Just had my scooter (new Cygnus X) serviced today. It was the first 500km service and I paid 450NT, but it got me thinking whether or not that was a fair price. What should the going rate be for oil changes in Taiwan?
NT$300 is normal for me, but maybe they’re giving you the good stuff. :lick:
If I’m being cheap I pay $150 for an oil change with cheap oil, and when I am generous and I get synthetic, I pay $350-400 up here in Kaohsiung.
So if you are in Taipei and he used full synthetic, $450 doesn’t seem too unreasonable.
You didn’t get ripped off. Oil changes range from 150nt, 250-350nt, 450-500nt, 650-700nt. The mechanic just gave you better oil. If you are ride aggressively and always off and on the throttle then I would spend more money. If you are a slow and easy going rider, than 350nt is fine. Even 450nt is ok.
Your scooter is brand new and great choice I might add, so treat her right. Don’t go cheap.
Next time you’re in Carrefour or RT Mart check the oil prices, and then decide how much extra you’re prepared to pay not to do it yourself.
We don’t know what oil you got, (do you?) and we don’t know how mechanically averse you are (do you?), but maybe, with a new scooter, you have to get it serviced at a Yamaha shop anyway.
There’s a scooter costs thread that I put some Yamaha service costs for my GF’s scooter in (she’s not keen on getting me to do stuff on it. Go figure) .
Engine oil change (with ‘Yamaha Y4’ oil, almost certainly mineral. I think the Y4 just means its 4-stroke) cost 200NT, which is about what the oil would cost retail, so you probably got something fancier and probably were’nt charged much for doing it.
(OTOH they didn’t do it properly, since they didn’t check the oil strainer. Maybe your guy did, though I wouldn’t bet on it)
Oil starts about 90NT a litre (Castrol, CPC or Mobil mineral, the latter on promotion). I can’t find actual evidence that the more expensive/synthetic stuff is any better, (I can find some evidence, for cars, that it isn’t. EDIT: I’d expect even less advantage for a scooter ENDEDIT) but, since a scooter only takes about a litre, the feel-good “finest oil” factor doesn’t cost much.
I changed my oil in my car back home when I was saving 10-20 USD. I can’t be bothered to change it here (in public space vs a private garage) to save 100NT.
I have always paid 280NT for my motorcycle oil change with an English speaking mechanic. He moved his shop (now I know where) and I went to some random guy last time (we have a guy that we call at the buxiban) and it cost 150NT this time. I’m guessing that I got the cheapest oil so I will shorten the interval this time. I think the only benefit for the better oil is that it should last longer but even that isn’t for sure.
Thanks for the replies guys. To answer some of the questions: No, I don’t know which oil I got (which would obviously make this discussion a lot more definitive…I will ask next time) and Yes, I am very mechanically capable having spent my fair share of time under, in, on top of, and around my personal cars (Fiat Spider, Bronco, Mustang, Yukon) and motorcycles (2 GSXRs) in the States (though I have never owned a scooter before). However, typically didn’t bother changing my own oil because proper disposal was a hassle vs the slight cost premium (much like here with the aforementioned public spaces).
One last question, how often do you guys change your oil on scooters? The Cygnus X european manual (the one I could find in english) says as many as 3000km between changes, but that is a very different kind of driving. My dealer is telling me every 500km which seems a bit on the short side. Perhaps I will do the first couple at 500 and every 1000km after.
[quote=“cadmium”]
One last question, how often do you guys change your oil on scooters? The Cygnus X european manual (the one I could find in english) says as many as 3000km between changes, but that is a very different kind of driving. My dealer is telling me every 500km which seems a bit on the short side. Perhaps I will do the first couple at 500 and every 1000km after.[/quote]
The stop and go traffic is a killer on these engines here in Taiwan. Your oil light will come on every 1000km on your Cygnus. I recommend changing it even at 800 km. 500km is way too soon.
Apparently whne you buy new, most dealers recommend an oil change at the first 300km, then at 800km, and then after that every 800-1000km.
I used to change my own oil here when I lived next door to a mechanic. He would let me dispose of the used oil for free, but now I don’t and the closest mechanic is a bit of a walk so I just pay for it. It is too cheap here not to just pay for an oil change.
Agreed that you save very little by DIY here, BUT you have the option of doing it properly, as in checking/cleaning the oil strainer, which might be particularly important/informative on an early “running-in” service.
In addition to the small cost savings my mechanic also includes a basic tuneup with the oil. I guess it’s a matter of finding someone that isn’t completely incompetent as your mechanic.
In addition to the small cost savings my mechanic also includes a basic tuneup with the oil. I guess it’s a matter of finding someone that isn’t completely incompetent as your mechanic.[/quote]
Which in my opinion is extremely easy to find this kind of mechanic if you aren’t mechanically incompetent yourself.
