where to get an oil change in vancouver?

[will]

Got my 91 Delica about 2 months ago love it! I need to get an oil change. Where is a good place to take it?

[will]

what type of oil should i use and can I get the oil changed just anywhere?

[mdrive]

you should use diesel grade 15w40. you can go anywhere as long as you have the filter. most oil change place won't have the oil filter.

[ccautos]

You can pick up your own filter from Lordco and take it along to the quick lube shop . Easiest and cheapest is the Fram PH6355

[delicanuck]

I've been using a WIX filter # 51067, from LordCo . They aren't cheap but you get what you pay for.

I change my own oil. Takes about 40 minutes from start to finish, in the driveway just using ramps and a big funnel to catch the old oil in the jug from the previous oil change. I don't think its actually any cheaper than a drive through but at least I know what happened under there. I've also added a pre-lube system to my Deli so that could through a grease monkey right off. ( Wait about 10 years to ask me if it works, I guess.)

Mr. Lube; "Doing it right before your eyes" my ass! He's under the car and I'm not allowed to get out and look.

[josh]

I've also added a pre-lube system to my Deli so that could through a grease monkey right off. ( Wait about 10 years to ask me if it works, I guess.)

How much did it end up costing? and how easy was it to put in? It seems like a really good idea. Does it use much more oil?

Josh

[delicanuck]

Hi Josh,
Long time no... er .. anything.
Well yeah, it may be a good idea but like I said, I probably won't know for another ten years and this waiting is driving me crazy!
$219.00 US plus $24.00 shipping. The small bottle kit would be $189.00 US. The modified oil system only took about an extra 1/2 litre of oil, which I found slightly disapointing but I have some more testing/tweaking to do.
There are a few systems like this on the market but I went with autoenginelube;
http://www.autoenginelube.com/
and dealt with a guy named Fred. I put in the medium sized bottle but I think, the smallest bottle would have been fine because of the hose lengths involved. The kit really does come with everything you need and a few spares and all the hardware looks like the gauge and quality you see under the hood of race cars and hot rods. I had my mechanic install mine simply due to time constraints but absolutely anyone could install one of these kits. The bottle is bolted onto the back side of the passenger side wheel well and the bottle pressure gauge is there too. I would like to move that guage and a few others into the cab somewhere so I don't have to climb under the car to see 'em.
I have already asked Fred about it and yes he would happily give us the dealer price if we order 5 units. The dealer price is basically, buy 4 get the 5th. unit free, so %20 on a 5 unit minimum. Also, if they are all for the same model of car, Fred will ship with pre-cut and terminated, braided stainless hoses, no extra charge. Stainless always looks great but its so hard to get a girl under the car to show her. If you started a post on a group buy and got 5 confirmed, I can do the purchase. Fred already has my information and that way, I can order a set of stainless hoses too. My mechanic could probably do a price on the installation but its pretty easy and its time consuming so paying a pro doesn't make much sense for anyone who doesn't have his ratchets sorted tighten and loosen.
Maybe we should move this thread to L300 Technical?

If you ever get to the big smoke, look me up, I'm always good for some suds n' chow. Give me a couple of days notice and I'll make chili.

Say 'Hi' to everyone in Smithers,.. individually.

[josh]

Brett,

Thanks for the informative reply... and so prompt as well (I have the feeling I was being watched). I have been spending to much money as of late, but I am definitely going to jump on that band wagon soon. As for where to mount the oil canister... I would have to look for a new spot as the place behind the passenger wheel well is already stuffed with WVO filters/heaters/hoses. There sure isn't much room in this beast. Could I place it in the back of the van, bolted to right behind the passenger seat, the wall that is between the battery and the interior. I already have drilled a hole through there for WVO related things. Man, is my van ever getting butchered... um, I mean improved.

Josh

[Adrock]

josh, we're both taking our vans to their graves. Seriously, they are too good to part with. You know that.

and changing your own oil is the way to go, build a relationship with your van, would you let some punk kid at mr lube lube up your wife, why let him lube your wonderful van.

