Did They Really Change My Oil?
- Thread starter hunter9296
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Doesn't look good.
Even when I don't change the oil filter, new oil is clear on the dipstick and only looks that dark at 1500 to 2000 miles.
How many miles did you have on the old oil and how does the color compare?
If that were my oil, with old oil changed when very dark brown, I would estimate 15% of old oil not removed.
Even when I don't change the oil filter, new oil is clear on the dipstick and only looks that dark at 1500 to 2000 miles.
How many miles did you have on the old oil and how does the color compare?
If that were my oil, with old oil changed when very dark brown, I would estimate 15% of old oil not removed.
There's no way they changed that oil, I don't care how many miles were on that engine or how many were on your previous oil change, or if you drove 10 miles after that oil change. Your oil should not look like that after an oil change. Especially on a car with 40k miles, using synthetic. Nope.
I'll tell you what though, someone mentioned Walmart and extracting the oil through the dipstick...I would never take it to any place that extracts oil. Not because extracting oil is bad, but because the person doing the extracting is more likely to either not do it, or not extract all of it. It's too easy to skimp. Draining oil from a drain plug requires you to NOT skimp, simply because you'll get soaked with hot oil if you try. You have to drain all of it. When you extract, it is time consuming and no one would see that you have only drained two of the five quarts. There's no way to tell. Honest mistake...oh, I thought I got it all out. My bad. Woops. That's IF YOU GET CAUGHT. And you probably won't. And...oh I thought I put five quarts back in...yeah, I did. No record I didn't. Now all you're left with is a dirty paper towel when you get home for "proof".
I'll tell you what though, someone mentioned Walmart and extracting the oil through the dipstick...I would never take it to any place that extracts oil. Not because extracting oil is bad, but because the person doing the extracting is more likely to either not do it, or not extract all of it. It's too easy to skimp. Draining oil from a drain plug requires you to NOT skimp, simply because you'll get soaked with hot oil if you try. You have to drain all of it. When you extract, it is time consuming and no one would see that you have only drained two of the five quarts. There's no way to tell. Honest mistake...oh, I thought I got it all out. My bad. Woops. That's IF YOU GET CAUGHT. And you probably won't. And...oh I thought I put five quarts back in...yeah, I did. No record I didn't. Now all you're left with is a dirty paper towel when you get home for "proof".
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Originally Posted by demarpaint
It really sucks when you have to worry about if the work you paid for was done correctly or not.
That pretty much sums up most jobs I have hired out over the past 20 years...on cars and other! I can't even get a roofing company to correctly install step flashing. DIY all the way!
It really sucks when you have to worry about if the work you paid for was done correctly or not.
That pretty much sums up most jobs I have hired out over the past 20 years...on cars and other! I can't even get a roofing company to correctly install step flashing. DIY all the way!
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Was the car sitting in the parking lot and the engine cold when they got to it? It should be fully warmed up to let as much of the old oil drain out as possible in the short time they take to drain it. And it's hard to tell on a paper towel. What does it look like on the dipstick? Not like these I assume? (Bonus points for those that can tell what those engines are in.)
![[Linked Image from fototime.com]](http://www.fototime.com/41FC690A2ABF0EF/large.jpg "[Linked Image from fototime.com]")
![[Linked Image from fototime.com]](http://www.fototime.com/0580581AC902BB3/large.jpg "[Linked Image from fototime.com]")
![[Linked Image from fototime.com]](http://www.fototime.com/2C77E48C0CE2041/large.jpg "[Linked Image from fototime.com]")
No. They didn't change the oil.
It sure doesn't look like it was changed. I'd see if they changed the filter and what it looks like around the drain plug.
If you have been using a synthetic with regular OCI's I can't imagine fresh oil with 7 miles on it looking like that.
Might as well do it yourself.
My son-in-law worked as parts manager at a local Honda dealership. They fired a mechanic and found many new Honda oil filters
in his work station. Actually, they found lots of new Honda parts in his work station. Sad but true.
If you have been using a synthetic with regular OCI's I can't imagine fresh oil with 7 miles on it looking like that.
Might as well do it yourself.
My son-in-law worked as parts manager at a local Honda dealership. They fired a mechanic and found many new Honda oil filters
in his work station. Actually, they found lots of new Honda parts in his work station. Sad but true.
DIY is NOT the only way. I use VIOC, at my location they have video cameras that show you, as you sit in the car, exactly what the tech is doing under the hood, and under the car. The under hood tech shows you the oil level on the dipstick, in my case he added a little more as the 4 qts never is enough. The under car tech can be seen installing the new filter and he even calls out the torqued spec as he installs the drain plug. On my last visit they didn't complete the work in 15 minutes, they gave me a $15 discount.
Call them and voice your concerns.
It does not look like fresh oil to me.
As others have said, inspect the oil filter.
It does not look like fresh oil to me.
As others have said, inspect the oil filter.
