Ever have a client ask you if you would change their oil?

I certainly would not. Unless it is family or friends, not happening. I am more than capable, but at that point you're jumping into a mechanic position and that isn't what you're there to do. I would tell them to drive in or drop it off at a quick-lube place.
 
I'm not a professional detailer, but I have my own side business in another line of work. I think there is too much liability there. No matter what they tell you, you don't know what kind of oil is in there or what or much to use, you could get the wrong filter, etc. Too much to go wrong and if someone burns up an engine after you changed the oil, you are in some hot water. They could have engine issues that they are not telling you about either. No Way Jose!
 
It's kind of the other way around for me.

When I have a customer's car in the shop for a detail and I notice that the oil change sticker shows the oil needs changed, I call the owner of the car and offer to change the oil while I have the car with me. The customer feels taken care of and I make some easy profit above and beyond the detail.

That's what garage keepers and liability insurance is for. I see opportunity I grab it.
 
Nope, not an oil change guy, plus i don't have anything to do it with.
 
tuscarora dave said:
It's kind of the other way around for me.

When I have a customer's car in the shop for a detail and I notice that the oil change sticker shows the oil needs changed, I call the owner of the car and offer to change the oil while I have the car with me. The customer feels taken care of and I make some easy profit above and beyond the detail.

That's what garage keepers and liability insurance is for. I see opportunity I grab it.
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Bingo. This was my mindset, which is why I asked.
 
I would do it. Finding out all the specs are as easy as looking in the owners manual, doing a google search or asking at the local retail auto parts store when you go to pick up the filter!
 
even though its the basically the most basic-of-basic, basic things to do.. i wouldnt

wouldnt want to run to any problems. not because you will mess anything up, but if anything were to happen the customer might redirect the cause to you

eh, just my thought
 
tuscarora dave said:
It's kind of the other way around for me.

When I have a customer's car in the shop for a detail and I notice that the oil change sticker shows the oil needs changed, I call the owner of the car and offer to change the oil while I have the car with me. The customer feels taken care of and I make some easy profit above and beyond the detail.

That's what garage keepers and liability insurance is for. I see opportunity I grab it.
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jta98z said:
Bingo. This was my mindset, which is why I asked.
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Yeah man. There's money everywhere!!! All you have to do is figure out a way to get your hands on it. This is one way to easily double your money. Just be careful to know which vehicles use synthetic only oil and price accordingly.

I use the prices of the chain oil changing places and can usually double my money with buying the oil and filter at Advance by the job. Buy oil in bulk and you're making even more money in the end.

dcjredline said:
I would do it. Finding out all the specs are as easy as looking in the owners manual, doing a google search or asking at the local retail auto parts store when you go to pick up the filter!
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:iagree:
 
Just throwing this out there, but I worked at an alignment shop part time for a few years when I was in college doing alignments. We weren't "allowed" to do anything with oil, trans/diff fluid, antifreeze, or brake fluid for a while because we weren't "zoned" for it.

No idea what that means, but that is what Mr Boss Man said. Of course that never stopped anyone working there from doing that work on their own cars. I'm sure if your not spilling and slopping the oil all over the place your fine.

Memories... Old School Hunter Racks:

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I never had to, and was never asked BUT I do check their tire inflation and top them off as needed :)
 
I don't think I could take the risk... not hard but add soon as they get a flat tire it would be because I didn't change the oil correctly.
 
tuscarora dave said:
It's kind of the other way around for me.

When I have a customer's car in the shop for a detail and I notice that the oil change sticker shows the oil needs changed, I call the owner of the car and offer to change the oil while I have the car with me. The customer feels taken care of and I make some easy profit above and beyond the detail.

That's what garage keepers and liability insurance is for. I see opportunity I grab it.
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Garage keeps and liability usually will not cover neglect or incompetence. Not saying that you are either of those things of course. But, if anything were to happen, like forgetting an O-Ring or torquing a drain bolt wrong or anything of that nature you are on the hook, not your insurance company. Ironically, if you backed the car into the side of the garage, you probably would be covered!

Not saying that's definitely the case, but a lot of times it is and some guys don't find that out until it's too late! So I'd ask your agent before I ventured into this.

CowboyTruckn said:
I don't think I could take the risk... not hard but add soon as they get a flat tire it would be because I didn't change the oil correctly.
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You're not kidding! Happens all the time. People can be very dense.

A couple months ago some lady noticed my bike and asked me where I get it serviced. I said I do everything myself but I guess if I took it anywhere it'd be the dealership closest to me. She then told me about how they 'ruined' her bike and she was going to sue them. You see, they put new tires on her bike. Then she stored it. In the spring, it needed the battery replaced and even with a new battery it wouldn't start. I asked her if she stabilized the fuel, fogged the carbs, or put the battery on a tender? She said no, "My bike doesn't need those things it always does just fine". So apparently, changing tires caused her fuel to varnish and her battery to sulfate. Couldn't be her utter lack of maintenance!