In addition to the small cost savings my mechanic also includes a basic tuneup with the oil. I guess it’s a matter of finding someone that isn’t completely incompetent as your mechanic.[/quote]
Which in my opinion is extremely easy to find this kind of mechanic if you aren’t mechanically incompetent yourself.[/quote]
One of life’s little ironies, then, that those most in need of such a mechanic will be least able to find them.
[quote=“Ducked”]
One of life’s little ironies, then, that those most in need of such a mechanic will be least able to find them.[/quote]
quite profound.
450nt??? I could get an oil change for a CAR back in 99 and I got an oil change for my moped back in the early 80s for what? 60nt for them to pour out the one liter of bad oil and add one liter back in.
You know what was dumb? Getting my oil changed on my car every 3000km. That is only about 2000miles. Which is ridiculous. Over here 5000 miles (8000km) is normal. Audi each oil change is 10,000 miles (16,000km) and BMW 15,000 mile between changes.
Of course with all the idling going on driving in Taipei. 3000km is probably more like 5000km so that would be about 3000miles, so maybe that was it?
If i lived back on the wan, I think i’d do a car oil change every 5000km , no less.
Are motos/scoots still going with the “oil change every 1000km” rule?
For car, I get an oil change every 5000km. On a new car the first oil change is at 1000km.
For scooter I get oil changed every 1000km for NTD300
There’s a certified Yamaha dealer/garage that is nearby and I was wondering do any of you guys ever make appointments for oil changes or just walk-ins?
My good ol Kymco Jockey oil change light just came on and usually my uncle takes care of the oil changes, but I figured, since the light came on while i borrowed it, I might as well take care of it for him.
[quote=“megadata”]For car, I get an oil change every 5000km. On a new car the first oil change is at 1000km.
For scooter I get oil changed every 1000km for NTD300[/quote]
I do very low (car) miles, so I do it on a time basis. Used to be once a year, now once every 2 years. This is longer than most manufacturers recommended intervals, which don’t make sense to me.
Some passenger car used oil analyses with low miles and high years start showing oxidation after 3-4 years in use, and the viscosity starts to increase.
A reasonable guideline I’ve seen was to run to the manufacturers rated severe service interval based on mileage (which I don’t remotely approach) up to 3 years, so I could probably stretch it further. With synthetic oil (the above cases were mineral oil, IIRC) if I ever used any, I could probably stretch it further still.
I can only think of three reasons to change oil. It breaks down chemically (as above) which takes a long time, it breaks down physically (shears, which is an issue for a motorcycle but less so for a car or scooter) or it gets dirty, which will happen long before the other two.
With a scooter, which has no filtration, it’ll happen earlier still, further reducing any advantage of synthetic oil.
I’ve read that you should change your oil at least once a year, even if you don’t drive many miles. It is not the oil that breaks down, it is the additives in the oil. They lose their ability to do their job.
So I personally would not go much over a year between changes even if I drove less then 5000km.
Synthetic or not.
[quote=“ranlee”]There’s a certified Yamaha dealer/garage that is nearby and I was wondering do any of you guys ever make appointments for oil changes or just walk-ins?
My good ol Kymco Jockey oil change light just came on and usually my uncle takes care of the oil changes, but I figured, since the light came on while i borrowed it, I might as well take care of it for him.[/quote]
Went to the Yamaha service center yesterday around the corner from my place. Here’s a quick summary on my 10 minute trip.
Spent 300NT on the oil. Plus the mechanic checked my tire pressure, oiled both “stands” and my brake levers. He gave me the option of 100NT, 200NT and 300NT oil. I assume, just by looking at my scooter, that I didn’t need anything more expensive than the 300NT oil.
However, now that I see how the process is done. I think I can handle this process myself. Just have to figure out where to dump that oil.
[quote=“ranlee”]There’s a certified Yamaha dealer/garage that is nearby and I was wondering do any of you guys ever make appointments for oil changes or just walk-ins?
My good ol Kymco Jockey oil change light just came on and usually my uncle takes care of the oil changes, but I figured, since the light came on while i borrowed it, I might as well take care of it for him.[/quote]
Went to the Yamaha service center yesterday around the corner from my place. Here’s a quick summary on my 10 minute trip.
Spent 300NT on the oil. Plus the mechanic checked my tire pressure, oiled both “stands” and my brake levers. He gave me the option of 100NT, 200NT and 300NT oil. I assume, just by looking at my scooter, that I didn’t need anything more expensive than the 300NT oil.
However, now that I see how the process is done. I think I can handle this process myself. Just have to figure out where to dump that oil.