Incompatence: Oil change workers!!!

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Drew99GT

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Well, I just can't win for losing. Took my mom's Olds 88 to a reputable dealer near my house to get an oil change. Got done, checked the oil level IN THE PARKING LOT. 1.5 quarts over filled, and that's with the engine having been just shut down, so as more oil drained into the pan, it was probably closer to 2 quarts.
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Stormed back in there, told one of the service advisors, he tells me "won't hurt a thing, it'll burn off."
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So, I said, let me talk to the service manager, I told him the story and explained that the service advisor doesn't know his *** from a hole in the ground. Manager agreed, offered to drain out the extra 2 quarts, and give me 1 free oil change. I kindly refused and stated that I can no longer trust the employees of his dealership service department to compitantly work on my vehicles. I also stated that I will be telling EVERYONE I know not to trust Al Serra Chevrolet in CO Spgs, CO. As I started walking out, the guy was trying to kiss my *** and make up, but I wasn't going to but it. I'd say on average now, 95% of the oil changes I've had on various cars at various oil change establishments have been overfilled by at least .5 quarts. At this point, I just do not know what to say or do anymore
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My wife works for a dealership and the oil change guys there change my oil and I kept wondering if why my car only uses 4.5 quarts why I wasnt getting my oil back I found out that they just used it all because they didnt feel like giving my oil back.
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While the service advisor and that service dept are obviously dumbaxxxx at least the service manager tried to make it right.
At least you didnt get one of those managers that sticks by his guy and pretty much tells you to beat it or gives you some bologna about thats what the manufacturer recommends.

I wouldnt go back either even if it was free.
 
Drew,

On the subject of INCOMPETENCE, you might want to check the spelling of your post title...
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Dan
 
Do it yourself. This is truly becoming a self-service economy in more ways than this. Despite the concentration on a "service economy" it continues the downward spiral.

Dan
 
If it were me and I wanted someone to change my oil, I'd say you missed a perfect opportunity for several free oil changes.

I would check the oil level everytime they changed it, and then demand a freebee anytime it was overfilled. Should be able to milk a couple, three free changes out of them.
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Drew,

I had Al Serra change the oil ONCE. It was a 1998 Blazer, I had a free oil change coupon (with purchase). I checked the oil, sure enough, over filled. Drove to AutoZone, bought M1, changed it at home. Not worth the aurgument. (Don't wrestle with a pig in the mud, you both get dirty and the pig likes it!)

Never been back for oil changes. Do it myself. I am beginning to have that feeling (DIY) on many things involving auto and home repair.

I don't know that the incompetence is limited to Al Serra. My experience with the Phil Long dealerships have also resulted in some hum-dingers with the service department "repairs". Find a good local mechanic and use them. You would be surprised at the difference it can make when you are dealing with the owner/head tech.
 
recently purchased a "certified used car" Obviously they change the oil, I asked them to change the passenger air filter as well. Overfilled at least a quart, filter was jammed into place and did not even cover the air intake hole for the fan and oh, a short in the wiring harness kept a temp sensor out of whack. Furtunately, I corrected the oil and filter and another dealer found the short.

It's all about money, how quick can I roll them in get them out and "NO ONE" ever checks to see the work is done properly!!!!!
 
quote:
Originally posted by rpn453:

quote:
Originally posted by RF Overlord:
Change it yourself from now on?
Click to expand...
That would be the simple and obvious solution to the multitude of posts complaining about poor service!
Click to expand...
That's why I was changing oil myself in my apartments parking lot at evening becuase lots of guys do their car work in parking lot.
Now, I have a house so no worry.
But some guys can not do on their own because of Private space. So they have to go to dealer or quick oil change place.


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yep, the people who change oil just want to get it done and move on to something else that pays more, so they dump whatever they have into the engine.

quality isn't job #1 anymore.
 
