Should you change your own engine oil, or pay a garage?
You can change your own oil, and plenty of people do. But the sums are tighter than you'd expect. A garage charges £50 to £110 for an oil and filter change, or it's baked into an interim service at £95 to £150. The oil and filter alone cost £25 to £50. So the saving is £25 to £60, for an hour on your back under the car, plus a trip to the tip with five litres of dirty oil. Doable, yes. Worth it? For a lot of people, honestly, no.
The numbers: garage price against doing it yourself
Here's the oil change maths laid out. These are fair independent garage prices, not main dealer money.
| Option | Cost |
|---|---|
| Garage oil & filter change | £50–£110 |
| As part of an interim service | £95–£150 |
| Parts only (oil + filter, DIY) | £25–£50 |
| You save by DIY | £25–£60 |
Notice something? The garage margin on an oil change is small. Most of what you're paying for is the oil itself, which you'd have to buy anyway. Labour on this job is cheap because it's quick for someone with a ramp and a waste oil tank. That's why the DIY case here is weaker than people assume.
How hard is it really?
Moderate. Not because the job is clever, but because of the faff around it. You need the car safely in the air, which means a decent pair of car ramps or a jack with axle stands. Never just a jack. Then you need a drain pan, a filter wrench, and somewhere to put five litres of hot black oil that will find its way onto your driveway given half a chance.
The single biggest failure point isn't the spanner work. It's buying the wrong oil. Modern engines are fussy: a 2018 diesel with a particulate filter needs a specific low-ash oil, and the wrong grade can cause real damage over time. "5W-30" on the bottle isn't enough on its own, because two 5W-30 oils can meet completely different manufacturer standards. Check your handbook for the exact specification code (something like VW 507.00 or Ford WSS-M2C913-D) and match it. Garages get this wrong occasionally. DIYers get it wrong a lot.
Second failure point: the sump plug, the bolt in the bottom of the engine that lets the oil out. Overtighten it into an alloy sump and you can strip the thread, turning a £30 job into a £300 one. It needs to be snug with a fresh washer, not swung on.
When you shouldn't bother
Skip the DIY if any of these apply. You don't have ramps or stands, and you'd be buying them just for this (that wipes out two years of savings). Your car needs a digital service record stamped for warranty or resale, because your own receipt from a car parts shop doesn't carry the same weight. Your engine takes a long-life spec oil you can't confidently identify. Or you simply don't fancy carting old oil to the household waste site, which legally is where it has to go. Pouring it down a drain is an offence, and a genuinely grim one.
One more honest point: an oil change at a garage is also a set of eyes under your car. A decent mechanic will spot a weeping shock absorber or a tired brake pipe while they're down there. You probably won't.
If you let a garage do it, what's fair?
£50 to £110 all in, depending on how much oil your engine takes and what spec it needs. A big diesel needing six litres of long-life oil sits at the top end. If you're quoted much beyond that for just oil and filter, ask what oil they're using, and compare it against our fair price checker. And if the bill comes back padded with extras you didn't agree to, our overcharging guide covers what to do next. For most owners the smart move is skipping the standalone oil change entirely and booking an interim service instead, since the extra £40 or so buys you checks, top-ups and a stamped record.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to change your own engine oil?
Slightly. Parts cost £25 to £50 against £50 to £110 at a garage, so you save £25 to £60 per change. But if you have to buy ramps, stands, a drain pan and a filter wrench first, the first couple of changes save you nothing at all.
What happens if I use the wrong oil?
Short term, probably nothing obvious, which is the dangerous part. Long term the wrong spec can clog a diesel particulate filter, upset variable valve timing, or accelerate wear. Match the exact specification code in your handbook, not just the grade on the front of the bottle.
Where do I get rid of old engine oil in the UK?
Your local household waste recycling centre takes it free; most have a waste oil tank. Pour it back into the empty containers to transport it. Tipping oil down a drain or on the ground is illegal and pollutes water. Some parts shops also accept old oil.
Does a DIY oil change affect my car's service history?
It can. Your own receipts prove the work but don't count as a garage stamp or a digital service record entry, which matters for newer cars, warranties and resale value. If the car is under warranty or worth decent money, a garage service is usually the wiser route.
How often should engine oil be changed?
Most modern cars run 9,000 to 18,000 miles or 12 months between changes, whichever comes first. Check your handbook. Lots of short journeys, towing or a tuned engine justify changing it earlier. Oil is cheap compared with engines, so err on the early side.