How Much Money to Change Oil in a Chevy Duramax Diesel?

The Chevrolet Duramax diesel van uses a special, thicker type of oil . You can use any number of brands, including Shell’s Rotella oil, Castrol’s diesel oil or Mobil’s Delvac diesel engine oil. Oil should be changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations -- for most vehicles, that is every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Oil Price

The price of oil varies from store to store. Contact several stores in your area to price the oil you prefer. If you have no preference, ask the price of several brands -- you may be able to save some money by finding a brand on sale or by using the store’s name brand of oil. You can purchase oil in quarts or gallons. Depending on the year of the vehicle, you may need 10 or more quarts of oil. You may find quarts of oil sold for as low as $3, or as much as over $8.

Oil Filter

The Chevrolet diesel van uses a screw-on type filter, which is available at most auto parts stores. Prices vary from store to store. A common auto parts store sells the filters for about $10. Whenever you change the oil, you should always change the oil filter; otherwise, you will be wasting your money on the oil.

Do it Yourself or Use a Shop

If you change the oil yourself, you can save yourself from paying a shop labor charges, but remember -- time is money. If you change the oil yourself, you must also take the used oil to a facility that accepts used oil -- you cannot dispose of the oil in the trash or dump in on the ground.

Often, if you check ads, you may find a shop offering a special deal on oil changes. Because it is more expensive to change the oil in a diesel engine, you probably won’t get the advertised price, but you can negotiate the price of the labor. Some shops will let you bring your own oil and filter, though bringing your own parts is normally frowned upon. Ask the shop -- it may allow it, simply because the shop doesn’t make much on an oil change to start with, instead getting you to pay for repairing other problems that the vehicle may have.

Conclusion

Always shop around, whether you do it yourself or have a shop change the oil. Sometimes, you can save money by having a shop change the oil, simply because they may be able to get the oil and filters at bulk rates. The hassle of getting dirty while you change the oil and finding a place to dispose of the oil is a fair trade-off for the little bit of labor the shop will charge you.