Quickie Oil change--ARGHH!!!

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My last oil change I had to go out of town quickly, so I had a havoline place change the oil. Today I change the oil and find a several things I am angry about.

#1--Oil filter that I supplied was so loose that it wiggled when I touched it. Not even hand tight. Don't know how it sealed but it did. Less than one turn off and oil came out the bottom. The filter was a baldwin b2-hpg.

#2--I asked for Mobil1 10w-30, on the receipt it has havoline synthetic. I did not want a group III oil. Wanted mobil1 and paid for that.

#3--The oil plug was in so tight, I nearly picked the slant six up off it the driver side motor mount to get it out.

Lesson learned: I will change my own oil from now on no matter what.

If I have no choice, I will be checking behind anyone that touches my car from now on. I will be writing a scathing note to this operation. $50 down the tubes and could have cost me an engine.

Last note: The baldwin filter did a great job, oil was carrying dirt but was still amber after 5000 miles.

Dan
banghead.gif
 
Did that Havoline place even carry Mobil 1? If they supplied the Chevron produced "Havoline" synthetic, it may have been a Group-IV base stock. The current material safety data sheets for Chevron Supreme Full Synthetic and the ChevronTexaco "Havoline" Full Synthetic both spec either a Group-III or a Group-IV base stock for their full synthetics. (I'm guessing it depends on availabilty at the time it's blended.) In any event, I doubt the substitution knocked more than 500,000 miles off your engine's expected life... Still, I agree that having specified and payed for Mobil 1, you were cheated. I'd be much more concerned about quality of the work performed than the oil supplied. Want something to really worry about? How about the possibility that regardless of oil indicated on the receipt, a Group-II dino (or worse) was pumped out of a bulk barrel?... When you drained that oil, that might have made for an interesting UOA.

[ July 15, 2003, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: Ray H ]
 
Yes, they carried mobil1. Had cases of it stacked over to the side, as well as cases of havoline synthetic.

Bulk oil out of the hoses was dino oil. I did see the guy working on it putting in oil by the quart, just wasn't aware that it was not mobil1.

This time though, unless the 5 qt jug was marked wrong, I put in what I wanted.....

What troubled me the most was the oil filter. I made a trip from georgia to missouri and back with it like this. I consider it very lucky that the gasket held with no tension on it. I do usually carry an extra filter, oil, and filter wrench in the trunk, but once oil is everywhere under the car, its a bad mess. Could I have recognized the leak quick enough to keep from killing the engine? I don't know... Plus the blisters from putting hands on a very hot engine.

Just smacks of the I dont give a sh!t mentality, which I hate with a passion.

Dan

[ July 15, 2003, 04:23 PM: Message edited by: Dan4510 ]
 
quote:

Bulk oil out of the hoses was dino oil. I did see the guy working on it putting in oil by the quart, just wasn't aware that it was not mobil1.

How did you determine it was not Mobil1.

I wrote off those quickie change places long ago.......Mobil1 is $18.88 in the 5 quart jug.....for me....it was all about the money.....
 
quote:

Originally posted by Dan4510:
My last oil change I had to go out of town quickly, so I had a havoline place change the oil. Today I change the oil and find a several things I am angry about.


#2--I asked for Mobil1 10w-30, on the receipt it has havoline synthetic. I did not want a group III oil.

#3--The oil plug was in so tight, I nearly picked the slant six up off it the driver side motor mount to get it out.

Lesson learned: I will change my own oil from now on no matter what.

If I have no choice, I will be checking behind anyone that touches my car from now on.


I used a "Quick 10" place in North Carolina in Spring 1999, and after that, it's "Never Again" for Quick 10 and any other similar service station, as far as I am concerned. They lost my lock washer and never told me about it. I kept dribbling oil all over the place for the next 1.5 years. I'm lucky they did not ruin my oil sump, because they rammed the steel drain nut in real hard, without the soft lock washer to protect the sump. I do it myself these days. Cheaper and better. And yes, I get 100% certainty that it is Castrol GTX of exactly the weight/viscosity I figure is right for the season.
 
I have had good luck with using local gas stations for oil changes. I have an independent station that charges $16 to change the oil when I bring in my own oil and filter, they do it in front of me and they do a good job. I would suggest check around and then you don't have to deal with the quick lube places.

BTW, All the quick lube places in my area want $40 to change the oil when I bring my own stuff in (This is for a Toyota Landcruiser). Funny thing is the dealer charges $27, provides the filter, uses my oil, checks the tranny fluid, greases the driveshafts, and checks all the other fluids. The toyota dealer is very careful when they work on the car, and once again, it is done where I can see it.

Cary

SF Bay Area, CA
 
Relax on the chances of runining the engine if you lost the oil. Been a couple posts here of engines being driven a while on no oil and still ok. If you stopped when the oil light came on, the engine would be OK. Could be expensive and time consuming getting on the road again. Otherwise you have every right to be upset. I never have used a quick lube place.
 
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