I've change the oil in my camaro every single time since I've owned the car. This past year, upon moving back home from college, I decided for the first time to save time and effort and filth by taking it into a Valvoline service center. They wanted to put 65 dollar premium high mileage synthetic in my 3800 series II. I laughed and said no. The charge still ended up being close to $50. It seemed worth it, as they finished everything up very quickly and I was clean.

Then I came home and noticed that they had stolen all of my quarters in my ash tray. Not even one quarter left behind to confuse me. I know they stole them.

I then waited 2400 miles, switch to Castrol high mileage with a Bosch premium filter. I will never go back to any Valvoline products ever again. Let's forget about their stealing habbits and focus on their RIDICULOUS $50 oil filter they are putting on vehicles. It's Fram-like. Anyone who has cut open a Fram knows what I'm talking about.

By cutting open the following two oil filters, I believe I am letting fellow oil-changers know the following: 1) Valvoline makes a cheap product, so how can you truly trust their oils. 2) No need to spend 12-15 on a premium oil filter. If you've been wondering how good Bosch filters are for their extremely reasonable price, let these photos convince you that you can save a lot of money (vs the K&N or Mobil filters) by using Bosch.

The photos speak for themselves. All you really need to see is that valvoline filters use thin black plastic straight off of a toy and paper plating along with a very brittle hard paper filter media. The Bosch uses metal supports, metal interior grating, an orange silicone material, and an engine block gasket TWICE as thick.

Still, I'm up for improvements. Anyone have any problems with Castrol high mileage oils? Should I be using a full synthetic at 86,000 miles?























Thanks guys. My lesson learned: follow what I've done for 8 years with the vehicle, which involves changing your own oil, and saving an *** load of money by purchasing your oil at walmart. Sorry Valvoline, I bet you didn't expect your customers to cut open your oil filters and check their quarter supply in their ash tray...

 

I have never had a problem paying someone else to do my oil changes. I had been taking the Camaro to a Lube City, and the Cobalt, being new, gets it done at the dealership.

I think 95% of quick lube places around here have you drive your own car in and stay in it while they change your oil, although I keep my cars clear of debris inside so there would be nothing for them to steal anyway.

 

I change my own oil on everything except the fleet vehicle. I take it to Jiffy Lube and am please with their service, although, I have never taken apart the oil fliter they put on the vehicle.

Changing my own oil helps me to know more about my car and when I do have to have tires or something like that, I know more about my vehicle than the computer generated up sell pitch the guy behind the counter tries to push.

 

I used to work at a national chain used car dealer so for convenience I would get my oil changes done there while I was working. I assumed since I worked there and I knew the people, I wouldn't have problems. Wrong.

They changed the oil in the Camaro shortly after I got it. That was the first and last time my Camaro will go to a shop...

^ I leave work and get home, pop the hood to check my air filter, and see that they left me a "present" under the hood. Of course the tech who worked on it denied that it was his. But he was the only one who touched my car.. I was working in the bay right next to him. So I call this pry bar thingy the "LS1 killer". They're lucky it didn't cause damage.

The same place also did the timing belt, water pump, and tensioner on my Mom's car. The appointment was at 7:30 am, they didn't bring the car in until 2pm. Didn't start working on it until 2:30. Then the 2 techs couldn't get it done by 5 and were complaining about having to stay late and finish. Turns out they were in such a hurry that they didn't even put all the bolts back in, and there was still air in the cooling system. WTF. To top it off, service still made me wait a week for another appointment to make it right. And they acted like they were doing me a favor for not charging me for the second appointment, lol.