if you buy I all separately still comes out to less than $50. You'll break even on your first oil change. 

I have a open oil pan now with a spout at one end, and three 3-gallon oil jugs that I fill up and take away at the same time. Shortens the number of trips I need and leaves the mess out of the job. 

I use Wix filters and full synthetic oil. I will be using exclusively Amsoil moving forward. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


----------



## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

> Drain plug is a standard metric socket. I don't remember exactly but I think either 10, 12, or 15mm. Anyone should have those and a torque wrench.


10. No need for a torque wrench - just don't tighten it down like a gorilla. "Good and tight" + 1/3 turn will do it.

Cap is 22 mm.


----------



## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

obermd said:


> Every 5,000 miles, along with tire rotation and balancing. The semi-synthetic appears to be good down to about 40% on the oil life meter and full synthetics down to 25% or so. Since the full synthetic change is twice what I pay for the semi-synthetic AC Delco blend that GM uses I use the semi-synthetic oil. Full synthetic won't take me twice as far between oil changes so it's not cost effective. It also helps to remember the tire rotation/balancing to do them together.
> 
> Now if the oil change places would stop putting that stupid sticker in my windshield to remind me to come in in 3,000 miles.



I peel it off , pick up the paper on the floor board , yank the service # down from the rear view mirror . walk back in and hand the extra nonessentials to the service advisor.
Piece of cake or pie if you like pie !


----------



## airbornedave (Jan 26, 2013)

brian v said:


> I peel it off , pick up the paper on the floor board , yank the service # down from the rear view mirror . walk back in and hand the extra nonessentials to the service advisor.
> Piece of cake or pie if you like pie !


You actually have to peel it off? The stickers that my dealer uses barely stay on the windshield long enough to pull out of the parking lot.


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

brian v said:


> I peel it off , pick up the paper on the floor board , yank the service # down from the rear view mirror . walk back in and hand the extra nonessentials to the service advisor.
> Piece of cake or pie if you like pie !


Chocolate, please.


----------



## JeffBazell (Jan 24, 2012)

I guess you have to look at it from the standpoint of not having to change the oil every 3,000 miles anymore. With the oil life indicator, which I trust, I change it at intervals not less than 7,500 miles, sometimes 8,000. I was shocked at the $50 price at my dealer but the frequency is much less so I actually have saved money in the long run, so far.


----------



## Gh0st (Oct 17, 2012)

If I ever find a decent ramp for the car I'll change my own oil again, but letting the dealership do it while I relax and watch TV at the dealership isn't so bad. I've done plenty of wrenching on cars in my lifetime and I'm old and lazy now.


----------



## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Gh0st said:


> If I ever find a decent ramp for the car I'll change my own oil again, but letting the dealership do it while I relax and watch TV at the dealership isn't so bad. I've done plenty of wrenching on cars in my lifetime and I'm old and lazy now.


 When I go in, I usually walk the lot to see what came in and whats still sitting there. Got to see a few ZL1's and SS Camaros as well as the new green for the Cruze. My OLM is 55% and my trip 2(reset every oil change) is only 3500 or so miles but they wanted me to dump my M1 ESP already. I explained I was going to wait the OLM out a little bit longer seeing that it isn't Semi Syn and their records reflect this. Glad they weren't like the few that wouldn't touch the oil unless it was beyond a OLM point. I believe my OLM on my Buick was 100,000 miles.


----------



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

JeffBazell said:


> I guess you have to look at it from the standpoint of not having to change the oil every 3,000 miles anymore. With the oil life indicator, which I trust, I change it at intervals not less than 7,500 miles, sometimes 8,000. I was shocked at the $50 price at my dealer but the frequency is much less so I actually have saved money in the long run, so far.


How much do you really trust your oil life monitor? 

I ask because GM apparently didn't trust it when they changed the calibration in 2013 Cruzes. This is not something I heard from up high; but something that some of our members noticed when they lost 2012 models and bought 2013 models under the same driving conditions. What used to go 10,000 miles on the OLM in 2012 would now go 6500-7500 miles. Quite a significant difference there. 

I think GM realized, as we did through oil testing analysis, that their synthetic blend fluid isn't really that great and it was causing issues. I don't recommend it past 6,000 miles. Full synthetic oils, however, are good to go to at least 8,000 miles. 

When in doubt, get the oil tested. Your warranty doesn't mean jack if GM's obligation is only 5 years/100k miles. What happens if the turbo's bearings go at 101k miles?


----------



## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> How much do you really trust your oil life monitor?
> 
> I ask because GM apparently didn't trust it when they changed the calibration in 2013 Cruzes. This is not something I heard from up high; but something that some of our members noticed when they lost 2012 models and bought 2013 models under the same driving conditions. What used to go 10,000 miles on the OLM in 2012 would now go 6500-7500 miles. Quite a significant difference there.
> 
> ...


What is normal shelf life of an OEM stock tune turbo for these cars besides the WGA pins failing? With Subaru, the VF 40 was known to go at 89-110K mile range and was considered a consumable item. When mine went I upgraded to a VF 46.


----------



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Merc6 said:


> What is normal shelf life of an OEM stock tune turbo for these cars besides the WGA pins failing? With Subaru, the VF 40 was known to go at 89-110K mile range and was considered a consumable item. When mine went I upgraded to a VF 46.


I suspect the type of oil you use will make a fairly big difference regarding how long your turbo will last, but my personal prediction is that this turbo should go at least 150k miles. GM would be in very big trouble if their turbos were failing even on synthetic blend oil in under 100k miles, and I can assure you the cost of that on now running on 1.2 million Cruzes would be of significant consequence. 

With a high quality synthetic, my loose prediction is 200k miles.


----------

