Quickie Lubes; which one? Or?

[4WD]

Our Mobil 1 Express is a franchise … owners/operators (him=the shop, her=the inside) run a tight ship and also stock popular brands besides Mobil … They are next to an O’Reilly’s too …
Between this modern place and the old one … they likely have 20 years experience with many repeat customers …

 

[PWMDMD]

I’d pick the dealer, the techs probably have somewhat of training rather than quick lubes. They also see that same car all the time instead of all different types so if it’s got belly pans they will know how to properly remove it instead of mangling it.

The only place I've had bad experiences is at the dealerships - for instance Lexus LOVES to over-torque an oil filter housing.

 

[PimTac]

A big point here would be convenience. That person should ask around. Anything on base?

 

[IveBeenRued]

for my $$, the best is one of the AAA owned car care centers.
They only use Syn (Around here Havoline Synthetic, and Napa Gold Filters), and are reasonably priced..$42.99 for AAA Members, $45.88 for Non members.
of course, that pricing my vary from club to club, and City to city....

Here's the nearest locations to ZIP 95033:

AAA Auto Repair Centers® | AAA Official Site

AAA can get you back on the road faster at our AAA Auto Repair shops, with ASE-trained technicians. Get coupons or find a AAA Auto Repair location near you.

mwg.aaa.com

View attachment 53570

yes, the member price ends up right around $50 OTD, but that's still a good $20 Cheaper than most Quicklubes will charge for a Synthetic Oil Change....

I’d second the AAA recommendation.

I got an alignment done at my local AAA car care center and I complimented the technician after he was done. I was impressed that he used a torque wrench on all of the fasteners. He replied with “It’s corporate policy, if we are caught not torquing things to spec, we get written up.” The next time I went there I watched the other techs working and sure enough, they’d go to a computer, get a spec, and pull out their digital torque wrenches; even the lube bay tech did so.

 

[alarmguy]

Go to any name brand oil change place.
Once the oil is changed pull the dipstick and make sure it was changed, oil should be new and clear.

When that is done, Get under the vehicle or possibly you can check from under the hood while and make sure they installed a new oil filter. If you go to the same place all the time, you should mark the old oil filter before going, this way you will know they just didnt wipe it down to make it look new. (my friend, decades ago when we were young, worked at a place where his boss told him if a woman or girl brings a car in for oil change, just wipe down the filter, dont change it, he quit because of that)

Nothing is 100% fool proof but if you take the above steps to make sure they changed your oil and filter you eliminated much of the risk except for the most determined thief who may put a cleaned up old filter on the vehicle from the previous oil change but doubt that will happen at a name brand national place where I think the very, very, very least of your concern should be the quality of the oil.

Oil is dirt cheap in bulk hardly worth trying to cheat you out of new oil, bulk oil by the way is in every oil container you buy in the retail store of any brand its cheap and packaged for the retail business, oil filters are more easy to cheat you, most people dont check and no engine failure will happen if they dont change it.

The reason you NEED to check both oil and filter is for lazy employees who take your car into the bay to change the oil but doesnt bother to change it. Or like what happened to my daughter who with my wife took her car to Sears for an oil change years ago. Lazy employee put it on a lift (as the other mechanics and manger told us) went out back to have a smoke, pretended to change the oil.
looking for online reviews is a joke, no place is the same and its mostly up to 1 of 10s of thousands of employees doing the right thing, how is a review supposed to cover that.

BUT I caught it when they got home, first thing I did was check her oil, nope, dark brown and dirty, oil filter? Nope mostly dirty and was a filter Sears didnt use. Brought the car back Manager was in disbelief, said he saw the car on the lift, got the other mechanics over to look at the oil and filter, all agreed it wasnt changed by the kid who they saw out back having a smoke.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Thanks for all the replies. @Astro14 pointed out there is service available on base.
Going forward, my grand niece and I will work together so she can perform her own services.
In the past, Tatiana has not been interested; the prices she is hearing have peaked her interest.
I will definitely see her this summer. All good.

 

[Hall]

Fake bulk= Synthetic??

Yeah, they take oil from 1-quart and 5-quart bottles and dump it in the bulk container.

 

[Audiman]

We had a bloke where I work who would copy the markings on oil filters just to wind people up. He said if people don’t trust him to do the job don’t bring the car in.

