Wife's Oil Change Experience

[mightymulhern]

Here’s a story for you all…

I decided it was just way too cold outside to change the oil in my wife's car right now and just told her to stop somewhere and have it done while she was out doing some errands. Now fortunately, my wife is pretty sharp.

She goes into the "Duke of Oil" (Mt. Prospect, IL) and goes to wait in the waiting room. One of the technicians comes out with the white paper card showing a red blob of fluid next to a brown blob of fluid and proceeds to attempt to sell her a transmission fluid exchange.

Now I think we’ve all encountered one of these “offers” at some point in our lives… but the point here is that my wife’s car is a 5-spd. The brown blob was synchromesh, which roughly correlates to 5w30. The red blob was ATF. My wife pointed out that the car was a 5-spd and the guy still didn’t get it. Anyway, she declined the service.

Now I can imagine though that a lot of people probably have no idea what fluid goes in their trans and based on this experience, I’d say the “Duke of Oil” is going to find themselves on the wrong end of a lawsuit when they destroy someone’s transmission some day. All I can say is YIKES!!!!

[Ondonti]

from what ive heard happens at some west coas jiffy lubes, they would probably not changed your fluid anyways, they just ask you so they can charge you more. hopefully they actually put on a new filter etc.

[DustyR/T]

No offense to women, but I think they feel uneducated around the realm of automobiles so they are subjected to all kinds of suggestions to do change this and that or they will "kill someone driving down the road", or something along those lines. IMHO, lube shops, tranny shops, and tire shops especially are the most unethical business people to exist. If I were to send my girlfriend to a shop, I would have her call me on the dime should any "tech" or mechanic tell her she "needs" something else or the vehicle won't be able to be mobile. This happened to me once when I was VERY uneducated around automobiles. A tire shop broke 2 studs using an impact gun and wanted to charge me $80 more or they said it was against their policy to let me leave. They said if I get in an accident w/ 3 studs, THEY could be held liable and thus could not let me leave unless I let them change the 2 studs which I know now takes 10 minutes MAX with a lift and air tools, and an inexperienced mechanic. 5 if you're decent. It sickens me that they take advantage of women, white collar men, and elderly people without any consideration to their budget or if they really need the service/parts. Just my .02

[black86glhs]

I agree. That is why I don't do it for a living anymore. Got so tired of seeing unethical people making a killing while I got my ass chewed for making a small and honest mistake.

[87TurboII]

I know exactly what you mean, i used to work at a dealership, and seen all kinds of stuff. Example, A lady took her car in to get a basic oil change and she walked back to see what was taking so long and all the wheels were off and a few other things just trying to find something wrong so they could charge her for it. She threatend to sue and I've only seen tires go back on faster at a nascar pit stop. I never take my cars to get serviced because of what i've seen. I do all my own work ever since.

[mightymulhern]

You know... your garage fills up with tools, your job sucks up all your time, the weather is awful, and you decide that once in a while, you won't do something as mundane as changing your oil yourself... and what do you get? You pay more for someone to try to swindle your wife into paying even more to destroy her transmission.

I'm a consultant by trade doing data migration work and we live and die by doing a good job and being able to get referrals from prior clients. We're specialists, we do good work, we aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for. You hire us and you get an honest job done right. I guess I expect the same from services I get from other companies. Sadly, I'm often disappointed.

I think what burns me up the most on this one is that my wife was second-guessing herself. She was thinking, “it’s 5 degrees outside with a –20 wind chill, I don’t want him to have to do anything else”. …. So she’s pretty sure that nothing needs to be done, and probably 75% sure that what she’s getting is a line of BS, but when she comes home and talks to me, there is doubt in her face and she’s wondering if she has somehow done something wrong by NOT taking the advice of the moron who was advising her.

Even worse, if she told me she had her trans fluid replaced, I wouldn’t have thought much of it. I’d have been annoyed because I did it myself not too long ago and it’s not due for another replacements for quite awhile, but I would have assumed that the place would have been able to tell and automatic from a manual and made the proper decision on what to put in. …And most likely I’d have been the one replacing the trans when if blew. GRRR.

