Losing Faith...

[ccap41]

So my girlfriend went to our local auto parts store(O'Reily's) to pick up a quart of oil for her Mercedes G500. First, she didn't tell me anything about it being low or anything of the nature. She just told me her car told her that it is 1qt low so she took initiative to go get it herself..then ask me to do the deed. No problem. Impressed actually that she just went and bought the oil herself.

Well, she didn't know what she needed and if she needed something special because it is a Mercedes. So she went to the counter and told the gentleman she needed a quart of oil for her car. He asked the regular questions of year, make, model. 2005 Mercedes G500. He just went and got her the oil, being a gentleman, right?

He walked and picked up store brand ( O'Reily's ) conventional 5w-30.

When I got to her house and she handed me that I actually laughed because I thought she was just being a cheapo. Then she told me that that is what the guy said it needed. So she thought she bought the correct thing. I was actually frustrated that he brought her that. He(or his computer that told him that oil) should know better.

Okay, I thought you guys would like to hear my story. End rant.

Oh, we went and bought M1 0w-40 to put in it and I'll be returning the store brand 5w-30 tomorrow. Do you guys think I should question them when I go in there or just let it go? I don't want to sound like a **** but if I could legitimately help them(who will be advising a lot of people) it would be nice.

 

[gallydif]

No need to 'sound like a ****' but I would go ahead and ask about it. I'm thinking that's what the computer said and the guy followed it like a robot. But com'n really?! A cheap conventional oil in a german luxury car.

 

[Merkava_4]

You're expecting too much from an O'Reily's employee / and your girlfriend should've known better.

 

[ccap41]

Oh I don't intend on being rude about asking them I just know the feeling of somebody questioning you when you're doing all you know. Which in this case was the guys computer screen and it almost always sounds like they're being a **** by questioning them. That's why I asked really..

She knows literally..nothing about her car. Lol. Her parents took it in for most of their oil changes and that annoys the [censored] out of me because I doubt the place(I think they take it to a Valvoline quick live by their store) knows to use the correct oil. Because it never used to go through oil and the past few oil change intervals it's been using a quart. Which..the oci are 10k so it still isn't bad but it never used to. I'm worried the people there are just throwing in 5-30. I'm almost positive that they do always ask for synthetic but that doesn't mean they use the correct weight.

 

[ccap41]

Also, I even went to their site and put in the vehicle and vehicle specific oil and that brought up the correct weight.

 

[bdcardinal]

It happens, he might have punched in the wrong info. I just got an earful from a customer yesterday because we billed out and put in 10W30 diesel oil in his 6.7L that was spec'd for his truck. He wanted the optional 15W40 recommendation and neglected to tell anyone, but still felt the need to call me all sorts of names.

 

[userfriendly]

Its 5am in Ontario, too bad Overkill wasn't up to hear that horror story.
I used M1 0w40 for the first few years in an 04 C240.
Eventually I got sick of paying $15.00 a liter for the stuff and switched to a Diesel 0W40, took it 25% past the olm and tested it.
After that I put what ever I felt like in that engine until a Doritos' potato chip truck put it out of its misery while parked at Squamish Wal*mart.

End of story.

 

[Garak]

At least an HDEO is somewhere along the correct train of thought. A resource conserving 5w-30 isn't quite as close. Well, in a pinch it might be not so big of a deal.

Maybe it's just us. We obsess about all this stuff and the world keeps turning around us. People seem to manage the task of keeping their vehicles running without joining BITOG.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: ccap41
Do you guys think I should question them when I go in there or just let it go? I don't want to sound like a **** but if I could legitimately help them(who will be advising a lot of people) it would be nice.

"Sounding like a ****" would be marching in there and yelling at them. Or trying to tell them it's for their own good (though that's not as bad as yelling).

If you explain that they gave your girlfriend the wrong oil and ask for their reasons, that's entirely fair. A little indignation wouldn't be entirely out of line, if you're actually feeling it.

 

[aircooled]

Let it go.

 

[Mackelroy]

Obviously your GF's car is burning oil, seems 0w40 didn't serve you very well.

 

[bigt61]

Originally Posted By: Garak
At least an HDEO is somewhere along the correct train of thought. A resource conserving 5w-30 isn't quite as close. Well, in a pinch it might be not so big of a deal.

Maybe it's just us. We obsess about all this stuff and the world keeps turning around us. People seem to manage the task of keeping their vehicles running without joining BITOG.

Nail hit squarely.

 

[dlundblad]

5w30 conventional is better than no oil even if its the wrong kind.

Cant speak for this as I dont know, but when I worked there, the computer was actually full of good information. For example, it knew that Maxlife ATF was an acceptable ATF to use in my GF's car that specs Mobil 3309.

 

[KrisZ]

I would try educating the girlfriend not the store clerk. It's her car and her responsibility.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I would try educating the girlfriend not the store clerk. It's her car and her responsibility.


Better idea is for the OP to buy the oil himself, no headaches.

 

[zach1900]

I'm just wondering why the employee doesn't add the oil himself or at least offer to, I've lived in southern Illinois, it's not like it's fast paced.

 

[zach1900]

6 paragraphs on a female that doesn't know about engine oil, wow
.

 

[Nissan101]

If you just ask for oil....you will always get a no brand "cheap"(even thought the conventional oil would be good) oil.

 

[Andrew1972]

Topping oil does not exactly matter unless this is an oil burner.

 

[AZjeff]

Respectfully, a GF who knows nothing about cars, with a Mercedes...and you're not checking the oil knowing it burns a little? Just asking. Put a note in the glovebox with the proper oil since she'll never remember, the next time the light goes off she can walk in and get the correct oil and impress the counter guys.