Checker Auto Part Store

[Mystic]

I took my old oil to be drained to a Checker Auto Part Store. I decided to ask the woman who seemed to be the manager of the store if they had oil filter elements for Saturn Ions and what brands of oil filters they had and how much they cost. FRAM filters, which I don't use, cost more than three dollars more than the NAPA Gold filters I buy at the NAPA Store.

So I decided to ask a few questions about motor oil. I asked her what oil I should use in my Saturn. She said for 'imports' they recommended Mobil 1 or Pennzoil Platinum. She said not to use conventional motor oil because it messes up the engine in any car newer than 2000. She said don't use Valvoline synthetic in a Saturn since that oil was recommended for Fords and some other make that I can't remember which one she said. Really great knowledge about motor oil at Checker Stores right? Their oil was sky high in price and I will continue to go to Wal-Mart.

By the way, I like the way the new Pennzoil five quart containers are for carrying but I don't like them for pouring the oil. You can spill oil easily even using a funnel. I think I will buy the Pennzoil Platinum in one quart bottles.

 

[Mr Nice]

I'm sure she meant good with the advice she gave you.

 

[TooManyWheels]

What were her opinions about Vista and Linux (since you were already asking outside her likely field of knowledge)?

 

[Built_Well]

More great advice:

Someone at an O'Reilly Auto Store told me tonight not to use 0w-30 in my 5w-30 spec'ed Camry, or I'll hurt the engine. His reasoning was high oil pressure would push 0w-30 around at too high a speed.

He also said not to use oil pan heaters during the winter because they will cook the oil. I suppose he may be right on the cookware hypothesis--don't really know.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Asking the clerks at an auto parts store for technical advice is like asking the clerks at Walgreens what drugs you should take for a serious illness. Exactly the same skills are required for each position - how to work a cash register.

 

[MrCPU]

I've never gotten a deal on oil at an auto parts place yet. I'm sure they're out there, but the schucks/knechts/napa places here have always been much higher than walmart for the same product.

Of course, until recently, I was an all amsoil man, so the point was moot.

 

[wgtoys]

About the last place in the world to expect good motor oil advice is at any parts counter or from 90% of the mechanics out there. The majority simply do not know what they are talking about.

 

[Mr Nice]

Auto parts store employees are just like employees that work at any other retail chain store....they are over worked and under paid, not to mention all the [censored] they have to put up with when dealing with customers.

Don't expect an ASE certified master mechanic behind the counter making peanuts when you go to local auto parts store, so you have to expect employess like the lady at Checker.

 

[daman]

I'd ask my 6 year old daughter what oil i should use before i'd
ask one of those jokers behind the counter.

 

[Mystic]

I think she did mean well and she was friendly but I was stunned by her motor oil advice. If she could match the Wal-Mart price for Pennzoil Platinum I would buy there. I was surprised how much they were asking for oil filters. They make NAPA and Autozone look cheap.

I am not going to put down professional mechanics as a group. I have met some really good mechanics. But typically if you ask a mechanic about motor oil they will say to use Valvoline. I think it is the advertising on TV where it is stated that more professional mechanics recommend Valvoline than any other brand.

Not so long ago I met a professional mechanic who really seemed to know his stuff when it came to working on cars but he was a big believer in the Pennzoil causes sludge nonsense. This kind of stuff gets into circulation and it never, ever dies. That mechanic recommended Chevron motor oil.

 

[severach]

Don't blame the counter people. They learn all that misinformation from their customers. Quality entertainment at discount prices.

 

[JackFish]

Last checkers I was in mentioned a 10% beat the competitors price policy.
Would that not work for beating Wally world prices on oil?

 

[bdcardinal]

im the only parts counter person thats also an ASE certified technician. i would work on cars, but i dont feel like doing it, and it makes working on my own car fun still.

as for mechanics not knowing about oil, they tend to use what wont cause a comeback. thats all the techs at my work care about, no comebacks and wont hear any complaints from the service writers about using the wrong oil. actually the drivability techs will not do any services as the $17 an hour flat rate for maintainence work is too low for them to be bothered. on a saturday one of them was doing an oil change on his wife's mustang, he said it was the first oil change he had done in about 10 years. btw our line techs get between 25 and 38 an hour depending on certifications and experience.

 

[chaser06]

Sometimes working the cash register is a stretch.

I had a "mechanic" tell me once that synthetic fluids are too slippery. He maintained that synthetic fluids are not good in transmissions because, "for that application you need an lubricant that isn't too slippery."

 

[Buick92]

As an employee at an auto parts store of course they are going to advise you to use more expensive synthetic oil, their reasoning might not mesh with people here but who cares? My experience at Schucks/Kragen/Checkers hasn't been any worse (or better) than any other parts chain. There are actually some good people at these stores if you keep an eye out.