I guess I’m just forced to wonder why someone can’t just run a clean business and provide basic service for a fair price. Yes I’m aware that paying someone for an oil change is going to cost more than doing it myself. ...But sometimes in life, we’re willing to pay for the privilege of not having to DIY. At that point though, I expect the person doing it to know at a minimum, the basics of auto mechanics. I mean come on… I’m a computer guy who works on cars. I’m not an expert, but I’ve swapped engines, changed fluids, replaced transmissions, etc… If you can bolt it on, I can probably do it. At a minimum someone who I pay to work on my car should know ATF from motor oil. Wouldn’t you expect the guy who actually works on cars for a living to have some sort of a clue? …Apparently that’s too much to ask.

[DustyR/T]

dead on mulhern.

[2.216vturbo]

I have a handful of TD's and a non TD daily driver Passat 1.8T. I've always changed the oil myself until a couple weeks ago when I was running late, was overdue for an oil change and had to drive several hundred miles the next day. So I pulled it into a Jiffy Lube. I went ahead with the Mobil 1 option because I've always used synthetic, Sign me up for a $75.99 worth of oil change Five minutes in the waiting room a tech come in with the 'cabin air dust filter' it's located underhood behind the firewall and its a charcoal filter so even when new, it's black and sooty looking. Factory says every 30K miles and I'd changed it twice by about 85K miles. The tech could have (should have) been an actor, he brings the filter in holding it like it's a venomous reptile. He has it at arms length and is acting like he is afraid to touch it. He giving me his best 'I'm so grossed out' impression when he points out how "dirty" it is. Now keep in mind I didn't ask them (or authorise them for that matter) to pull out the plastic panel then remove the cover for the box that houses the filter, but here they have it and they are offering to change it for only $49.95 for me No thanks I tell him, he just shakes his head like I am a fool to pass up servicing such a critical item. Five minutes later another tech comes in to ask if my fuel system has ever been flushed cause 'you know, it is hurting the performance and milage if you haven't' Hmm, for only $60. they are offering a complete system flush and injector service. In a concerned voice I ask him if it cleans out the fuel tank too, he says it does I declined that service too and this guy gives me a big sigh with "OK, it's your car"... and walks back out. Five more minutes and I figure they are coming in to tell me it's ready but no way, it's the manager this time informing me that there is NO COOLANT in my car. Someone has put all water in your motor, "it's not even a little bit green" he says then he gives me the rundown on all the problems this can cause, heck he even through water pump bearing failure on the list for good measure. For a half a second I consdered telling him that Audi's and Volkswagons run G12 coolant that is pink not green but instead I bite my tounge and decline the service while accepting all the shame for the punishement I am bestowing on my poor car

These guys are pros at not just upselling your service from an oil change to much much more but making the average Joe (or Joelene) feel like they are not taking good care of their car if they don't give in to the offers for additional services. I think that's probably going to be my last trip to Jiffy Lube. Oh yeah, a week later my undercar belly pan started dragging because the skilled technition didn't tighten or even put back the two rear 1/4 turn fasteners. Sweet, thanks Jiffy Lube

Alan

[Ondonti]

wow you are very polite lol.

[turbovanman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mightymulhern Now I think we’ve all encountered one of these “offers” at some point in our lives… but the point here is that my wife’s car is a 5-spd. The brown blob was synchromesh, which roughly correlates to 5w30. The red blob was ATF. My wife pointed out that the car was a 5-spd and the guy still didn’t get it. Anyway, she declined the service. Now I can imagine though that a lot of people probably have no idea what fluid goes in their trans and based on this experience, I’d say the “Duke of Oil” is going to find themselves on the wrong end of a lawsuit when they destroy someone’s transmission some day. All I can say is YIKES!!!!

Your missing the point, there not putting the wrong oil in, there showing her that the colour is wrong-its dirty, hence is needs changing.

[black86glhs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbovanman Your missing the point, there not putting the wrong oil in, there showing her that the colour is wrong-its dirty, hence is needs changing.