[josh]

josh, we're both taking our vans to their graves. Seriously, they are too good to part with. You know that.

you missed a great 4x4 trip yesterday... i went through a river that was deeper than my fog lights... oops, this isn't on track... um and oil, yeah, um, do your own oil changes, thats what i do.

Josh

[delicanuck]

Hi again Will,
Your topic kinda got hijacked there a little bit. Sorry, my fault.
I have had some distressing experiences at drive-through lube shops, e.g. the time that guy cranked on the wrong filter because it was the only one he had. Fortunately, the threads on the filter were more screwed up than the threads on the car so I didn;t have to do the whole re-thread thing. Or the time they didn't even change the filter, presumably because they didn't have it in stock. The time they went ahead and flushed oil the system for the second time in one year after asking me if they should and I said no but apparantly that was the wrong answer. And then they thought I was going to pay. Instead, I just told them to call the cops and I'll wait. Tied up they're bay for about an hour before they relented. If someone tells me there going to do something "right before my eyes", I generally expect that they're planning to do something behind my back. Otherwise they would need to say that. The other thing I keep in mind about oil drive throughs is that in this job market, how useless do you have to be that have to take a low paying miserable job like that. Do I sound bitter?
Yeah so, to answer your question, Tremblay Motors, on the west side, http://www.tremblaymotors.com/ is probably the best all round service place there is, west of...uhm... England maybe? They aren't the cheapest but they won't charge you for something they didn't do and what they do do, they do right. There are all kinds of great stories about this family on CBC and else where. If your interested I've heard some of them.
David Jubb at Japanoid, http://www.japanoid.com also has a service bay now and has brought in two techicians from Japan. They really know what they are doing under a Delica. They are out in New West so if you are on the east side of town, that might be closer.
For most things, I take my Deli to RJD Services in North Van, 604 986-8586. They are fast becoming Deli experts. Actually, Nathan is an Aussie so he has been under under a lot of Delicas..... Wait a sec' , if he was in Australia, under a Deli..... wouldn't he have been on top of it?
Basically, if you can find a mechanic that you trust, go there, build a relationship, pay for his best work, don't niggle for the best price. The lowest price is really the best value.
Having said that, change your own oil. It really is quite easy. If you're nervous about getting under there and trying something new, bring your Deli over to my house and I'll walk you through it the first time and show you some other jobs that you can do yourself too. After all, if you and your car are going to go out in the wilds together, you should know how to look after each other.

[RichD]

Mr Lube on Kingsway

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=MR+L ... 16&iwloc=A

- charged 50$ for oil change
- they only credit you $5 for bringing your own oil filter
- oil filters are available from Lordco just down the street, which is convenient - although stocking my filter would be MORE convenient
- they didn't know Delica, misidentified transmission oil dipstick as engine oil (not for long though)
- they skipped air filter checks, which was on the list of included services; didn't even ask where to look
- don't even bother with the coffee, its awful
- quoted $180 for transmission, front and rear differential fluids (sounded high to me)
- I had to wipe up oil left by the tech on the engine, covers, and around the compartment. He let oil drip onto my carpets twice (I don't care, but if my car was new I'd have been pissed.)
- Just before finishing up, the geniuses sprayed something on the underside of engine while the cover was up, filling my van with chemical spray. That was a nice touch I thought.

As fast oil change shops go, I give it a 6/10 - acceptable.

Next time, I'll probably drive to 12th/Kingsway where I have had better experience.

[RichD]

Went to see Butch at CVI for an inspection last Friday - the oil cap was OFF! Turns out the trainee at Mr Lube didn't screw it on properly. I'm back at Mr Lube right now looking for a refund, getting the runaround.

They offered me a free oil change, no refund, and I have to come back to pick it up.

FAIL, in my opinion. I'm just going to go to CVI for oil changes from now on as he charges less for the filter and has the other consumables on hand if they need attention.

Mr Lube sucks!

[dennis_lambert]

Hi there I have some Boshi oil filters for sale for the L300..
And other Filters.
Cheers.
Dennis.