National Tyres now using Fuchs oil.

[KungFuPanda]

Setting aside the questionable service element of such fast fit places, it seems that National now use Fuchs oil for their oil change services.

Previously it used to be Castrol including Castrol Edge, then their website never used to mention a brand, just silhouettes of the Castrol bottles and different colourings to suggest different grades.

Now, their website mentions specific Fuchs brands. I've never used Fuchs oil but have read much on here from Fuchs fan boys talking about how good the oil is and Opie oils seem to push this brand hard too.

I've got a 5.2 litre Audi S6 and the online price quoter gave me a figure of just under £80 for an oil and filter change using Titan GTI Pro-C3 5w30 XTL with their 10% off discount too. Not a bad price given that 10 litres of oil is needed.

[PositronicRay]

Seriously good value. My car came to £51 for 7L of oil. Normally I have to buy 2 x 5L packs so £35 + £5 for a filter for a DIY job.

[nickofh]

I used them a few years back for a somewhat less exciting vehicle. ( Astravan 1.4 ). I had to wait a little while longer as they said they were waiting for the oil to come in. I thought they were fobbing me off , but I was very pleased when I saw 5L Fuchs Fully synthetic turn up and go straight into my van. Great value for the £40 I paid by booking online.

My only question to them if I used them now would be how they drain the oil, I don't know if its vac out or properly drained.

[Condi]

nickofh said:

My only question to them if I used them now would be how they drain the oil, I don't know if its vac out or properly drained.

Most places are vac are they not? Certainly when my car was dealer serviced they used a vac. As far as Im concerned you'll never get all the oil out whichever way, so as long as your changing 80%+ of the oil it'll be fine.

[Hainey]

Just checked this out. The oil they say on their website they will use for my car can be had from Opie for £17.95.

£7 including delivery for the OEM filter from Ebay. So I'm in for £25 doing it myself.

They want £54 to do it all in.

If there is a bargain here I'm not seeing it.

[Steve vRS]

Hainey said:

Just checked this out. The oil they say on their website they will use for my car can be had from Opie for £17.95.

£7 including delivery for the OEM filter from Ebay. So I'm in for £25 doing it myself.

They want £54 to do it all in.

If there is a bargain here I'm not seeing it.

How long will it take you? How much will it cost you to dispose of the oil properly? It's all starting to add up....

Steve

[Vyse]

40 mins to change oil and oil can be disposed off at the recycling centre which is on the way to work, so need to wake up 10 mins earlier. A saving of roughly £30 would feed me for over a week. Not bad for an extra 50 mins work.

Edited by Vyse on Sunday 24th May 23:07

[Hainey]

Steve vRS said:

Hainey said:

Just checked this out. The oil they say on their website they will use for my car can be had from Opie for £17.95.

£7 including delivery for the OEM filter from Ebay. So I'm in for £25 doing it myself.

They want £54 to do it all in.

If there is a bargain here I'm not seeing it.

How long will it take you? How much will it cost you to dispose of the oil properly? It's all starting to add up....

Steve

About twenty minutes in my lovely heated double garage with my pela vac pump. No mess. No fuss.

Disposal at the local council facilities which are 5 miles away, and half a mile (less maybe) from my mates house. So I just bin it when I go see him.

Hey, if it works for you economically crack on. It's not adding up for me though.

[Steve vRS]

Just asking as I would need to take an hour, an hour that I could spend with the kids or riding my bike. I'd then have the mess of tipping the old oil into a container to take it to the tip. I'd probably spill some on the drive and then splash some in the boot.

I'd love a heated double garage!

Steve

[Hainey]

Steve vRS said:

Just asking as I would need to take an hour, an hour that I could spend with the kids or riding my bike. I'd then have the mess of tipping the old oil into a container to take it to the tip. I'd probably spill some on the drive and then splash some in the boot.

I'd love a heated double garage!

Steve

When you get one, put water, a small fridge, a George foreman grill and a tassimo machine in it. It's so worth the effort.

It makes every hour you spend in it just so much nicer

[SuperHangOn]

Steve vRS said:

Just asking as I would need to take an hour, an hour that I could spend with the kids or riding my bike. I'd then have the mess of tipping the old oil into a container to take it to the tip. I'd probably spill some on the drive and then splash some in the boot.

I'd love a heated double garage!

