Air filter improperly installed at Walmart...

[ARCOgraphite]

Most of the time auto service done anywhere but by myself at home is done wrong or terribly wrong.
This includes "prestigious" dealers. There are a couple good master mechanics around. Just a couple. There rest seem to be early release inmates, druggies, alcoholics, and morons. I do give a pass to apprentices, but I have always double checked their work.

Like, "Now you got the heads and IM back on, did you reconnect the body-to-engine ground strap?"

I had an OC at a Jiffy Lube. They wanted to service the air filter and I said no. Drove home, heard some intake noise, open the hood and low and behold the filter was just tossed under the hood on top of the engine and the airbox was unlatched and open. You bet I drove right back there. The stooges in the garage tried to gang up and intimidate me. After some discussion, The "manager" gave me a coupon for a free OC. But no apology and no, "Ill talk with the guys and makes sure this doesnt happen again "

Never went back to a quick lube joint ever again. I think that was 1995.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Most of the time auto service done anywhere but by myself at home is done wrong or terribly wrong.
This includes "prestigious" dealers. There are a couple good master mechanics around. Just a couple. There rest seem to be early release inmates, druggies, alcoholics, and morons. I do give a pass to apprentices, but I have always double checked their work.

Like, "Now you got the heads and IM back on, did you reconnect the body-to-engine ground strap?"

I had an OC at a Jiffy Lube. They wanted to service the air filter and I said no. Drove home, heard some intake noise, open the hood and low and behold the filter was just tossed under the hood on top of the engine and the airbox was unlatched and open. You bet I drove right back there. The stooges in the garage tried to gang up and intimidate me. After some discussion, The "manager" gave me a coupon for a free OC. But no apology and no, "Ill talk with the guys and makes sure this doesnt happen again "

Never went back to a quick lube joint ever again. I think that was 1995.


I'm surprised you didn't sock the guy... that's bad, like 2nd level bad.

My buddy who's a GM master tech owns his own shop, operates it on his own property in an outbuilding he put up when he decided to go into business himself. He left a GM dealership years ago because of the BS. You'd be surprised some of the stuff they try and get away with, for a dealership no less. So yeah, just because you're going to a dealership offers no guarantee you won't/can't get screwed.

 

[dogememe]

I went to Valvoline for my most recent oil change because I was super busy (unfortunately no UOA, they refused to collect a sample), but I told them that I only wanted an oil change and please not to touch or check anything else. The guy relayed that info to the other people working on my car and everything was fine.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by Kira
When contemporaries graduated auto tech school there were more small, local garages and dealerships to employ them than there are today.

I wonder (doubt?) if WM even hires one or two.


When you have a business that works as hard as Wally's does to keep their wages low, you have trouble retaining talent and those that do hang around are generally working just hard enough not to be fired. In some respects, WM's a victim of their own business model.




Would you say the same thing about Macy's? Target? Fast food places?

Saying that Wally's is being a victim of their own business model is laughable. They are extremely successful. Have you checked wages at the other retail stores?

It's funny that people won't shop at Walmart because everything is from China yet they will gladly spend a buck more somewhere else for the exact same China sourced product that has a different tag or brand name.

 

[eljefino]

When I worked at a tire shop they made us check air filters as part of the 94 point scrounging-for-more-work courtesy check.

I took this more seriously than most, unscrewing 7 torx fasteners to see inside chevy cobalt intakes for example.

Many boxes arrived with missing clamps or stripped screws, and we didn't have the budget to fix these-- we didn't have a contingency junk drawer. So I carefully reassembled as-found.

I was paid minimum wage plus $7/hr flat rate-- the courtesy check had no time flagged for it.

The system is set up to suck. I would insist on zero courtesy check when you show up: the tech will thank you, the writer will be like, whatever.

 

[AZjeff]

Originally Posted by atikovi

Around here the min wage is $12.50 going on $13 in July. Don't know it that means higher or lower quality employees.


What it means is your cost of living is a lot higher than say Oklahoma. Minimum wage employees are what they are.

Complaining about bad service at a Walmart should earn a head slap. Allowing them to install an air cleaner should be a written warning and a head slap. There has to be someplace else nearby with a better rep than WM.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by dogememe
I went to Valvoline for my most recent oil change because I was super busy (unfortunately no UOA, they refused to collect a sample), but I told them that I only wanted an oil change and please not to touch or check anything else. The guy relayed that info to the other people working on my car and everything was fine.


My point exactly. Someone who had a good experience... and you know you got quality fluids, which is more than one can say about some of these other places. I use MaxLife for my PSF and ATF and it works like a charm. And doesn't Valvoline mfg Zerex for coolant???

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I did that once at the Valvoline next to the Jiffy. they checked tires anyway and tossed the valve stem caps into the grease pit.

Another return trip with a tongue lashing.

Better to leave the oil in longer than bring it to a quickie - maybe

You might get a good guy doing the job. Its a coin toss.

 

[Donald]

I had my oil changed at a quick oil change place years ago as it was cold and snowy and oil needed to be changed. They pulled the air filter to check it and in doing so, pushed they damaged air mass sensor. Refused to admit what they did. It was a $500 lesson.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by Kira
When contemporaries graduated auto tech school there were more small, local garages and dealerships to employ them than there are today.

I wonder (doubt?) if WM even hires one or two.


When you have a business that works as hard as Wally's does to keep their wages low, you have trouble retaining talent and those that do hang around are generally working just hard enough not to be fired. In some respects, WM's a victim of their own business model.




Would you say the same thing about Macy's? Target? Fast food places?

Saying that Wally's is being a victim of their own business model is laughable. They are extremely successful. Have you checked wages at the other retail stores?

