Interesting Comment from Car Care Nut

[MJB4450]

I've been doing my own oil changes but I just watched a Car Care Nut episode where he was showing a friend with a 2026 Tacoma how to do an oil change. Apparently the friend had gotten the free oil changes at the dealership before. After they pulled the drain plug he showed the customer the mangled, deformed and excessively worn gasket and had to scrape the plug to remove the residue. According to him, the dealerships don't use new gasket rings, just reuse the old ones. Has anyone who got the free oil changes and now do their own noticed this? I'm wondering if this is a common dealership thing or just some. Car Care Nut seems to indicate it's common.

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[TacoBirdinNW]

I'll check here in a few. Used up my free changes every 5K and am about to put a Fumoto in. Would be interested or hear other folks' experiences

 

[iron.head]

I did the third oil change myself. After exhausting the 2 free ones. The dealer had not used a new washer but of course I did.

 

[IDontWorkForTheWaterCo]

If it's in good condition, I'll reuse it. I've done 2 OCs on my 26 and have not replace it yet. I once had a Tercel many years ago that I literally never changed the entire 8 years of ownership. Probably reused the one on our Sienna for at least 4 or 5 years. As long as its not deformed it's fine.

I have a bag of them around. If I do an OC for someone other than my own vehicles, I will replace it. But for me, it's an as needed basis only. In hundreds of OCs over the last 40+ years, I've never had one leak.

 

[iron.head]

If it's in good condition, I'll reuse it. I've done 2 OCs on my 26 and have not replace it yet. I once had a Tercel many years ago that I literally never changed the entire 8 years of ownership. Probably reused the one on our Sienna for at least 4 or 5 years. As long as its not deformed it's fine.

I have a bag of them around. If I do an OC for someone other than my own vehicles, I will replace it. But for me, it's an as needed basis only. In hundreds of OCs over the last 40+ years, I've never had one leak.

It costs nothing and for me it is cheap insurance. On some motorcycles when I do not use a torque wrench I can feel it when the washer starts compressing and is a good time to stop.

 

[MJB4450]

I did the third oil change myself. After exhausting the 2 free ones. The dealer had not used a new washer but of course I did.

That's real confidence building that the dealership would not spend the five cents it cost them for a new washer. Like I said, the one Car Care Nut pulled off was very mangled. I suppose they also over torqued the plug too. I'm glad I just did my own from day one. I was going to get lazy and have the dealer do them but I guess not.

 

[Will721]

That's the sort of thing thats going to depend on the dealer and technician. When I worked at a local Ford dealer, they replaced them free as policy. The GM one I worked at did not. But even then it falls down to the guy doing it. Some were too lazy to do it every time (extra trip to parts), there were a couple techs at GM that did it anyway out of principle. I always changed them on customer cars if they showed signs of wear. But then on my personal rigs I always forget to buy a new seal.

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