Anyone NOT have a problem with Jiffy Lube type places?

Originally Posted by 2000Trooper
What you have to understand is that changing oil and rotating tires takes minimal skill so the guys doing this kind of work are often minimum wage workers, maybe $1-2 above minimum wage. These guys are typically fresh, with no experience and might eventually move up in the automotive repair world, but remember they have no experience at this point and are often young, or they've been at this for like 7 years and quite frankly are as dumb as a rock.


Around here it's minimum wage. Guy didn't seem to know much, he rented an apartment from me. He didn't last that long, the couple broke up. I thought he was an aspiring mechanic or something but it was just a job to him.
 
Changed the oil in my neighbor's 2015 Tahoe recently. He had taken it to VIOC (Valvoline Instant Oil Change) in the past. Oil drain plug was on so tight I needed a breaker bar and 1/2' drive to get it off. Oil filter not much better. In the middle of cranking down on the drain plug I was asking myself what bad thing could possibly happen next? No good deed goes unpunished.
 
Last edited:
Its fine, as long as he checks the oil and filter before the car goes in and after the oil and filter is changed to make sure it was changed.
Never accept upsells, always get the lowest price product because chances are pretty good that no matter what you pay you may be getting the cheapest anyway.

Also I would try different places from time to time and not go to the same one every time , unless as I posted above you check and make sure the oil and filter was changed.
 
Last edited:
In New Orleans there's 1 quick Valvoline center in the city, 1 Jiffy Lube in the burbs, and several 5 minute oil change on every corner that features Mobil 1 as its synthetic offering. Without a coupon I believe they are all within 10 bucks of each other.

They won't be changing any other fluids.

I was initially intending to get all maintenance done at the Honda dealership but the idea of sitting hours in a waiting area (especially w COVID) didn't seem too appealing.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by NHBFAN
Asking for a friend who's older and can't change the oil himself.


This. I'm 76 and I've been luckier than a lot of folks I still have the health I can still change my own oil and do know a few people that just aren't able too. Then again I know more people that are just to lazy too!
 
I drove company cars for over 30 years averaging 45-60K a year. Because of my job I was always too busy to use anything else other than Jiffy lube or other quick lube places and I was not allowed to do it myself. The only issues I had was the up selling. I would just tell them to call my fleet management company and they would drop the up sell.
 
I used to take 2 different company cars to my local Jiffy Lube. It was very well run. They got to know me and treated me very well. Always did a good job. I think it depends on the management. These guys made sure everybody was trained. You could tell when there was a new guy because they watched him like a hawk.
 
I don't know how large the chain is but locally in North Alabama we have several "Express Oil Change" places. While I don't care for their prices, they do good work. They keep up the fleet at my work and I've had to use them a couple times. And if you have a specific filter you prefer, they don't mind putting it on for you.
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Originally Posted by NHBFAN
Asking for a friend who's older and can't change the oil himself.


This. I'm 76 and I've been luckier than a lot of folks I still have the health I can still change my own oil and do know a few people that just aren't able too. Then again I know more people that are just to lazy too!


Sounds like you're getting along fine.

There's a lazy component there for me too
frown.gif


I use to machine polish and wax my vehicles several times a year. Now it's mostly scratch and swirl automatic washes with Turtle Wax Ice spray wax wipe downs.

As far as dealerships, I've spend too many days off waiting hours in their waiting areas for a simple oil change.

Literally spent 5 hours on a Saturday at a Toyota dealership waiting for an oil change … life is too short
smile.gif


The only upside for me getting older pertaining to vehicles is my annual mileage is a fraction of what it once was.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by NHBFAN
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Originally Posted by NHBFAN
Asking for a friend who's older and can't change the oil himself.


This. I'm 76 and I've been luckier than a lot of folks I still have the health I can still change my own oil and do know a few people that just aren't able too. Then again I know more people that are just to lazy too!


Sounds like you're getting along fine.

There's a lazy component there for me too
frown.gif




Literally spent 5 hours on a Saturday at a Toyota dealership waiting for an oil change … life is too short
smile.gif


The only upside for me getting older pertaining to vehicles is my annual mileage is a fraction of what it once was.




Yep could have done it yourself and save 4.5 hours plus the drive time to the Stealership.
 
There is a 5 minute oil change place I used in Richmond, VA. That when I pulled into their parking lot they came out in the rain to meet me and ask me how they could help.

When they changed the oil in my old civic. They showed me the dipstick afterwards and said like "clean and full" it seemed they had a script down. It was expensive like 40. dollars for conventional but I was traveling and very busy and didn't have time to change it myself. my mother took a new Nissan juke there they found and oil leak that turned out to be a major defect and the dealer took the car back.
 
I guess it's like most anything - some places are good, some not. These franchisers don't seem to enforce standards at their franchises equally. It seems to be getting worse - some places are good, some not, despite the same brand name on the place. As chains get bigger it also seems to get more varied.

My son tells me horror stories of places forgetting to fill, filing with incorrect fluid, or not tightening drain plugs on his friends or parents vehicles. We do our own - I don't know any good places around, and even a big dealership screwed it up once when I was too bus at work. Never again. Powertrains are too expensive, and income too scarce to risk it now.
 
Originally Posted by Charlie2015
It really depends on who is running the shop and which employee works on your car - no matter what brand you visit.


Yes, I agree 100% and why people need to check their oil color and oil filter before and after a change.
There are a good amount of honest people out there, sadly there are a good amount of dishonest people and employees out there.
 
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Originally Posted by Charlie2015
It really depends on who is running the shop and which employee works on your car - no matter what brand you visit.


Yes, I agree 100% and why people need to check their oil color and oil filter before and after a change.
There are a good amount of honest people out there, sadly there are a good amount of dishonest people and employees out there.


My generation of the CRV requires you to remove a shield to be able to see the filter. Royal PITA.
 
I quit using those places years ago and change my own. I always had to double check the oil level and so many times it was under or overfilled. I don't trust the calibration of the guns they use to put the oil in. Then they check the level right after they install it presuming you get a good read but you don't. I've only found that after you install fresh oil you have to get the new oil heated up really good by driving so that it will all drain down more...then after the car is shut off for 5 minutes or more you can get an accurate read on the stick. So by changing my own, I know exactly how much I'm putting in.
 
Originally Posted by NHBFAN
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Originally Posted by Charlie2015
It really depends on who is running the shop and which employee works on your car - no matter what brand you visit.


Yes, I agree 100% and why people need to check their oil color and oil filter before and after a change.
There are a good amount of honest people out there, sadly there are a good amount of dishonest people and employees out there.


My generation of the CRV requires you to remove a shield to be able to see the filter. Royal PITA.


Of course that was just an accident wasn't it. LOL
 
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I like the idea of a local, full service garage even though you may pay a little more.
They can get to know your car which is important.
Especially in the longer run.

Good luck.


I agree that's a great option and there's a good chance it will be an ASE certified mechanic doing the job!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

53' Stude
Anyone using a Euro oil in older vehicles?
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
SubieRubyRoo
A
how decent are the oil filter's at the drive up oil change places?
Replies
15
Views
1K
Chris142
53' Stude
Fram oil: have you used it and your thoughts?
Replies
12
Views
899
RooflessVW
P
Question about oil change intervals 2011 Ford fusion hybrid 2.5l 4cyl
Replies
6
Views
928
pbm
T
Cardboard test for fuel dilution
Replies
9
Views
798
Titan
Back
Top