Steve

savings aside, that's a main reason I DIY anything I can. in the time it takes to drive to the nearest garage and sit around bored in a dingy waiting room, I could have it done at home - crucially, in a time that suits me.

use a funnel - or if you're cheap like me, chop up an old robinsons bottle.

[nickofh]

Condi said:

nickofh said:

My only question to them if I used them now would be how they drain the oil, I don't know if its vac out or properly drained.

Most places are vac are they not? Certainly when my car was dealer serviced they used a vac. As far as Im concerned you'll never get all the oil out whichever way, so as long as your changing 80%+ of the oil it'll be fine.

No reason to doubt you , I have just heard that from some other forum that some manufacturers recommend not using suction, though someone on the same page says many marine engines have no drain plug so it must be vac'd out.

Oh well , I prefer the old fashioned way and doing it myself these days. Engine hot , drain from drain plug , have a cup of tea , plug back in and carry on! Usually £20 / £30 saved.

[KungFuPanda]

Hainey said:

Just checked this out. The oil they say on their website they will use for my car can be had from Opie for £17.95.

£7 including delivery for the OEM filter from Ebay. So I'm in for £25 doing it myself.

They want £54 to do it all in.

If there is a bargain here I'm not seeing it.

10 litres of the Titan GTI Pro-C3 5w30 XTL needed to do mine is £80.43 from Opie. National will do the change including filter for £78.94. I suppose it depends what vehicle you drive.

[All that jazz]

Hainey said:

Just checked this out. The oil they say on their website they will use for my car can be had from Opie for £17.95.

£7 including delivery for the OEM filter from Ebay. So I'm in for £25 doing it myself.

They want £54 to do it all in.

If there is a bargain here I'm not seeing it.

Given the price of oil these days it must be some little hairdryer powered stbox you drive to only need £17.95 of oil, or the oil you're buying is an Ebay special.

[Motorrad]

nickofh said:

My only question to them if I used them now would be how they drain the oil, I don't know if its vac out or properly drained.

The 3 branches I've used drain it the old fashioned way.

It's a good deal depending on the car. It would cost me 60 quid for filter and oil bought myself and 64 quid with a voucher for them to do it. )

As their premises is a quick walk to town I save on parking costs because I leave it on their forecourt all day (after I've watched them do the job

[ALawson]

I would spend 1 hour waiting to get into the council recycling at the moment!

[corozin]

I'm still un nerved by the thought that someone with such a relatively new & high spec car is putting it into Kwik Fit to save a few shekels.

[All that jazz]

My last experience with them (the branch on Scott Hall Rd in Leeds) was not a good one. They did an oil change for me and the kid filled the new oil up to halfway up the dipstick. I am not joking. I didn't realise til the next day when I felt something didn't seem right with the engine. I checked the level and there it was. Took it back (only round the corner from me) and another guy used a vacuum pump to pull it out and there was approx 4 litres of oil in the container by the time the oil level had reached the max marker on the dipstick. The engine is only supposed to have 4.5 litres in it (1.9 CDTI). I guess that's what you pay for..

[Hainey]

All that jazz said:

Hainey said:

Just checked this out. The oil they say on their website they will use for my car can be had from Opie for £17.95.

£7 including delivery for the OEM filter from Ebay. So I'm in for £25 doing it myself.

They want £54 to do it all in.

If there is a bargain here I'm not seeing it.

Given the price of oil these days it must be some little hairdryer powered stbox you drive to only need £17.95 of oil, or the oil you're buying is an Ebay special.

Not really on the first point as it has over 160hp, and on your second about 'ebay special' please tell me, if you can without swearing, what part of 'can be had from Opie' do you struggle with? There weren't any big words in that statement to confuse even a foul mouthed knuckle dragger such as yourself, but come on. Do try.

Thank you anyway for your enlightened contribution to the thread. I'm sure we all found it helpful.

Edited to add, I've just noticed your comment about your own car. Is that in the 118hp or the 147hp variant? Epic fail chap. Again.

Edited by Hainey on Monday 25th May 07:38

[eltax91]

On the subject of vac vs drain plug, at these fast fit outfits I would much rather they use the vac method.

At least then, next time I come to drain the oil, I don't need a new sump due to the oaf at national f1 kwik or whatever it's called whacking the sump plug in too tight or cross-threading it.