View Full Version : So much for cheap oil changes
I haven't been driving the van because of a bad oil leak. Finally found out the problem. I took it to Walmart for an oil change. They tightened the oil filter to the point of breaking the gasket. So much for a $30 oil.change
Did Walmart cause the problem?
Zundfolge
06-10-2012, 17:19
I just don't trust anyone to change my oil. Seems to me more cars are messed up by idiots at Jiffy Lube (and other cheap places).
I used to work at two different shops and we did a lot of repairs to cars damaged by cheap oil changers.
It's funny this came up today. I usually do all the maintenance on the cars, but my wife decided to run her mercedes to jiffy lube (or one of those quick places...she doesn't remember which one)
I noticed her parking spot had an oil spot where she parks. So I just got it up on the lift and it's leaking from the drain hole....I'm thinking shit, they over tightened and cracked the pan (note that mercedes pulls oil out of the tube for a change and not from the drain plug, I have been doing it this way too for the last 6-7 changes)
Nope, not cracked, just not tightened. It wasn't even finger tight. She was 4 quarts (of 9 total) low in the two weeks since the change.
So her $90 change cost me an hour of cleaning the undercarriage of the car and 4 quarts of Moble 1 synthetic. Thanks buddy for trying to give me a Sunday off , she meant well....
Yea even if I do have a quick change done I always look at it before I leave. Also don't go to Just for brakes, I went once because I was being lazy and the asshats striped 2 out of 5 lugs on each tire on my f150. yea let me say that was a blast to drill out and replace studs and lugs.
Yea even if I do have a quick change done I always look at it before I leave. Also don't go to Just for brakes, I went once because I was being lazy and the asshats striped 2 out of 5 lugs on each tire on my f150. yea let me say that was a blast to drill out and replace studs and lugs.
Oh man. How many bits did that take.
i always do my own. took my old 99 passat in 1 time when i was 19 and had a coupon (same cost as doing it myself so i figured it would save me time).
noticed my hood seemed crooked when i got home. grease monkey was kind enough to leave me an oil filter removal/tightening tool and a new set of work gloves. still using them to this day!
Bailey Guns
06-10-2012, 18:22
My wife has an 05 Outback. She was at 3800 on her last oil change from a little mom/pop store in Conifer.
She called me last week and said her car broke down. I met her, checked the oil and it didn't even show on the dipstick. Never any signs of a leak anywhere on the car. Her fault for not checking it but I find it a little odd that the car (with 123k on it) ran completely out of oil in 3800 miles with no previous history of using/burning oil.
So, the engine is totally seized. $3800 for repairs. Fortunately we found a guy who wants to buy it as is. Saves us a lot of hassle.
The only time that I have ever had a problem with any maintenance on a car is when I let someone else do it. Normally I do everything from engine rebuilds to tire rotation, but the one damn time that I did not have time I took my car to Just Brakes. Turns out they really don't care and will not accept fault when a caliper mounting bolt comes out while driving, causing the rest of the caliper to shear off the steering knuckle causing all kinds of hell. I make time to do all of my own repairs now.
Zundfolge
06-10-2012, 18:48
A couple years ago we sold our 93 Dodge Intrepid to this kid that was using money from a settlement with Jiffy Lube for ruining his hoopty. Kid call's me a couple weeks after he bought the car asking if I ever had problems with the car smoking ... I said no. He said "well I took it to Jiffy Lube for an oil change and now it's smoking". /Facepalm
Half Live
06-10-2012, 19:22
The only time I take my car in is for tire rotations. Only because I don't have a tire balancing machine.
Add Brake Plus to the list as well.
Friendly staff, but below par mechanics.
I needed to put quart of oil every month on my Daewoo (which I just junked last week due to timing belt failure at a hwy36 and 120th).
Yea even if I do have a quick change done I always look at it before I leave. Also don't go to Just for brakes, I went once because I was being lazy and the asshats striped 2 out of 5 lugs on each tire on my f150. yea let me say that was a blast to drill out and replace studs and lugs.
The only time that I have ever had a problem with any maintenance on a car is when I let someone else do it. Normally I do everything from engine rebuilds to tire rotation, but the one damn time that I did not have time I took my car to Just Brakes. Turns out they really don't care and will not accept fault when a caliper mounting bolt comes out while driving, causing the rest of the caliper to shear off the steering knuckle causing all kinds of hell. I make time to do all of my own repairs now.
The only time I take my car in is for tire rotations. Only because I don't have a tire balancing machine.
Since when do you need to balance tires to rotate them?
Oh man. How many bits did that take.
4 carbide bits, a 18v craftsman cordless drill and an air wrench. Nothing made it out alive, shredded the bits and killed the drill and the air wrench.
lead_magnet
06-10-2012, 20:24
Anyone close to Pueblo should go to Solon Nissan. I get mine done there every time (and have for years now) and they've never done me wrong. Plus its nice that they check over all the indicator lights, wiper blades, top off other fluids ect. I just don't have the time or interest to deal with that crap anymore so when the wife goes shopping in Pueblo she stops by and has the car taken care of.
hammer03
06-10-2012, 20:27
A friend of mine took his Subaru to Brakes Plus to have them do an overall safety check, and their lift ended up blowing a hose with his car about chest high. The safety catch kept it from falling on anyone, but it took them 4 hours to get it down with a mid-rise lift, and a few jacks...
