oil change places???

National have been alright for oil changes on stuff of mine in the past, but TBH they seem to be the only vaguely alright national chain, and even then they can be full of bullshit. I'd be surprised if National used the correct grade of oil more than 50% of the time and you get a pattern (Fram) filter - it's not as good a job as buying proper manufacturer oil and an OE filter.

I was down at National or Kwik-Fit or something recently getting a tyre changed. Checking out the price list I could get an oil and filter change for £20-25. Seems pretty cheap when I consider a filter for my car costs £7 and £25 for 3l of Castrol Magnatec 10W-40 (yes, TV adverts with computerised flyby of pistons doing their thing and guff about magnetic oil works if you don't know any better) from Halfords.

Probably could do with sourcing cheaper oil, without having to buy Kiwk-Fit volumes. A good side to doing your own change is you get to have a good nosy under the car and scan for leaks, split CV boots, dodgy brakes, shocks, leaking pipes etc.

Tim

My local Kwikfit were doing Mobile 1 for far less than you can buy it for in Halfords. Despite what many say about them I've found them ok - and you can keep an eye on what they're doing unlike most garages.

Woo. A filter for my car costs around a fiver, and 5l of VW oil costs £12 from GSF. Magnatec is overpriced s**te.

Oh! Didn't know that KF did oil changes. do they do them alone or as part of a service.?

Doki's also said his National place is ok.

I think the answer is that quality within the chains varies dramatically. You and Doki have both found a decent one.

(25 quid for 3L of 10W40 - boggle)

cheers, clive

I've used a couple and found them both alright for what I've had them do (oil changes and tracking). I wouldn't say they're brilliant, but they don't seem to ram shock absorbers etc. down your throat like kwik fit supposedly do. OTOH I have seen them charging people who don't know better a stupendous amount of money for brakes parts that must have come to £50 total from the factors.

I always have a look under the car when it's on the lift anyway. So far, nobody's told me to bugger off.

My local Jaguar main dealer charges less for Mobil 1 fully synthetic than Halfords! (which is pretty important when your car takes 8 litres of the stuff...)

Matt

As a loss leader to try to persuade you to buy new tyres, etc.

In my experience, National offer the same, but always have some excuse not to deliver. Mind you, they're like that with tyres too - somehow managing to sell out of their discounted tyres in the half hour between the advert appearing in the local newspaper and me trying to buy some.

Aye. A royal shitload easier than scrabbling around on the floor. I keep fancying one of those display stands garages have. The seesaw things with fold down legs at both ends. Would make oil changes etc. a piece of piss. OTOH I suspect I could get a second hand lift for the same money.

Hey doki,

are you using that quantum silver stuff ? I'm using it in my polo and its good stuf so far as I can see and only hear good things about it.

Nah, make your own. I did toy with the idea of building a set of ramps that would turn my transporter trailer into a sort of high car stand, but knew I'd never get around to putting it into practice. And anyway, I could almost guarantee there'd be an axle or something in the way of the critical component I'd be trying to reach.

What for a 106! I just happen to have the Haynes BoL next to my computer and it says Multigrade oil to API SH/SJ eg. Duckhams Hypergrade which is mineral oil, or for the diesel ditto to API CF/CD eg. Hypergrade Diesel. To use premium semi synth is a rip off. You can get a suitable oil from Screwfix.

I am - Quantum is VW owned, it is VW OE oil. You'd have to run an engine a couple of hundred thousand miles to find a difference between it and a decent branded oil, but it's bloody good value for money compared to stuff like magnatec which is short on additives and big on marketing.

I had just an oil change done about a year ago. Dunno if they still do.

I use the quantum oil too. The Synta Gold is a bargain from GSF, and the PD oil is cheaper than the alternatives.

Whats the synta gold about ? only ever hear or used of synta silver ?

The best part of the 'talk' from them is "but we'll give you 5% off". Christ, £7, what a discount.