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Think Twice Before Taking Your Car To This Chain...

By NILLINOIS, July 15, 2006



they raped my grandmother and killed my puppy!

Kidding!! they stripped the drainbolt on my moms pontiac 6000 and it dripped oil ever since, until she sold it, well it was still dripping then. she sold it to her sister, she got about 30 mile and the bearing for the oil pump seized (external oil pump) and the engine threw some parts inside of it. when the new engine got put in the drip stopped default_tongue

Yes, a lot of them can be scam artists. That's why I pay the extra buck and hope my local Toyota dealer is honest enough. A couple of years ago I took my Buick to a Quaker State quick lube place and told them I didn't want an air filter. I had just bought one ten minutes before, but when I was paying my bill...they charged me for a new filter. When confronted..they said it was a computer error and fixed the price. I've never been there since.

I wouldn't take my car to "Iffy Lube" on a bet. I just feel bad for all the people who are less involved in the technical maintenance of their cars who use those places and fall victim to their sales tactics and sloppy service.

Truth be told, you get pretty good service and far fewer problems at places like Sears and Wal*Mart.

I am sure no one from this forum will go to these quick lube places even if they paid us to go there.

My son who was attending Penn State, came home with the lip of the car hood sporting a bead of oil; I looked under the car and there was oil dripping on my virgin concrete driveway. I then opened the hood and there was oil all over the engine. Then I noticed that the oil filler cap was missing. All this because my son brought the car to WallyMartWorld to change the oil. Some student type, part timer who didn't give a damn. At least he made it home without seizing the engine.

Now my other son with yet another car, brings that car to WallyMartWorld and I look at the dipstick. It is overfilled.

I've showed both boys how to change the oil, but they don't want to do it themsleves. I have found Nirvana in my search for the proper tools to take the filter on and off and I enjoy using them.

That's why I gave up on having places change my oil ( except in the middle of winter default_sad ). Have had all those problems you've mentioned, overfill, loose oil fill cap ( never missing though! ), underfill, etc. Just double check everything before they slam the hood down..including the oil level and cap.

i change before it gets real cold and then do a change in the spring when the snow has mostly left the ground :-p i will NEVER pay anyone to change my oil, unless its a dealer change for free... and i'll still check the level and cap afterwards default_tongue

  • 1,424 posts

I was in Tennessee, I was living in an apartment, and I was working 12-14 hours a day. I didn't have the time or ability to change my own oil. The nearest auto-parts store to get the oil filter and air filter was 20 miles away anyway. My car really needed the 15,000 mile service done, but I couldn't get the Toyota dealer to do it when it was convenient for me. So I decided it was better to take the car to Jiffy Lube than to let the car get 20,000 miles on it before completing the 15,000 service.

I took it to them, but I watched them like a hawk. They pointed out to me that my air filter was dirty. I agreed and had them replace it. They used 5W30 oil, after I told them I wanted 5W30 not the 10W30 they said the typically put in Toyotas. I also had them put the higher quality oil filter on the car. They changed my oil in about 30 minutes. While they were doing this they completed a check on my exterior lamps, fluids, etc. They refilled the washer fluid. They also vacuumed the car and cleaned the glass inside and out. All and all it cost $53 USD.

When I pulled out of their lot, I pulled around the drugstore next door and got under the car to check for leaks and the tightness of the oil filter. I then checked the oil cap tightness and the oil level. They were all fine. I checked the car again a week later and all was still well. I have checked the oil about 5 times since then, and it is still fine. I guess I just got lucky that the Jiffy Lube I went to had techs that actually cared about doing a good job.

Now that I'm not in that situation anymore, I'm only taking the car to the Toyota dealer for oil changes, because I've heard too many horror stories about those quick lube places. One of the local quicklubes here in Ohio forgot to replace the oil in a brand new Cadillac Eldorado and the 32V Northstar V8 siezed up 10 blocks down the road from the quick lube.

My local Ford dealer stripped the oil pan threads for the plug in my grandpa's car. Instead of re-tapping the threads, or doing something decent, they jammed a larger plug into the hole. They didn't tell him about this, and so he didn't know. The next time he went to get the oil changed they couldn't get the larger plug back in right. They jammed it in there and it started leaking on his garage floor. This is when my Uncle figured out what the dealer had done. Now he needs a new oil pan to fix the problem.

I know my Toyota dealer would never in a million years do something like this.

I have learned to do my own oil change and I don't have to worry at all. I just double/triple check for drips from the plug, tightness of the oil filter and the oil level before closing the hood.

Just did an oil change last weekend. Now I have to take the old oil to autozone or some recycling facility.

My son who was attending Penn State, came home with the lip of the car hood sporting a bead of oil; I looked under the car and there was oil dripping on my virgin concrete driveway. I then opened the hood and there was oil all over the engine. Then I noticed that the oil filler cap was missing. All this because my son brought the car to WallyMartWorld to change the oil. Some student type, part timer who didn't give a damn. At least he made it home without seizing the engine.

Now my other son with yet another car, brings that car to WallyMartWorld and I look at the dipstick. It is overfilled.

I've showed both boys how to change the oil, but they don't want to do it themsleves. I have found Nirvana in my search for the proper tools to take the filter on and off and I enjoy using them.

This type of error is not limited to "student type, part timer who didn't give a damn." people. Years ago I had a Geo Prizm. I had the dealer do an oil change while other work was being done. On my way home from work the next day, I saw smoke coming from the engine. I popped the hood and found oil everywhere. The technician did not reinstall the oil fill cap. So you see, even factory trained techs making $20 an hour can make the same mistake. That "student type, part timer who didn't give a damn" person is only as good as his training. Everybody makes mistakes.

Bob

Bikeman982

I never take my cars there.

I do my own oil changes.

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