Should I oil change at dealership or third party shop?

[Mk7GolfDisease]

So since I bought my car in 2017 I only have been to one dealership for oil change but with my own oil supplied and oil filter since I have trust issues of what they use.

I only use full synthetic oil by castrol edge but other then that one time I went to two other shops all for 30 bucks labour but me supplying again oil and filter which is 100 plus bucks with tax. Also, one time my bf did it for me too with his oil vacuum thing he bought.

As i recently found out me spending money on oil and filter is roughly almost 130 to 140 thats more than dealership itself since I remember doing it 120 ish range but me supplying my own shit.

So i dont know what do you guys think in terms of cost effective im literally spending the same or more than dealership itself?

I am going to call a few dealerships later today and see their pricing and what they use whether they use what i use or not so i decide moving forward with them doing everything or me buying my own shit and going to third party shops like Midas.

Just wanted your thoughts on which method is more cost effective.

Oh and finally I do oil change twice a year with the following:

SAE 5W 40 for Summer (available everywhere in whatever size)

SAE 5W 30 C3 for Winter (in Canada for some reason this kind only comes in 946mL not the big bottle no clue why)

 

[Sparky589]

Honestly, if you don't have a garage or suitable place to work with I'd recommend buying an extractor. If you do have a space, buy some ramps for even less. Seriously if you have trust issues over the components being used by the shop/dealer but also want to keep costs as low as possible, there really is nothing better than doing it yourself.

If for whatever reason you can't DIY it, really I'd go with whatever is cheaper between the dealer or a reputable indy shop. Oil changes on the Mk7 are very easy to do.

 

[Mk7GolfDisease]

Honestly, if you don't have a garage or suitable place to work with I'd recommend buying an extractor. If you do have a space, buy some ramps for even less. Seriously if you have trust issues over the components being used by the shop/dealer but also want to keep costs as low as possible, there really is nothing better than doing it yourself.

If for whatever reason you can't DIY it, really I'd go with whatever is cheaper between the dealer or a reputable indy shop. Oil changes on the Mk7 are very easy to do.

Yeah my bf has the extractor vacuum looking thing but we dont live together yet its definitely cost saving for sure but yeah i will see pricing later today with dealer if cheaper or same crap i been spending on buying supply myself.

 

[DSC808]

Definitely extractor. Cheaper than going to the stealership after the 1st use, you can buy oil when its on sale. I live in an apartment and do it in my stall.
Takes me like 45 minutes if Im lazy. Video for reference.

 

[videoman]

one of the reasons, catches of dealers doing the oil change is the yearly service stamp. Which supposedly helps the resale of the car. Although i suspect the extra money you gave the dealer for the stamp would out way the benefits from having a full service history.
I only do 4-5k a year but they always suggest yearly oil change.Is it even bedded in with that amount of miles lol

 

[tigeo]

I would just learn to DIY this v. easy task - extractor from the top or old-school from the bottom, either way. You only need a few tools for this.. Saves money, you know it was done correctly. Make sure the oil you are using summer and winter meet the approvals - remember with VW, approvals trump viscosity so for your car I will assume VW502 00 so you could just run something like Mobil 1 0W40 year around and be set.

 

[swcrow]

What has been said above. Unless you have VWcare and they're doing it for you for "free", there is absolutely no reason to take it to a dealer. Extractor makes it super easy, especially with the top mount filter.

 

[tigeo]

one of the reasons, catches of dealers doing the oil change is the yearly service stamp. Which supposedly helps the resale of the car. Although i suspect the extra money you gave the dealer for the stamp would out way the benefits from having a full service history.
I only do 4-5k a year but they always suggest yearly oil change.Is it even bedded in with that amount of miles lol

Should have the same value as a spreadsheet and receipts.

 

[heiney9]

I have the dealer do it since I bought my car new. That way there is a solid record for warranty purposes. With a coupon the oil change with full synthetic and filter is $70. Once a year and peace of mind and I don't have to hassle with it at home. I'd never take it to a "quick" lube place or a department store like Walmart or Sears, etc. Dealer is a good choice if you can get a reasonably good $$$

 

[vj123]

Personally, $$ difference does not really matter. Dealer or Indi shop might be an option if one does not have the option of doing this at home. Other shops are a big no for me.

 

[tigeo]

I have the dealer do it since I bought my car new. That way there is a solid record for warranty purposes. With a coupon the oil change with full synthetic and filter is $70. Once a year and peace of mind and I don't have to hassle with it at home. I'd never take it to a "quick" lube place or a department store like Walmart or Sears, etc. Dealer is a good choice if you can get a reasonably good $$$

I don't disagree - I have used the dealer for our Atlas just b/c it has been in for warranty/recall work on a regular basis and their price with rotation is on-part with anywhere else, plus I know they will use the correct oil/filter and as you say, easy records of your maintenance. The warranty concern is not really there - any record that you changed your oil from a quick lube receipt to a oil/filter receipt for DIY is more than adequate for the <0.1% chance that you'd ever have an issue where they ask for it (and then go beyond that) in the first place.

 

[Jumpy]

Honestly I like taking my car to the dealer for maintenance. I have a very good impression of VW dealers (at least 2 out of 3 that I've been to). They have a nice big garage that you drive into, prompt service, and a nice big waiting lounge with a glass wall that overlooks the shop so you can watch them work on your car. And a free coffee bar with barista.

Sure, they'll try to get you to pay for things you don't need - but at least now it's easy to defer those things with the new smartphone system. They send me a text with a link to their "recommended services" and I can simply check the boxes for what I want them to do and what I want to defer.

Surprisingly, the VW dealer in my area is nicer than the Audi dealer.

 

[tigeo]

Honestly I like taking my car to the dealer for maintenance. I have a very good impression of VW dealers (at least 2 out of 3 that I've been to). They have a nice big garage that you drive into, prompt service, and a nice big waiting lounge with a glass wall that overlooks the shop so you can watch them work on your car. And a free coffee bar.

Sure, they'll try to get you to pay for things you don't need - but at least now it's easy to defer those things with the new smartphone system. They send me a text with a link to their "recommended services" and I can simply check the boxes for what I want them to do and what I want to defer.

Surprisingly, the VW dealer in my area is nicer than the Audi dealer.

This has been my experience as well and learning ot just say "no" goes a long way.

 

[uberdot]

Make sure you save your receipts from oil and filters, even an order history from ECS or BFI works. If you don’t, they’re in legal bounds to do some fuckery if you end up with a repair that falls under warranty.

 

[imthanick_a]

Inb4 "eXtRaCtOrS DoNt GeT aLL tHe OiL oUt"