Is DIY car service worth it for saving on maintenance costs?

Do everything on your own. Start with oil changes and work up from there. You’ll end up saving thousands. Some stuff dealerships charge hundreds for could literally take 3 bolts to DIY (e.g., alternator).

Before you know it, you’ll spend every minute of your free time cussing out the 2 cars on jackstands in your backyard… you’ll spend every extra dollar you make on rockauto orders… you’ll argue with your wife about keeping cylinder heads on the kitchen counter, washing parts in the bathtub, or changing valve seals in the living room…

You’ll stumble in at 2 AM after failing yet again to tame a mechanical beast. You’ll have dozens of scratches on your arms, 17 broken tools, and your whole body will be black with oil for days. Your muscles will tremble from exhaustion and plead with you to let them die. The sweet stench of burnt coolant will fill your nostrils as you fall to your knees with only one question – how long? How much longer must I endure this pain before I am called to my eternal place of rest? Why must I suffer so?

However, the pure power of your new addiction will exert control over you even in that moment, as you mindlessly pull out your phone and scroll marketplace for a third project car you know will never be worth the pain. You’ll finally close your eyes as a single tear rolls down your blood and oil stained cheek.

Yeah, at that point you’ve gone too far. Ask me how I know. Oil changes are good, though.

That’s crazy cause the lube tech doing that job will get paid only $6 for it, he’ll have to do more than 15 a day to get 8 hours a day. Strike?

It’s clearly not just oil and filter change for $300. There is something else involved in that price.

I have always done my own repairs on my cars, but I grew up with that perspective and someone to teach me how to go about doing it even if I don’t specifically know how to do that job. From fuel pumps, brakes, rotors, drums, to water pumps, to struts, spark plugs, ignition cables, alternators, fly wheels, etc.

I almost always do it myself, but I do not change my own oil anymore because of convenience. If they were trying to charge me $300 just for an oil change, I would call them a liar to their face.

Even if it’s a full synthetic, it shouldn’t be much more than 1/3 of that if you live in an expensive area and go to an expensive shop.

It is worth it if you know what you’re doing. Labor rates are around 245 an hour here, so most of your maintenance is that at a dealer. Independents are less, but not by much. All depends on where you’re at.

You can do it yourself, for $60.
Just keep receipts, for future reference.
I used to take pictures of oil and filter, if needed for warranty.
I change my truck, wife’s Honda civic, and daughter jeep Cherokee.

Find a reputable garage and go there instead of the dealership. You can ask them to carry out service by the book to maintain your warranty, most of higher quality service garages even stamp your service book as the dealer would as well. Overall it will cost you much less and you won’t have to get dirty.