Another reason to avoid quicky lube places.

Status
Not open for further replies.
CKN said:
Nope not at all. The local "quickie place" here is packed all the time. It's a "Grease Money". I am betting they do 100's of cars a week. Here on on local community Facebook page-people are REAL QUICK to complain. And there hasn't been a one...not a one since they have opened three years ago. It's the same with new car dealers. They do 100's of cars a week. Yeah they make mistakes-just like people posting on here on how to thread a plug they stripped out. But the thing is there are not many mistakes, And when they are that's what they have insurance for.

I had a a half dozen oil changes at Chevrolet dealers literally all across the country...not a single issue.

But posts on here have to show up...to give each "atta boys" to each other for laying in the drive way under your car and to justify that 150 quart stash.
Click to expand...
Have you actually worked in this field with a real career in it?
I tend to doubt that. You havent seen what insiders have.
 
We have a Mobil 1 Express that I have used a few times. The husband runs the shop floor and the wife runs the inside of the place. Both are very polite and knowledgeable. They did the same thing from an old gas station before building this nicer place with a franchise. They have 4 bays with one doing Cooper tires. In addition to Mobil products they keep a few popular brands … and are next to a name brand parts house which can come in handy for all.
Nothing wrong with this place.
 
OilReport99 said:
They’re quick, so I avoid them. My typical OC takes some more time than they’re willing to spend.

Funnel, oil, rugs and oil-collection-pan is all I need.
Click to expand...

I’d say that and the modest cost savings are the practical reasons for do it yourself.

I used to let the oil drain for 45 minutes while I went jogging. Those last few drops of crud came out. That was probably an advantage over a commercial change.

My supposed infallibility was not an advantage.
 
JC1 said:
While it's draining he's checking his cell phone??? Just guessing.
Click to expand...
Yes that often was the case where I worked people on their phone not paying attention. Once we had someone come in for a top off and we pulled the dipstick out and there was no oil and look underneath and the guy is standing there on his phone with the oil plug out so we had to eat an oil change our boss was angry as heck. Then that guy got manager at the location across town and we were all angry.
 
4WD said:
We have a Mobil 1 Express that I have used a few times. The husband runs the shop floor and the wife runs the inside of the place. Both are very polite and knowledgeable. They did the same thing from an old gas station before building this nicer place with a franchise. They have 4 bays with one doing Cooper tires. In addition to Mobil products they keep a few popular brands … and are next to a name brand parts house which can come in handy for all.
Nothing
Click to expand...
I agree that there are good places out there. Obviously this couple has a vested intrest in their own business. This place isnt owed by a huge corporation. They are a single owner franchise, and propably have worked tirelessly to achieve this goal, unfortunately they are in the minority, most chain franchises are corporate owned or investor owed where profitability is the main metric.
 
I don't change my own oil for any cost savings; I use Amsoil SS and Amsoil filters, which are NOT on "sale or rebates." It has to do with care of/for my vehicles. Really, I think the average 17-18 yr. old high school kid could use his/her dad's tools (and watch Youtube videos if necessary) and figure things out just fine. Double support the vehicle (Jack AND Stands). Don't strip, cross thread or overtighten the drain plug (I use a six point socket to loosen, then restart it by hand and torque wrench tight). Make sure the gasket comes off with the old filter, lube the gasket on the new one, hand tighten it snugly, put oil back in the car, start it up, wait a few minutes and check for leaks, etc. It's not rocket science, everything done is really basic; it's just that since oil is the most important fluid in the car, the few things that could be screwed up have the potential to cost an engine, and I don't want some minimum wage (or nearly minimum) careless ogre anywhere near being under my hood, and stay the XXXX away from my wife's car. BTW, my wife knows I have jacked the car up, drained the oil, then come in the house on a Friday night and let the oil drain until Saturday am. I do not expect an hourly wage worker at any rate to care as much as I do about my vehicles.
 
JC1 said:
While it's draining he's checking his cell phone??? Just guessing.
Click to expand...
Yea I had a tech like that, I had to tell him to get off his phone 5 or 6 times a day, I finally had to write him up and told him to keep his phone in his truck, I gave him a final warning and told him he would be fired the next time I saw him on the phone. He was a good kid, but made a ton of mistakes, after I got him off the phone his work got better and mistakes went way down. Go figure 🤔
 
jimbrewer said:
I’d say that and the modest cost savings are the practical reasons for do it yourself.

I used to let the oil drain for 45 minutes while I went jogging. Those last few drops of crud came out. That was probably an advantage over a commercial change.

My supposed infallibility was not an advantage.
Click to expand...
Also , I enjoy doing OCs.
 
On the positive side I remember a Grease Monkey franchise I took the Olds Cutlass to soon after I moved to Denver and had not located a good shop. They checked and advised me they did not have the proper oil filter in stock. I drove to Walmart, got the filter, and they took the cost off what they charged me for the change. I made sure to go to that same location for my next change.
 
I’ll never forget while I was in high school working at one of these paces. Pure hell. They put you in that pit and you‘re just dumping oil on yourself all day long.

We double gasketed a BMW oil filter one day (wasn’t me, thank god), and I’m standing there looking in the waiting room, thinking...that’s funny, why is this guy back? We changed his oil ten minutes ago.

And he’s crying while he’s screaming on the top of his lungs.

So I walk out there and this guy is dressed in a suit...he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his oily oil filter, holds it up in the air (oil is dripping all into his suit) and says, “and THIS fell off my car!!!”. Boom. We had to buy him a new engine ($8,000 bucks at the time).

They fired everyone...manager, shift manager, some techs. Here I am a junior in high school and I’m the only one left. The most experienced person at the quick lube place the following week was a 16 year old kid who hated working there. Haha.
 
We bought our 2017 4runner used in 2018 and it's running good but stories like this make me a little nervous. Someone out there may get a good deal on a 2018 4runner that's running great.......if that lady decides to play it safe.
 
I have only used quick lube places maybe 4 times for my personal vehicles my whole life, with 2 of those instances being free Toyota dealer changes. Every time I would pop the hood right there in the parking lot and check the oil. Then I'd start it and watch for leaks. I had a bad feeling every time, mainly because of all the stories I've heard. The upsell tactics from the non-dealer changes didn't help matters. I had a Chevy with Dex-cool and they brought that tray out with green coolant on it telling me it looked bad and needed replacement. Fun stuff.

At my previous job I had a company car and had to use a quick lube for oil changes. I heard good things about the local Grease Monkey, so I used them. Those guys let me watch the entire oil change and chatted with me the whole time. When we bought my wife's F150, it had a full history of oil changes with that same Grease Monkey, which I liked to see. Some places are good, some bad.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
Where to take a Mercedes for an oil change when no MB dealer is nearby?
2
Replies
38
Views
1K
GON
MetalSlug
Another reason to do oil change yourself.
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
raaizin
Hohn
Driving techniques to minimize cold start/short trip wear--what do you think?
2 3
Replies
57
Views
2K
IndyIan
ls1mike
126,000 miles in a 2015 Malibu.
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
ls1mike
W
Oil changing questions I should have known by now but don't
Replies
16
Views
965
50yr Street Mech
Back
Top Bottom