He should have known better.
I did an engine oil about 2month ago on my Daewoo.
They said the coupon is good for inspections.
I asked them to do a check on hose, bearing, and belts.
Although they are below par at fixing stuff, they do a decent job to find some stuff to fix. Well, majority of the shops are (to increase revenue for the future).
Making a long story short, I guess they did not inspect the timing belt. :(
Half Live
06-10-2012, 20:35
Since when do you need to balance tires to rotate them?
With the wheels I have, you need the stick on type weights not the clip on ones and they fall off easier.
Hotchef181818
06-10-2012, 22:11
With the wheels I have, you need the stick on type weights not the clip on ones and they fall off easier.
I'm more than mildly amused at this point.
A friend of mine took his Subaru to Brakes Plus to have them do an overall safety check, and their lift ended up blowing a hose with his car about chest high. The safety catch kept it from falling on anyone, but it took them 4 hours to get it down with a mid-rise lift, and a few jacks...
He should have known better.
That has happened to me while under a vehicle fixing it. Not very fun. It does happen though. Not the shops fault.
Well, y'all are making me feel real uneasy. I'm too damn old and fat to get down on the floor and do it myself, and I don't have a lift, so Jiffy Lube or Grease Monkey are my only options.
68Charger
06-11-2012, 10:10
Well, y'all are making me feel real uneasy. I'm too damn old and fat to get down on the floor and do it myself, and I don't have a lift, so Jiffy Lube or Grease Monkey are my only options.
you need friends... [Beer]
changing oil is a piece of cake, always a good opportunity to get under your vehicle & look for something out of place. If the same person does it regularly, they'll spot something that's not normal before it gets worse. A regular mechanic in a small shop is a good choice, too...
funkymonkey1111
06-11-2012, 10:32
Well, y'all are making me feel real uneasy. I'm too damn old and fat to get down on the floor and do it myself, and I don't have a lift, so Jiffy Lube or Grease Monkey are my only options.
dealer? many dealers have pretty competitive and quick changes. for instance, alot of subaru dealers have changes for $22--and are nearly as fast as jiffy lube, but you can likely bet they're putting the right filter on at the right tightness.
i change my own on some of my cars, go to the dealer on others.
DeusExMachina
06-11-2012, 10:34
The dealership charges $30 to change oil. I just take it there because they've caught a few warranty-able problems in the past.
dealer? many dealers have pretty competitive and quick changes. for instance, alot of subaru dealers have changes for $22--and are nearly as fast as jiffy lube, but you can likely bet they're putting the right filter on at the right tightness.
i change my own on some of my cars, go to the dealer on others.
The pm guys are still bottom of the barrel techs though. Dealership does not mean good.
I never take my vehicles to Jiffy Lube- I used to work there in High School and we had a kid fail to put the drain plug back on properly on a 4Runner, it came out on I-25 and seized the engine up (the customer was driving from DTC to WY, I imagine the plug came out before they even got to downtown). I wonder how many settlements JL has had to dole out over the years... Walmart sucks too, my '91 Toyota was smoking from the engine compartment the whole way home after a change when I was in HS and I noticed the hood didn't look right. Pulled over, popped the hood and the idiots forgot to put the oil cap back on! [Bang]
you need friends... [Beer]
changing oil is a piece of cake, always a good opportunity to get under your vehicle & look for something out of place. If the same person does it regularly, they'll spot something that's not normal before it gets worse. A regular mechanic in a small shop is a good choice, too...
Friends would be good.....
I used to change my own oil all the time, actually prefer too. Just can't get down on the floor anymore, might not make it back up.
And there's no Chevy dealer in Parker anymore, thanks to Obama.
Friends would be good.....
I used to change my own oil all the time, actually prefer too. Just can't get down on the floor anymore, might not make it back up.
And there's no Chevy dealer in Parker anymore, thanks to Obama.
i'm a bit north...but you're welcome to my lift anytime
i'm a bit north...but you're welcome to my lift anytime
Thanks! It's funny, I work with a guy that installs 4-post lifts with a buddy of his as a sideline, but do I have a place to put one? Noooooo.
Well, y'all are making me feel real uneasy. I'm too damn old and fat to get down on the floor and do it myself, and I don't have a lift, so Jiffy Lube or Grease Monkey are my only options.
Ron, take it to a trusted auto shop... what happens when something breaks on your car? Take it to them for oil changes... I have a nice deal worked out with my shop (mainly because I'm friends with 1/2 the mechanics and the owner) that I bring my car, the oil, and the filter, and just pay them about $15 for labor to change my oil. Only because I can't do it myself where I live.
yankeefan98121
06-11-2012, 13:33
Sorry to hear everyone's experience with the JL's, BP's of the worlds.