 

[CKN]

Go to any name brand oil change place.
Once the oil is changed pull the dipstick and make sure it was changed, oil should be new and clear.

When that is done, Get under the vehicle or possibly you can check from under the hood while and make sure they installed a new oil filter. If you go to the same place all the time, you should mark the old oil filter before going, this way you will know they just didnt wipe it down to make it look new. (my friend, decades ago when we were young, worked at a place where his boss told him if a woman or girl brings a car in for oil change, just wipe down the filter, dont change it, he quit because of that)

Nothing is 100% fool proof but if you take the above steps to make sure they changed your oil and filter you eliminated much of the risk except for the most determined thief who may put a cleaned up old filter on the vehicle from the previous oil change but doubt that will happen at a name brand national place where I think the very, very, very least of your concern should be the quality of the oil.

Oil is dirt cheap in bulk hardly worth trying to cheat you out of new oil, bulk oil by the way is in every oil container you buy in the retail store of any brand its cheap and packaged for the retail business, oil filters are more easy to cheat you, most people dont check and no engine failure will happen if they dont change it.

The reason you NEED to check both oil and filter is for lazy employees who take your car into the bay to change the oil but doesnt bother to change it. Or like what happened to my daughter who with my wife took her car to Sears for an oil change years ago. Lazy employee put it on a lift (as the other mechanics and manger told us) went out back to have a smoke, pretended to change the oil.
looking for online reviews is a joke, no place is the same and its mostly up to 1 of 10s of thousands of employees doing the right thing, how is a review supposed to cover that.

BUT I caught it when they got home, first thing I did was check her oil, nope, dark brown and dirty, oil filter? Nope mostly dirty and was a filter Sears didnt use. Brought the car back Manager was in disbelief, said he saw the car on the lift, got the other mechanics over to look at the oil and filter, all agreed it wasnt changed by the kid who they saw out back having a smoke.

I was an outside sales person for 25 years. I would change the oil in a company car every two or three months based on mileage. The fleet operator had contracts with most of the "fast lube" places. I never had an issue over the better part of 50ish oil changes duirng the time I kept it. AS a matter of fact-many guys would buy these cars after the company's lease was up for their own personal use.

There were never any stories among the sales people nationally about blown motors due to someone at one of these places not putting clean oil in.

I sincerely hope there are not any "product review" categories that show up on here. It will be an absolute mess.

 

[Hall]

I sincerely hope there are not any "product review" categories that show up on here.

Quick-change places probably do many, many millions of oil changes a year. I'm certain the mistakes that will happen are still very rare.

 

[Pew]

Pendleton probably has an auto service center on base.

Most Navy/Marine Corps bases have one. The mechanics are salaried and do a good job at a fair price.

Your niece can drop off her car in the morning, pick it up that afternoon.

Better, have her sign up at the auto hobby shop. Lift rental is cheap. Tool rental is free. She buys the oil and filter her Uncle Jeff recommends.

There will be Marines falling over themselves to help her. She learns about her car, you know it’s done right.

x2 on the bold LOL. If she's willing to do it herself Mainside should have hangers for hobbyists.

 

[4WD]

90% I’m DIY … but did an unplanned change at a new Jiffy Jan2020. He asked me how long I run oil. Said 5k … he said I don’t need PP and Pennzoil Gold was cheaper … Ok
They had big windows so you could watch them work … and they came in to show me the air filter - said they thought it was fine (it was) etc … Cleaned and inspected a few things …
No upsale … No complaints …

 

[Wolf359]

We had a bloke where I work who would copy the markings on oil filters just to wind people up. He said if people don’t trust him to do the job don’t bring the car in.

The basis of many US-Russia treaties is based on trust, but verify.

I have an indy shop around here that does an oil change and tire rotation for $20 if you bring them the oil/filter, they even fill up the windshield washer fluid.

 

[JeffKeryk]

x2 on the bold LOL. If she's willing to do it herself Mainside should have hangers for hobbyists.

You and @Astro14 are spot on. Tati has told me many times that she and he co-Marines are so tight; it is the best part of her enlistment.
While deployed in Kuwait, it was perhaps even more so. Amazing.

 

[wolfox03SS]

I've got a local independent I roll into... when I cannot manage it myself. They know this and treat me rather decently and accordingly. (Alignments, tires, rusted out and blown brake lines)

I recently rolled in for a tire bead seal that was leaking on a set they installed and balanced for me. They told me my money was no good!