It's funny that people won't shop at Walmart because everything is from China yet they will gladly spend a buck more somewhere else for the exact same China sourced product that has a different tag or brand name.


No, I wouldn't say the same thing about Target or Macy's because Target and Macy's don't offer automotive services. So, apparently you missed the point. I'm not saying Wally's ain't profitable, they are. But profitability isn't necessarily an indication of consumer regard. You can be profitable and still have a crappy reputation, just look at Dollar General/Stores. I wouldn't go so far as to say they're regarded highly when it comes to their customer service or product quality but they are profitable - no arguing that.

And it sounds like you assumed just because I wasn't kind to Wally's automotive services, that I didn't shop there. Sure I do... I buy all kinds of stuff from Wally's but I'm going there to save money not because their customer service is world class.

Point is, Wally's has a poor reputation in the automotive services industry because they don't exactly pay stellar wages, in return they have trouble keeping top talent and what you're left with, outside of the rare gem, are mediocre techs providing hit or miss service. That's what I mean by a victim of their own business model...

 

[talest]

Originally Posted by philipp10
Originally Posted by vw7674
There is really nothing 'simple' about an oil change.
Might be the reason BITOG exists. Brand choice, weight choice, filter choice. Interval choice.

yes, it's practically like sending a rocket to the moon...so difficult


If rockets ever went to the moon

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Donald
I had my oil changed at a quick oil change place years ago as it was cold and snowy and oil needed to be changed. They pulled the air filter to check it and in doing so, pushed they damaged air mass sensor. Refused to admit what they did. It was a $500 lesson.


How did they manage to do that? On my car you would actually need to go out of your way to damage the MAF. I mean I'm careful handling it when I clean it but it's not like something I could "accidentally" jam my fingers into. I'd have to be drunk to do that. Lol ...‚

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by Donald
I had my oil changed at a quick oil change place years ago as it was cold and snowy and oil needed to be changed. They pulled the air filter to check it and in doing so, pushed they damaged air mass sensor. Refused to admit what they did. It was a $500 lesson.


How did they manage to do that? On my car you would actually need to go out of your way to damage the MAF. I mean I'm careful handling it when I clean it but it's not like something I could "accidentally" jam my fingers into. I'd have to be drunk to do that. Lol ...‚


As I remember it looked like they used a screwdriver to pop a hose off and that slipped into the hose pushing the screen into MAF. 1988 Volvo 940 turbo (I think). Was 10 to 15 years ago.

 

[dogememe]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by dogememe
I went to Valvoline for my most recent oil change because I was super busy (unfortunately no UOA, they refused to collect a sample), but I told them that I only wanted an oil change and please not to touch or check anything else. The guy relayed that info to the other people working on my car and everything was fine.


My point exactly. Someone who had a good experience... and you know you got quality fluids, which is more than one can say about some of these other places. I use MaxLife for my PSF and ATF and it works like a charm. And doesn't Valvoline mfg Zerex for coolant???

Yeah, I have been there a few times with various vehicles and never had any problems or been upsold anything. I'd rather save money and do it myself but sometimes that isn't a convenient option so I take it there. And yes Zerex is made by Valvoline.

 

[Malo83]

Common sense would tell you to look under the hood and do a check after having any maintenance done at a quik lube joint.

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by dogememe
I went to Valvoline for my most recent oil change because I was super busy (unfortunately no UOA, they refused to collect a sample), but I told them that I only wanted an oil change and please not to touch or check anything else. The guy relayed that info to the other people working on my car and everything was fine.


My point exactly. Someone who had a good experience... and you know you got quality fluids, which is more than one can say about some of these other places. I use MaxLife for my PSF and ATF and it works like a charm. And doesn't Valvoline mfg Zerex for coolant???

Problem is that there is a big turnover of employees and getting the same guy with common sense to do your next service likely will not happen. An oil change is only as good as the gut\y performing it.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Malo83
Common sense would tell you to look under the hood and do a check after having any maintenance done at a quik lube joint.

The whole point of going to a quick lube joint is that you're feeling lazy and don't want to or can't do it yourself so why would you bother to open the hood afterwards? I seem to recall going to them in the past and people just drive off afterwards without opening the hood. Don't think I ever saw anyone open the hood after leaving one of those places. For that matter, they don't do that at dealerships either.

 

[Eddie]

I have a good Walmart service center. I watched them service vehicles while I was getting new tires. The service folks in the garage have been there for the 15 years I've been going there. They use torque wrenches and set them. They hand tighten oil filters and wipe clean oil dran plugs with shop rages. Ed

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Eddie
I have a good Walmart service center. I watched them service vehicles while I was getting new tires. The service folks in the garage have been there for the 15 years I've been going there. They use torque wrenches and set them. They hand tighten oil filters and wipe clean oil dran plugs with shop rages. Ed


+1ðŸ‘

Sounds like you have a little gem of a service center right there. Like someone previously said, at the end of the day no matter where you go, the service is only going to be as good as the person doing it.

 

[GMBoy]

I car I service regularly was out if town and the girl needed and oil change and just had it done out of town. She hated to because only I touch her car but on the same note she did not want to drive over the oil due time. So, I get that and was proud of her that she took time on vacation to get the oil changed. Bad thing was, the very next day on her way back to Texas the check engine light came on. She drove right to me and she had a lean engine code - the oil change shop had cross threaded and had the oil fill cap on loose and cocked. Properly installed the oil cap, cleared the code and all good again. That was inexcusable shoddy work. She was very upset and called the place - they offered a free next oil change lol - sure let's drive 650 miles for a free shoddy oil change.