I usually buy my own oil and take it into the dealer, Larry H Miller Nissan, they charge I think last time was 15 dollars +/- a few bucks. Not saying the dealer can't F up cause it's still human error and can happen anytime. I know it's not doing it yourself but for me it's about saving time
Half Live
06-11-2012, 18:33
I'm more than mildly amused at this point.
Why is that?
spongejosh
06-12-2012, 00:20
Why is that?
Rotating tires has nothing to do with balancing or weights. Rotating is just moving the rear wheels to the front and the fronts to the rear. usually in an X pattern unless you have directional tires.
spongejosh
06-12-2012, 00:22
I do my own oil changes but I would take my cars to the dealer or one of the local independent Subaru shops near me if I couldn't do it myself. (I own 2 Subarus)
tmleadr03
06-12-2012, 06:37
4 carbide bits, a 18v craftsman cordless drill and an air wrench. Nothing made it out alive, shredded the bits and killed the drill and the air wrench.
Why did you have to drill them? You take a bfh and smack the old ones out and then an impact gun and pull the new ones in. You have to take the brakes apart but that isn't time consuming like drilling.
Why did you have to drill them? You take a bfh and smack the old ones out and then an impact gun and pull the new ones in. You have to take the brakes apart but that isn't time consuming like drilling.
Well where the hell where you man! Hind site is 20/20 and I'm not a mechanic and don't have access to a BFH, btw what is a BFH.
yankeefan98121
06-12-2012, 07:23
bfh = big fucking hammer?
Yea I think thats it, but I tried that with a smaller socket but the way my rims are you can't get any leverage to snap the studs because how narrow and deep they are, and I didn't want to damage my rim (not stock).
tmleadr03
06-12-2012, 07:28
bfh = big fucking hammer?
Exactly, I use a 4 lb sledge. One hit and wheel stud pops out.
tmleadr03
06-12-2012, 07:31
Yea I think thats it, but I tried that with a smaller socket but the way my rims are you can't get any leverage to snap the studs because how narrow and deep they are, and I didn't want to damage my rim (not stock).
Wow, they really buggered it up didn't they? Made it so the lug nuts wouldn't spin off at all?
Wow, they really buggered it up didn't they? Made it so the lug nuts wouldn't spin off at all?
Yea it just spun but no travel. Guess thats what I get for being lazy on brake changes.
I won't metion why I won't lend out a torque wrench anymore, lets just say it involves a buddy, a broken torque wrench and Aluminum heads on my F150.
I've had countless issues with fast lube joints, been years since any of them have touched my vehicles. Best one to date was when reputable shop here in town did a tranny flush. They hooked the machine to the engine cooler line and flushed and filled the engine with tranny fluid.....
..................WTF.[Rant1]
funkymonkey1111
06-12-2012, 09:36
Yea even if I do have a quick change done I always look at it before I leave. Also don't go to Just for brakes, I went once because I was being lazy and the asshats striped 2 out of 5 lugs on each tire on my f150. yea let me say that was a blast to drill out and replace studs and lugs.
Discount Tire broke one of my lugs once and called a shop they contracted with and told them i was coming right over. the shop had the lug replaced in just a few minutes. That's how something like that should be handled
Why did you have to drill them? You take a bfh and smack the old ones out and then an impact gun and pull the new ones in. You have to take the brakes apart but that isn't time consuming like drilling.
I had to do that once on a buddy's Ford van in a state park campground in OK. They left the house knowing he had two studs broken off, and when he checked again at the campground, another was gone and he only had two lugnuts holding the wheel on. Called me to come help. At least he'd already bought five new studs and nuts, I just had to stop by his house and get them. It was a lot of work, but easier than I expected.
But that's exactly what I did, drove the old ones out, lubed the new ones with anti-sieze, and pulled them in with an impact. Can't say that the other folks in the campground were too pleased with all the racket though.
Discount Tire broke one of my lugs once and called a shop they contracted with and told them i was coming right over. the shop had the lug replaced in just a few minutes. That's how something like that should be handled
It was a year and a half later when I noticed, I went to upgrade rotors and had a happy surprise.
funkymonkey1111
06-12-2012, 13:06
It was a year and a half later when I noticed.
holy moly!
tmleadr03
06-12-2012, 15:34
Yea it just spun but no travel. Guess thats what I get for being lazy on brake changes.
I won't metion why I won't lend out a torque wrench anymore, lets just say it involves a buddy, a broken torque wrench and Aluminum heads on my F150.
I have seen a few like that. I would hit it with the impact gun and spin it hoping it would finally catch when the metal expanded a bit. Some times it works, sometimes I would bust out the air hammer with a chisel bit. When it is buggered like that it can be a bastard of a job.
AirbornePathogen
06-12-2012, 20:14
Since when do you need to balance tires to rotate them?
It never hurts. Tire/wheel balance changes as tires wear, it doesn't hurt to re-balance tires when you rotate them.
You hit the nail on the head, I do my own oil changes, air filters, wiper blades, etc. I went to a local garage and they told me that I didn't have any zerk fittings to grease so while the truck was on the rack I showed them the zerk fittings. It's the last time I took my truck there.
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