Anyone know which company manufactures those oil change booth that you see at placse like Jiffy Lub, Mr. Lube etc. You know these are the booth where you drive you car right into to it and the tech walks down to the bottom of the booth and change your oil filter. This is different than the ordinary mechanic's hoist as there is no lifting necessary. The car drives into the upper portion of the booth, and the technician can walk below and service the car from below. I don't think they are custom made for each Jiffy Lub location because they all look the same so I thought some company must be manufacturing it and sell it as a kit to companies like Jiffy Lube. Right?

Thats what the old timers called them. I looked into having one put into my garage when the house was built but my insurance company wouldn't have it. Check it out before you commit. If outdoors is o.k. with you, any company that does foundation work should be able to do it

You're probably right that its a pre-designed kit that's installed while the building is built.....there's not a whole lot to it though....isn't it mainly just an opening in the floor with a couple metal rails to guide the car?

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

2 post lifts are pretty cheap. You might look into that. The only problem is unloading one on delivery. But there are ways around that and you can get them installed for extra $$.

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I imagine the oil changers each have a vendor who fabs the stair, angle iron frame at slab opening (with embeds) and the guide rails. The owner would typically furnish those types of items to the GC and the GC/Subs would install.

I'd personally go with a lift as they are pretty inexpensive ($3-4K) and allow you to park two cars in the space of one when not in use.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

I agree. Easier to get a home permit for one of those as opposed to the "grease pit" alternative. Just don't let the home owners association know about it! They tend to frown on anything indicating the potential for shop tinkering....

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

The WIFE. And getting her permission.

You forgot that.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Don't forget the ventilation system you *must* have when using a pit. Most hazardous fumes are heavier than air and collect down there!

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1984 300TD

What do you mean "outdoors" ?

Yeah. I like the idea because its implicitly safer than other options. YOu don't have to worry about annual inspection of the hydraulic systems for leak etc.

Ever see one of these at a Mercedes dealer?

No, because they vacuum the motor oil out the dipstick tube as the car was designed.

It should be a LOT easier for you to do this at home as opposed to emulating the bad boys of oil changing.

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Kent Christensen
Albuquerque
'07 GL320CDI, '10 CL550. '01 Porsche Boxster
Two BMW motorcycles

Yeah, and that's why I don't get my oil changed at the dealer!

I detest grease pits,the oil change places only use them because it is efficient to drive a car over a hole, drain the oil and then drive them out. No time wasted setting up the lift, hoping the genius gets it right and not drop your car, and gravity still does all the work.


I helped a friend set up his 4 post lift, well two of them... They both came off an ESTES truck and we had one up and running by 12am ( started at like noon... the second one went up faster lol and we found the directions for that one)

Why? It only leaves a very small film of oil on the bottem? The dip stick is about 1/8 inch from the bottem of the pan- It works great.

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Do it right or dont do it at all!

when I change my oil, I rebuild the engine 100% so I get an initial fill every time

(lets not open this argument again)