Will she win the lawsuit? Of course not. But if she actually was going to sue them, it would still cost them a chunk of change. Lawsuits, even if you win the case, aren't cheap. Recently my employer was sued, deemed not liable by the courts, we won the case. It cost us about $150,000 to win the case.

Just food for thought! One should never think that just because they are in the right, or just because they have insurance, that they won't ever have a big payout due to some bogus incident because it happens all the time. Not trying to discourage anyone- but just trying to give folks a 'heads up' as to what they are really getting into when they start doing things like changing oil.

My $0.02.
 
Romans5.8 said:
Garage keeps and liability usually will not cover neglect or incompetence. Not saying that you are either of those things of course. But, if anything were to happen, like forgetting an O-Ring or torquing a drain bolt wrong or anything of that nature you are on the hook, not your insurance company. Ironically, if you backed the car into the side of the garage, you probably would be covered!

Not saying that's definitely the case, but a lot of times it is and some guys don't find that out until it's too late! So I'd ask your agent before I ventured into this.




You're not kidding! Happens all the time. People can be very dense.

A couple months ago some lady noticed my bike and asked me where I get it serviced. I said I do everything myself but I guess if I took it anywhere it'd be the dealership closest to me. She then told me about how they 'ruined' her bike and she was going to sue them. You see, they put new tires on her bike. Then she stored it. In the spring, it needed the battery replaced and even with a new battery it wouldn't start. I asked her if she stabilized the fuel, fogged the carbs, or put the battery on a tender? She said no, "My bike doesn't need those things it always does just fine". So apparently, changing tires caused her fuel to varnish and her battery to sulfate. Couldn't be her utter lack of maintenance!

Will she win the lawsuit? Of course not. But if she actually was going to sue them, it would still cost them a chunk of change. Lawsuits, even if you win the case, aren't cheap. Recently my employer was sued, deemed not liable by the courts, we won the case. It cost us about $150,000 to win the case.

Just food for thought! One should never think that just because they are in the right, or just because they have insurance, that they won't ever have a big payout due to some bogus incident because it happens all the time. Not trying to discourage anyone- but just trying to give folks a 'heads up' as to what they are really getting into when they start doing things like changing oil.

My $0.02.
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Yeah I understand where you're coming from with the insurance thing. I know that paint burns and other similar damage resulting from carelessness won't be covered, so why would one be covered for being careless doing an oil change.

Good thing I don't base my decisions on these types of fears, but rather simply keep my eye on the prize and double check, even triple check if needed to be sure I am doing the work correctly.

There's risk everywhere you go no matter what you're doing in your day to day ventures, can't just cover up with my Linus Blanket and not do anything for fear of making costly mistakes.

If those costly mistakes should happen, I'll simply work through them as needed.

I've been a mechanic all my life, just as some have run rotary buffers all their lives. Is the king of rotaries still capable of making mistakes? Sure he is. As simple a subject I see this as, and as ridiculous as fearing oil change complications seems to me, I am fully aware of the fact that being mentally preoccupied (which I am constantly) could easily cause a lapse of sorts.

Every oil change I do I think to myself, "Did I tighten that drain bolt?" and if I can't answer that question with 100% surety, back under the car I go with wrench in hand to be 100% sure. It is the awareness that I am absolutely foul-able that keeps me as safe as possible.
 
Sounds great man! If it's for you- go for it!

Like I said; don't wanna discourage you from it. Just wanted to throw it out there. Some people think insurance covers them from all potential costs whatsoever and that's just not the case (maybe they think it's like their car insurance which covers them even if they were negligent when damaging the car). Sounds like you know what it actually covers- so you won't be in for a surprise!

I will simply add that you don't actually have to have done somethingm wrong to get accused of it. Ask any full time mechanic whose done it for a while how many times he's changed a headlight in a car and the customer came back 6 months later saying their door has started squeaking and it must've happened when they worked on it last!
 
dcjredline said:
I would do it. Finding out all the specs are as easy as looking in the owners manual, doing a google search or asking at the local retail auto parts store when you go to pick up the filter!
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I know nothing of changing oil but have thought about partnering with someone in a garage that would benefit us both me detailing and them doing oil changes & brakes which the customer would supply brakes (pads),,fluid and anthing else, Oil, filter and anything extra more like just doing the labor/charge a fee for labor only,
I pay a guy $40.00 for a set of brakes on my vehicle, he comes to my home work or whever, I buy brake (pads) and fluid before hand and he charges $40.00 a set not bad imo
 
CowboyTruckn said:
I don't think I could take the risk... not hard but add soon as they get a flat tire it would be because I didn't change the oil correctly.
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True, I would never open that can of worms in the 1st place...

I just stick to the paint...
 
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