When did labour oil changes get so bloody expensive?

Baffels me why folk pay dealer prices for servicing. Especially on the ///M. Most Indies know the cars better than the main dealers any way. Simple oil filter and brake fluid I go to an ex BMW tech down the road, who has his own garrage these days.
 
all valid points, and i agree, nobody is saying its hard, but it is inconvenient without a ramp, i sometimes go planet tight and do it myself, sometimes i get someone to do it. 30 quid is a damn good price though
 
In the states, a major Midwest city, the bmw dealer charges $99 plus tax for oil and filter change on a Z4. When I visited another local dealer, they said they would price match. For $99, I’m not gonna get my hands dirty.
 
Z4M-2006 said:
Paying for oil disposal

Don’t get me wrong £80+ is excessive to just do oil and filter only
Thats more of oil filter service price i would estimate
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Most garages get paid for their used oil, don't they? It was certainly the case in my dad's garage - he made £30 or so for a 200 litres barrel, and some garages also burn the used oil during winter for heating.
 
lucasxdiniz said:
Z4M-2006 said:
Paying for oil disposal

Don’t get me wrong £80+ is excessive to just do oil and filter only
Thats more of oil filter service price i would estimate
Click to expand...

Most garages get paid for their used oil, don't they? It was certainly the case in my dad's garage - he made £30 or so for a 200 litres barrel, and some garages also burn the used oil during winter for heating.
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yep, for waste oil or ‘multi fuel’ burners, plenty of demand for it too in the industrial / commercial world as you say
 
It's just down to how much you value your time (although you could argue the time spent taking to garage, waiting for it to be done and going home/work is longer than doing it yourself). For the past 20 years I've always changed the oil & filter on my cars (and friends) because I don't mind getting my hands a bit dirty, got all the tools I need and am a right tight fisted old sod. I don't like paying someone money for a job I can do myself. But not everyone is confident of tackling even what a lot of people rate as a simple job, especially if you don't have the tools. I don't think there's a car invented that's not had it's oil changed and posted on YouTube so there's always help online. If it's something you think you're going to do over the course of the next few years you can justify shelling out for a half decent socket set, ramps and oil pan but again it gets back to if you want to spend some of your spare time servicing your own car. Plus, if you did do it you've then got to get rid of the old oil, which is an extra trip to local waste disposal site, another drain on your time. Most people could do most jobs: just need the tools and the confidence to do it.
 
lucasxdiniz said:
Z4M-2006 said:
Paying for oil disposal

Don’t get me wrong £80+ is excessive to just do oil and filter only
Thats more of oil filter service price i would estimate
Click to expand...

Most garages get paid for their used oil, don't they? It was certainly the case in my dad's garage - he made £30 or so for a 200 litres barrel, and some garages also burn the used oil during winter for heating.
Click to expand...

Nope ..

You cant give the stuff away,and you need a waste licence to have waste oil on site too. We get the oil people in when we get to 5000 litres

All costs of course..
 
I just got quoted approx £85 incl labour, Oil filter and VAT using Quantum oil, - which looks like it meets the BMW Longlife-04 spec. That seems reasonable to me. - I can't buy the stuff for much less than £45, so £35 to lift it up and take the old oil away without ruining my driveway sounds good to me!
Question is, what's Quantum like?!
 
shuey said:
The only reason a oil change is difficult to do, is the lack of access to a ramp.
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You'll have to get an M54 ... then you can use the dipstick method! :poke:
I do this inbetween servicing... as you say it helps keeps the costs down when it's so simple! :thumbsup:
 
Tommo61 said:
MrPT said:
Tommo61 said:
Question is, what's Quantum like?!
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I've heard that the engine's both empty and full of oil until you look at the dipstick.
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..In which case, - I will never know! :lol:
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Heh, seriously though, I think it's mostly wholesale stuff for VAG dealers. Used to be Castrol and a quick Google would suggest that it's now supplied by Fuchs. Certainly not going to do any harm.
 
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