Hi all,
I've been lurking off and on for the past few months here. Great site.
I used to be the service manager at a Wal-Mart TLE, and was wondering what everyone thought of SuperTech oil? Just the mere fact that it's WALMART brand makes me leery of it. That and the fact that is smells like AXLE GREASE!
What are your opinions of this stuff?
Super Tech
- Thread starter Tony Kimmell
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From what I've seen and read on this website I'd say that supertech motor oil would do fine on 3,000 mile intervals, however it's additive package isn't up to par with the major brands, i.e. pennzoil/castrol/chevron, etc. However, most people I know always change their oil at 3,000 so maybe supertech was made for such people who don't like to push the limits or get their oil tested.
There is quite a bit of info on this bbs about Supertech oil, and especially filters. Most was scientifically derived to the limits of available equipment.
The real question, one which has been more open to conjecture and opinions without the facts to back them up is....
What is it like to run a walmart tire & lube express? ![[Smile]](images/icons/smile.gif)
![[HAIL 2 U!]](/forums/graemlins/worshippy.gif)
quote:Well, I didn't run it myself. The service manager (me) runs the shop, while the TLE manager is in charge of the whole department (inside floor and outside) and there is a support manager under him. I basically had control of the shop and the people working in it. Unfortunately, I did not have much say in the hiring and firing of people. The TLE manager there used to be a meat department manager before he moved out there... so you can guess how much experience he has with cars. NONE. He would hire people out of desparation when we had shortages of workers. A FEW of the people were good, but most of them I wouldn't trust to shine my shoes, let alone change oil and tires. There was also alot of bereaucratic Wal-Mart bulls**t that had to be put up with. Not to mention the fact that our district manager had no automotive experience as well. I guess you'd have to work there to fully understand. That being said, there are also some extremely dumb and clueless people who come into WalMart to get work done on thier cars. I once spent 15 minutes trying to explain to an asian lady why we couldn't put a new tire on her van, because she didn't bring the blown tire and rim in with her. In the end, I got tired of listening to people complain about everything, and also got tired of my boss breathing down my neck because the idiots that HE hired kept screwing things up... since I was in charge of the shop it was somehow MY job to turn monkeys into mechanics... still haven't figured that one out. In short... DONT GO TO WALMART! You don't want to know half the stuff that happens there!
Originally posted by eljefino: The real question, one which has been more open to conjecture and opinions without the facts to back them up is.... What is it like to run a walmart tire & lube express?
quote:Pay peanuts, get monkeys. Ken
Originally posted by Tony Kimmell: it was somehow MY job to turn monkeys into mechanics... still haven't figured that one out. In short... DONT GO TO WALMART! You don't want to know half the stuff that happens there!
I had my oil changed at Walmart once, and after the visit I vowed never to have them change it. In fact it was the first time I had every taken the car to a shop to have the oil changed.
I made sure to watch them during the entire process and I'm glad I did. For one thing, the tech forget to change the oil filter and I had to remind him to do it. Also, when I told him I wanted a ST filter over a Fram, he proceeded to tell me that Frams were the best filter on the market and that the ST's were factory rejects.
I love the prices at Walamart, just not the people who work there.
Yes... this is the idiocy that drove me to leave that place. Actually the only reason I ever got a job there was just for part time when I was in school. Afterwards, I had been there long enough that I was making a pretty good wage, and couldn't find another job at that price starting out.
Ken, the TLE actually pays fairly decent compared to the quickie change places. If you have some automotive experience, you can start out at $8.00/hr. But even at the $10.45/hr that I was making when I left, I still didn't think that was enough to be a manager... what with all the bull**** you put up with.
[ December 29, 2003, 06:16 PM: Message edited by: rugerman1 ]
Walmart is fine for an old junker and especially for the poor who can't do it themselves. Its better to have it done than not even if the oil is not the best it meets spec and beats leaving old oil in the car. For $11.88 it is a bargain for those with little money (including college students)
I either do it myself (warm weather) or take it to my trusted mechanic and have other work done in parallel.
I am currently a service manager at a Walmart TLE and while in some cases it is true that you due get some "real winners" not all of the TLE's are this way. My crew in the shop are all an exellent group of guys and know there job and how to do it well. Not all of the places are a bunch of monkeys heck I've seen more complaints about about dealership mechanics and private mechanics. so it runs true too the fact that no matter where you go you can run into morons no matter if its a dealership,quick lube or shade tree mechanic they are all different no matter where you go. Maybe theres one in your erea that does good work and those that don't! so why stereo type them all?
Maybe the same reason there's a tendency on this site to stereotype motor oils as either exceptionally terrific or merely also-rans only suitable for use in old junkers by poor people?
quote:I was not trying to say it offensively. I work with refugees with little money and donated cars. They love Walmart and use it for auto care, you can't beat $11.88 for an oil change/including labor/materials. Sorry for any offense. I personally use superTech oil as add oil and for small engines I own (lawn mower and snowblower).
Originally posted by Ray H: Maybe the same reason there's a tendency on this site to stereotype motor oils as either exceptionally terrific or merely also-rans only suitable for use in old junkers by poor people?
quote:I suppose if you have a good manager who knows his stuff and good techs, then it would be alright (ours used to be like that, a couple managers back). Trouble is, it's hard finding people to manage that place. Think about it, if you were an excellent manager or mechanic, would you want to work at WalMart over a dealer or other quality independent shop? I sure wouldn't. Like I said, only reason I was there was because of school. And pretty much any TLE in our district is screwed right off the bat, because of the moron district manager... My biggest problem with that place is all the people who come in there who BARELY can speak english!! Learn the language if you're gonna live here!
Originally posted by thump186: I am currently a service manager at a Walmart TLE and while in some cases it is true that you due get some "real winners" not all of the TLE's are this way. My crew in the shop are all an exellent group of guys and know there job and how to do it well. Not all of the places are a bunch of monkeys heck I've seen more complaints about about dealership mechanics and private mechanics. so it runs true too the fact that no matter where you go you can run into morons no matter if its a dealership,quick lube or shade tree mechanic they are all different no matter where you go. Maybe theres one in your erea that does good work and those that don't! so why stereo type them all?
LMAO!!!! yes i do have a good manager. she does a good job and she doesnt put up with crap either. our district manager does a good job so far we just got a new one the old dm moved up in the world. but it is the quality of the workers you are right there.
I go to WalMart for tire mounting and balancing. I took my '93 SHO wheels to have some winter tires mounted on the rims. The rims and tires are both directional.
The first time I went back they had two tires/wheels right and two wrong. 1/2 hour later they had all 4 wrong. I pointed out that the wheels and tires both had arrows and RH/LH stamped on them respectively on them and that they should match up. After 2 hours they finally got it right.
But they know me now and take extra measures to get my tires right the first time. They are the cheapest around for a lifetime balancing. They balance the tires at under $40 as good as the others that ask twice as much. Just got to stay on top of them when they work.
Personally, I've never had a problem with Wal-Mart automotive. So far, they have always done my work in a timely and professional manner, but I realize that different locations may be different that way.
But I don't think there is a push in their upper level management to motivate all locations in trying to push the customer into things he don't need, like I've seen in other automotive repair chains.
The Wal-Mart here just does what I ask them to do and no more, and if they ever notice something that needs attention, then they casually tell me, without getting in my face and then getting angry when I tell them that I'll wait till some other time to get it fixed.
There are other things I dislike about Wal-Mart, but I have no qualms with their automotive, so far.
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