I was at a Toyota dealership years ago for the 60k service. They changed the manual transmission fluid as part of the service, drove the car home. I noticed it shifted really bad, notchy. I put it in the garage and pulled the fill plug to see how underfilled it was. Surprised the **** out of me when the gear oil started coming out of the fill plug - replugged really quick, and put a drain pan underneath. It was more than a quart overfilled on the gearbox. Never went back to the dealership.
 
quote:
Originally posted by 427Z06:
If it were me and I wanted someone to change my oil, I'd say you missed a perfect opportunity for several free oil changes.

I would check the oil level everytime they changed it, and then demand a freebee anytime it was overfilled. Should be able to milk a couple, three free changes out of them.
grin.gif

Click to expand...
It's kind of scary though. The same guy who overfilled it by 2 quarts is likely to strip the drain plug, use the wrong oil, etc. Now a coupon for the parts department would have been a good thing to try and get...
 
what are you doing going to a dealer for an oil change? thats the exact kind of reason i wouldnt take my car to a dealer to get anything done, even if it was free. its just not worth the hassle of letting someone else screw up the car. you lucky they overfilled it, instead of underfilling it by 2 quarts.

if you want somthing done right you have to do it youreself. free oil change isnt worth it.

heres a decent story for you to ponder. my stepdad has a 98 f150 truck. he awalys took it to ford for an oil change while it was under warranty. after warranty was up he has me change the oil now. the first time i changed it i noticed the drain plug was hard to remove. turns out that the DEALER must have cross threadded the drainplug previously, and installed a self tapping drain plug. the reason i say that is because i doubt that the truck came with a self tapping plug from the factory, and no one else has ever changed his oil except the dealer.

so now he is ****** at the dealer, but he cant prove they did it. the dealer never told him they cross threadded his drain plug. the truck is out of warranty. and if it were not for me, he would have never known about the self tapping plug, which by the way is pulling threads out of the pan every time i change the oil. one of these days i will have to get a bigger plug, or replace the pan.
so is a dealer oil change worth it? even a free one? i dont think so. why risk them messing things up.

i have lots of stories of first hand expierence with dealer screw ups. my dads dodge replacment transmission had only HALF the bellhousing bolts put in when he got his truck back from getting the trans replaced under warranty...

its just not worth the hassle of letting other people work on youre car. do it youreself and make sure it is done right.

[ September 21, 2004, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: cryptokid ]
 
Dan4510, I never said I'm an english major
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Believe me, I've done the last 10 oil changes on this car, but it was already 1000 miles over, and I simply had no time to do it myself. Had to study for a test last night. Arghhhhhhhhhhh, Murphy strikes again. I ended up crawling under the freakin car anyway to drain off the two quarts. And yup, had to break the drain plug loose with a rubber mallet and more curse words than I have EVER used EVER!!!!!!!!! I am really starting to think that we as a country, as I society, are simply losing it. No one anywhere seems to give a second thought about performance or quality in the work they do. People "back in the day" used to perform quality work for the sake of doing a good job! Lack of quality used to be the exception. Now, quality is the exception. I for one, am the most anal retentive geek around. The most mundane little things, I have to do PERFECTLY because it gives me satisfaction in doing a good job, especially at work. From this point on, I think I will never again use a dealership for ANY service what-so-ever, even warrenty repairs. There seems to be a misconception that dealers perform the best automobile repairs and give the best service. Nothing could be farher from the truth. Good, independent shops are the ONLY way to fly for automobile repairs.
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Drew,

I was just pulling your leg
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. The drain plug is why I dont use them anymore, a quickie shop pulled the threads out of the oil pan on one of my engines. Saved it by using an oversize plug that made its own threads.

THe only thing I cant do on a cars is alignment and have had challenges with that. Get 10 miles down the road and because one of the bolts has not been tightened, you suddenly veer left...have to take it back and a whole day is shot!

Dan
 
I totally agree with you. You can't find good help nowadays but think of it this way they are working with a very small amount of people and if the mechanics are doing oil changes they just assume it should take 7qts.Thats why so many dealers are contracting out their oil changes to the likes of a Castrol quik lube in the dealer.The best part of the thread though is
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Don't wrestle with a pig in the mud, you both get dirty and the pig likes it!)
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