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Go back tomorrow and ask for the empty jugs. Make up some excuse why you need them, i can't imagine garbage got picked up overnight.
I wouldn't retain a customer's jugs. Trash builds up quickly!
The tire store I worked at did indeed save the o-ring from the filter, to prove we didn't double-gasket. It was put in a little ziploc bag and stapled to the work order, which then hid in a file cabinet.
I'd laugh you out of my shop if you came asking. If I lost you as a customer, oh well, lost a thorn in my side.
As for OP, I bet they changed the oil but never checked the dipstick, so they didn't get the old sticky grime off of it.
Go back tomorrow and ask for the empty jugs. Make up some excuse why you need them, i can't imagine garbage got picked up overnight.
I wouldn't retain a customer's jugs. Trash builds up quickly!
The tire store I worked at did indeed save the o-ring from the filter, to prove we didn't double-gasket. It was put in a little ziploc bag and stapled to the work order, which then hid in a file cabinet.
I'd laugh you out of my shop if you came asking. If I lost you as a customer, oh well, lost a thorn in my side.
As for OP, I bet they changed the oil but never checked the dipstick, so they didn't get the old sticky grime off of it.
I would say they didnt change the oil but also possible like others mentioned, they may not have drained the oil completely. You have one advantage that we do not, you saw the dipstick, a photo of the dipstick would have been more helpful.
Also, you make no mention of the oil filter, did they put your new filter on or not? That is an easy one to figure out.
Also, you make no mention of the oil filter, did they put your new filter on or not? That is an easy one to figure out.
Originally Posted by hunter9296
I just had the oil changed (maybe) in my 2015 Chevy Malibu with 43K miles on it at the shop. I supplied my own oil and filter. Oil was Mobil 1 full synthetic 5W-20. I drove it 7 miles home and checked the oil to see if it was full. I noticed that the oil was much darker than when I had changed it myself. When I have changed it myself before, the oil would be almost clear on a paper towel with just a slight tint of brown. This oil is much darker. Can oil change colors that fast or did the shop simply not change it? I attached a picture. Thanks for your help.
Without reading any of the other replies, I'd say no, the oil stays clean for much longer than 7 miles.
This is one main reason why I love to do my own oil & filter changes.
If it were me I'd be going back to where it was changed and questioning the specific person who did the OCI and asking him or her why the oil seemed so dirty so soon after it was supposedly changed. They may have sucked out the used oil and not got it all out, and in that case, I'd complain about that too.
I just had the oil changed (maybe) in my 2015 Chevy Malibu with 43K miles on it at the shop. I supplied my own oil and filter. Oil was Mobil 1 full synthetic 5W-20. I drove it 7 miles home and checked the oil to see if it was full. I noticed that the oil was much darker than when I had changed it myself. When I have changed it myself before, the oil would be almost clear on a paper towel with just a slight tint of brown. This oil is much darker. Can oil change colors that fast or did the shop simply not change it? I attached a picture. Thanks for your help.
Without reading any of the other replies, I'd say no, the oil stays clean for much longer than 7 miles.
This is one main reason why I love to do my own oil & filter changes.
If it were me I'd be going back to where it was changed and questioning the specific person who did the OCI and asking him or her why the oil seemed so dirty so soon after it was supposedly changed. They may have sucked out the used oil and not got it all out, and in that case, I'd complain about that too.
+1 for Mr_Luke. That is exactly what I would do. Ed
That's why smart people DIY!
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
That's why smart people DIY!
And rich folks take it to the dealer.
That's why smart people DIY!
And rich folks take it to the dealer.
Motor oil in my F150 stays clear (PUP) for first couple thousand miles. However; every motor/operator/environment is different. Probably didn't let the used oil completely drain like us OCD members do, .
I wouldn't over think it.....My mentor always told me. "If you want something done right, do it yourself." A profound statement that resonates with me every day.
Hopefully, they utilized your oil/filter.
I wouldn't over think it.....My mentor always told me. "If you want something done right, do it yourself." A profound statement that resonates with me every day.
Hopefully, they utilized your oil/filter.
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
That's why smart people DIY!
And rich folks take it to the dealer.
I've seen many dealers do this too. Especially ones with fast change operations. Get em in get em out.
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
That's why smart people DIY!
And rich folks take it to the dealer.
I've seen many dealers do this too. Especially ones with fast change operations. Get em in get em out.
Why do you guys entertain these threads? It's a single picture of a paper towel with something on it, claiming to be oil. This is the op's first post to the forum, and they joined in November 2019.
Screams troll to me, but here we have three pages of replies telling the op that their oil didn't get changed.
All we have is a paper towel and an anecdotal tale of a shop not doing their job, yet y'all pile on like flies on waste.
Come on....
Screams troll to me, but here we have three pages of replies telling the op that their oil didn't get changed.
All we have is a paper towel and an anecdotal tale of a shop not doing their job, yet y'all pile on like flies on waste.
Come on....
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