But oil and fluid changes that my vehicles require are cost prohibitive. A look at their price board for common services:

Synthetic oil change & filter: $150 (for first 5 quarts, additional quarts, extra)

Transmission service(spill,fill, filter change - not a flush) $175+ depending on quantity and fluid type. Full service and flush + Valvoline additive: $230+ (first 4 quarts "included")

Differential gear oil service: $180+

This is the local Valvoline Lube Express. No complaints on the level and quality of the service, but the prices when it comes to "Full Synthetic" in the pandemic moment are absolutely ridiculous.

Also, good luck finding repair parts for appliances, electronics, and God, why?
WHY can't I find a single vacuum cleaner paper filter cartridge?!

Edit: If you can learn how to, and better; *teach* someone to manage common service items...do so. You may not be able to skirt raw item pricing entirely, but you can save a bundle if you're not afraid to get a little filthy and do a little DIY.

 

[Hall]

Synthetic oil change & filter: $150 (for first 5 quarts, additional quarts, extra)
(snip)
This is the local Valvoline Lube Express. No complaints on the level and quality of the service, but the prices when it comes to "Full Synthetic" in the pandemic moment are absolutely ridiculous.

That price must be okay... If no one was paying it, they'd lower it. Tells me people pay it... Good deal for the shop

 

[wolfox03SS]

That price must be okay... If no one was paying it, they'd lower it. Tells me people pay it... Good deal for the shop

Oh, certainly no argument there. The market always pays what it will bear. And those unable, unwilling, or just not knowledgeable will have to place trust in the hands of people like my local Lube Express. (As I said previously, they are a genuine, family owned local shop and are extremely prideful for very good reasons. They're top notch, hands down)

I don't fault any of them. But here's my only rub, and likely because I am one of those like many BITOG guys and goils... in the know.

Raw material prices are also going up up up and up. But I got it off my local parts chain with a Wix XP, 6qts. of Mobil-1 0W-40 Euro spec lube and a set of updated Felpro gaskets to reseal my valve covers and oil intercooler plate up against the side of the pan just south of $97.

All a DIY job, but only because I know how to, and keep and feed a set of proper torque wrenches. I just got through slinging a set of both forward and rear propeller shaft U-joints on her. Done w/factory OEM parts and a blow torch.

(Thank you GM for nylon injected bearings. No seriously, f**k you and your dog!)

Local mummy-n-daddy, let alone independent won't do same job for under $865. The dollar signs light up when they see your Silverado SS. I didn't bother pricing the local Chevy franchises.

But I did it all-in for just south of $90. Spicer components. No compromise. The only difference is the know- how, DIY angle.
My neighbor watched me. I taught him. If it should ever come up for him; but of course I'd do it happily for him, just buy the parts. No extra charge. (But I do work for beer and pizza!) And it works cross- make and model. Anything with a universal joint. Double Cardone joints? Eeeeeh, different, but the same really, just pay attention to the details.

Fancy-schmancy euro-cars? Same difference, just a whole truck of rubber and nuts instead. (They're actually easier to fix!)

In short; TL-DR: If you know it? Do it. If you're successful? Teach it. If a friend or neighbor can't wrap their mind around it? Again - do it for them, but make them pick up tools and pay you in extra pepperoni Supreme Pizza and a case of Warsteiner Dunkel beer. But take no more! Unless they don't pay for the parts themselves. ;>

 

[mrtrueblue]

Base auto hobby shop. AAFES and NES hobby shops usually have some vet grease monkeys, always extremely competent in my experience, who can knock it out. They'll use Carquest or Napa jobber parts and decent oil. Your friend could drop it off and either walk or get a ride to work and come back during lunch or after duty day and pick it up.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Wendy (her Mom) and Tatiana drove up from Fort Pendleton; the 3 of us changed the little Civic's oil.
We used the MityVac and then changed the filter.
I told they could use the MityVac for every other service and take it in for an oil and filter change.

Or maybe we will live closer one day and I can further train them in proper safety.
All good and thanks for the posts.

 

[nthach]

If I have to, Oil Changers or two local quick lubes(Speed Lube in San Pablo or Speed Oil Change in El Cerrito/Oakland). I seen too many things with Iffy Lube.

but for the price of those three, the local Toyota dealer charges less.