Damn Simon....you could sell ice to an Eskimo!!! LOL
Guys, they rely on the fact that people are ignorant to what fluids their cars take. On a daily driver....you don't need to do any flushes "once a year". I do trans fluid at 30k-50k(depending on how hard I beat on it), coolant flush depends on which coolant(still no less than 2 years), engine flush...never!
Pulled apart my LT1 with 108k on it and it didn't have any buildup on it anywhere.....key to it is oil changes. I've never had a vehicle that had any mileage(over 30k) that developed a fuel system problem that a system flush would fix(once in a blue moon an injector cleaning helped). I haven't seen everything(and never will), but you get a feel for things.
Also remember, these places drop their prices so low on items just to get you in, that they need to sell the other services to make real money. Its not what it costs you($75.99 for mobil 1), it is how much overhead the place has. If all they did was just change oil, they wouldn't make the treasure chest of money that they do.

Bryan

[looneytuner]

This is a true story of the
"SIXTH GRADE TEACHER"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You all remember the hell you gave the teacher in the sixth grade??? Your hormones are flowing, you discover girls, etc. Well my sister TAUGHT sixth grade. She knew how to reduce the boys to whimpering idiots that never got out of line again. When her son came home with a hickey one night, she waited till she saw his girlfriend and told her, "You know I make him strip when he comes home and check every inch for damage." (end of hickeys)


Now to the car story. After 100,000 miles of oil changes at the dealership, the service writer comes in with a messed up drain plug and says she needs a new oil pan. She proceeds to explain that her car has only been touched by the mechanics there and if something is messed up he better figure out how to repair it for free before he experiences the wrath of the "SIXTH GRADE TEACHER"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fifteen minutes later he brings her the receipt for a free oil change and drain plug replacement.

If you want more horror stories of "THE SIXTH GRADE TEACHER" pm me.

[93sundance]

I work at a quick lube type of place called Express Care. I am always shaking my head at the things customers get talked into having done. Such as engine flushes. I think that is a big waste of money. I think engine flushes do more harm than good. I often see them being done on newer vehicles. I can't figure out why someone with a 2-3 year old vehicle with hardly any mileage would want to do an engine flush.

[c2xejk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mightymulhern Here’s a story for you all… I decided it was just way too cold outside to change the oil in my wife's car right now and just told her to stop somewhere and have it done while she was out doing some errands. Now fortunately, my wife is pretty sharp. She goes into the "Duke of Oil" (Mt. Prospect, IL) and goes to wait in the waiting room. One of the technicians comes out with the white paper card showing a red blob of fluid next to a brown blob of fluid and proceeds to attempt to sell her a transmission fluid exchange. Now I think we’ve all encountered one of these “offers” at some point in our lives… but the point here is that my wife’s car is a 5-spd. The brown blob was synchromesh, which roughly correlates to 5w30. The red blob was ATF. My wife pointed out that the car was a 5-spd and the guy still didn’t get it. Anyway, she declined the service. Now I can imagine though that a lot of people probably have no idea what fluid goes in their trans and based on this experience, I’d say the “Duke of Oil” is going to find themselves on the wrong end of a lawsuit when they destroy someone’s transmission some day. All I can say is YIKES!!!!

My guess is, if they are not out of business already, they probably won't...

Many many years ago on a sub-zero day I took my car in for an oil change... And like your wife, they did the same sales job on me for a trans fluid change. I told the guy the only way I would let them change the fluid is if he could tell me the correct fill for the trans..

Without hesitating the guy said "ATF"... BZZZ, wrong answer. Short debate happened followed by the guy asking the tech what kind of fluid was currently in the trans... "looks like motor oil"... The sales guy was looking even more puzzled...

To give the guy a little credit, Chrysler and other car makers did put ATF in the manual trans cars for a little while... Like you, I still expect them to know what should go in to give an accurate comparison...

She did the right thing by turning them down... These days, if I need an oil change done, I take it to a local dealership I trust.

Mike, you might want swap the oil filter as soon as you can... Years ago, Fram was looking at making a filter specifically for the quick change places. Their regular filter was too expensive... To me, that says volumes about the quick change places...

[dodgeshadowchik]

i, too, have taken my car to a quick oil change place since i didn't want to change my oil in the cold. i also will never go back, as they were so kind enough to stip my oil pan out. (i have a neon with those aluminium oil pans.) of course, they wouldn't take responsiblity for it either. :/