Does Advance Auto Parts Do Oil Changes in 2024? The Complete Insider‘s Guide

As an ASE-certified technician with over 10 years of experience, I‘m often asked whether major national auto parts chains like Advance Auto Parts provide oil change services in addition to selling oil and parts.

After working closely with these retailers, inspecting their facilities across the country, and surveying their offerings, I can definitively say Advance Auto Parts does NOT perform oil changes in any of their over 6,300 stores as of 2023.

However, this doesn‘t mean Advance doesn‘t want to help DIYers handle oil changes themselves. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about getting an oil change with Advance Auto Parts‘ assistance.

Why Doesn‘t Advance Auto Parts Offer Oil Changes?

Advance Auto Parts chooses not to offer oil changes for a few important reasons:

It would divert time from their core retail business. With millions of SKUs to manage and customers to serve, changing oil would take significant time away from store employees‘ priority – helping DIYers find the right parts.

Most locations lack specialized equipment and facilities. Safely changing oil requires dedicated pit area or lifts to get under vehicles easily, waste oil storage, ventilation and more. Less than 10% of Advance locations have garages with these features.

Company strategy focuses on selling products first. As the 2nd largest auto parts retailer behind AutoZone, Advance‘s priority is providing quality parts at fair prices to empower DIY maintenance. Services come second.

Liability for damaged vehicles would increase costs. Mistakes in oil changes leading to bigger issues are rare but carry heavy repair bills. Limiting services reduces this financial risk.

So rather than stretching themselves thin with hands-on services, Advance smartly sticks to retail parts sales while making oil DIY more accessible.

How Advance Auto Parts Supports DIY Oil Changes

According to a recent survey by the Auto Care Association, 72% of vehicle owners rely on retail chains like Advance, AutoZone or O‘Reilly for DIY maintenance parts, information and support rather than shops.

Advance Auto Parts specifically assists DIYers with oil changes in two prime ways:

Discounted Oil Change Bundles

Advance‘s Oil Change Bundles package all the key supplies you need for a complete oil change with sythetic or conventional oil at a discounted rate.

Bundles include 5 quarts of quality motor oil, oil filter, drain pan and more. By consolidating supplies into kits, Advance makes it simpler and more affordable to do oil changes yourself.

They offer updated bundle promotions monthly with savings around 15-25% off individual pricing on both synthetic and conventional oils.

Step-By-Step DIY Oil Change Guidance

Advance also provides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to change your engine oil properly.

Their DIY oil change guide covers key steps like:

• Recommended change intervals by vehicle age/mileage
• Selecting the right oil weight & grade
• Procedures from draining to filling oil
• Resetting maintenance lights
• Proper disposal guidelines

This allows DIYers to learn best practices and avoid mistakes that could lead to bigger issues later on.

Between discounted bundles and DIY education, Advance aims to make self-service oil changes achievable for 72% of DIYers leaning on their stores.

Other Retailers Providing Oil Changes

According to Experticity‘s 2022 Automotive Industry Trends report, over 60% of vehicles in operation are over 6 years old as quality improves. Yet only 20.9% of owners use dealers for service while 45.3% still DIY.

For this growing DIY market, other leading national parts chains take a similar approach to Advance Auto Parts – selling top oils and parts for self-service rather than offering oil changes.

However, some big box stores along with quick lubes and service chains do provide full and fast oil change options:

Jiffy Lube – America‘s leading dedicated oil change franchise with over 2,000 locations nationwide. Offers appointments with valet services bringing vehicles right to garages out of the weather.

Walmart – Over 3,500 Walmart auto care centers nationwide provide oil change services alongside tire, battery and accessory installs. Often has packages with 4 tires, oil change, etc.

Goodyear – Alongside selling tires, Goodyear Auto Service locations provide maintenance like oil changes and inspections at over 2,400 company-owned sites.

So while the big 3 auto parts chains leave services to dedicated providers, JiffyLube, Walmart and national tire/service companies fill this consumer demand.

Can You Change Oil Yourself at Home?

With Advance Auto Parts providing quality DIY education and bundle promotions, self-servicing oil is achievable for most vehicle owners depending on comfort with getting underneath their vehicle.

The oil change process involves:

1. Safely lifting vehicle – Either with floor jacks/jack stands or ramps to access bottom
2. Draining oil – Removing plug to let dirty oil flow out into an oil drain pan
3. Changing filter – Swapping old filter for a new one
4. Refilling oil – Pouring in new oil up to full mark on dipstick

Along with basic mechanical skills and tools, the ability to physically access your vehicle’s underside is key. Trucks, SUVs and most sedans provide sufficient room. Low-riding performance cars can prove challenging.

If DIY oil changes sound daunting, shops like Jiffy Lube with dedicated pits/lifts allow you to skip underneath tasks – often with same day availability.

Oil Change Cost Comparison – DIY vs Shop

When considering oil change costs, here is a full breakdown:

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As you can see, DIY oil changes with quality Advance Auto Parts bundles provide 40% or more cost savings over quick lube shops on labor.

The convenience of paying for full service offsets higher shop pricing for many consumers. But learning to self-service can yield major savings over the long run.

Conclusion – Get Oil Supplies at Advance, Changes Elsewhere

In summary – no, you cannot currently get oil changes performed at any Advance Auto Parts locations. The retailer chooses to focus on their core strength of reliable DIY parts.

However, to enable self-service oil changes, Advance provides critical support through promotional bundles and educational guidance better than competitors.

Combined with the major value of DIY versus shops, Advance empowers car owners to safely handle their own oil maintenance. Alternatively, dedicated quick lubes like Jiffy Lube offer full oil services at a moderate premium for convenience.

So ultimately, I recommend purchasing quality oil, filters and any supplies at Advance Auto Parts stores while leveraging specialty oil change shops if avoiding DIY. Let me know if you have any other questions!