The Truth About Oil, Autozone Style

[tommygunn]

I mean its fine, its a job for some folks, they just provide a service and don't exactly have some tomb of knowledge. I don't go to Walmart expecting someone to know the entire history of Adidas or something when I go to buy a pair of shoes.

I expect them to know where a pair is and what the price is.

What grates at a person though is armchair knowledge and its frustrating that "the guy at AutoZone" becomes an expert certified mechanic 30 seconds into a conversation and people listen to knowledge that is often flawed or opinion.

Even someone saying Prestone works in 'all cars' I can deal with because Prestone is committing that crime and marketing it as such.

The best I ever heard though is still a guy at Best Buy explaining to me that I needed a $400 "power conditioning" surge protector, because our power has these "waves" that cause bad picture.

I asked him to explain it further and he didn't hesitate to eventually tell me that "it changes the alternating current to just straight smooth direct current".

So, apparently AC power we have in our houses, its a big scam to mess up our electronics and give us interference guys, watch out.

 

[Hannibal]

Keep in mind (However I doubt it in this instance) lots of stores like AZ will push their guys to sell certain kinds of items because the profit margin is higher, etc. They may or may not know any difference, but it happens.

AZ also has "checkout challenges" or at least they used to and they'll push those items with reckless abandon. It used to pay AZ in margin and the counter guy could get a kickback too if he sold enough.

 

[01rangerxl]

I don't understand why someone would go to a retail store employee for oil advice in the first place. What exactly makes an $8 an hour "store associate" the most qualified source of motor oil information? When I need oil for something and I don't know what it takes, I look in the manual. If there is no manual, I look online. I don't think to myself "I guess I'll just go to Wal-Mart and ask them."

 

[pzev]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I don't understand why someone would go to a retail store employee for oil advice in the first place. What exactly makes an $8 an hour "store associate" the most qualified source of motor oil information? When I need oil for something and I don't know what it takes, I look in the manual. If there is no manual, I look online. I don't think to myself "I guess I'll just go to Wal-Mart and ask them."


Because why wouldn't you assume that someone who sells autoparts all day, including automotive fluids, wouldn't know something about the products they sell? The average person would make that logical leap.
And having worked for a parts store, 80% of the people who walked through the door knew absolutely nothing about cars or engine oil, and would routinely ask what oil their car needed. The other 20% were split into two groups, 15% that "thought" they knew everything about everything (these are the guys who buy 20w-50 exclusively, and avoid Pennzoil because it caused sludge), and 5% who were actually skilled mechanics and very knowledgeable. Anyone more skilled was probably a working tech who had a commercial account of some sort.

Besides, anyone posting on BITOG probably knows more about engine oil then 98% of the population....we wouldn't expect you to ask for help at an auto parts store, no self respecting Bitoger would!

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: pzev
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I don't understand why someone would go to a retail store employee for oil advice in the first place. What exactly makes an $8 an hour "store associate" the most qualified source of motor oil information? When I need oil for something and I don't know what it takes, I look in the manual. If there is no manual, I look online. I don't think to myself "I guess I'll just go to Wal-Mart and ask them."


Because why wouldn't you assume that someone who sells autoparts all day, including automotive fluids, wouldn't know something about the products they sell? The average person would make that logical leap.
And having worked for a parts store, 80% of the people who walked through the door knew absolutely nothing about cars or engine oil, and would routinely ask what oil their car needed. The other 20% were split into two groups, 15% that "thought" they knew everything about everything (these are the guys who buy 20w-50 exclusively, and avoid Pennzoil because it caused sludge), and 5% who were actually skilled mechanics and very knowledgeable. Anyone more skilled was probably a working tech who had a commercial account of some sort.

Besides, anyone posting on BITOG probably knows more about engine oil then 98% of the population....we wouldn't expect you to ask for help at an auto parts store, no self respecting Bitoger would!


It is sad, but people really need to realize those days of "knowledgeable salespeople" are pretty much gone. The $8 an hour folks they have nowadays know how to go "beep" with the item barcode and "swipe" with the credit card and that's about it.

John

 

[RedCorvette]

^^ Agreed

But I find that in virtually all walks of life, it's better to be knowledgeable yourself on things that matter to you.

Healthcare is the #1 thing I think we should all be knowledgeable on.

Personal finance is #2 or perhaps even before healthcare.

This board is full of folks for whom the details of cars matters a lot. We are not typical in that respect so don't expect others, especially service writers, car sales people, mechanics, customer service people, to have the same interest. Pretty much the only people as interested and knowledgeable are going to be engineers working in the automotive industry.

 

[fdcg27]

The 15W-40 will work just fine, and is much cheaper than any 5W-40, HDEO or not.
No, it probably isn't as good a choice, much less a better one.
Still, the owner apparently was fairly ignorant to begin with, and the clerk played into that ignorance with more ignorance of his own.
No harm done, other than the continuing trend of increasing levels of ignorance in our scoiety.
The only cure for ignornace is the curiousity that leads you to seek knowledge.
You want to learn about oil?
This would be the place.
You can't learn from someone who knows less than you do.

 

[paulo57509]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I don't understand why someone would go to a retail store employee for oil advice in the first place.......


I always think the same thing when I'm picking up my prescriptions at Walgreens.

 

[stxonall8]

This is exactly why when I'm joking with buddies or have a couple beers in me I get the urge to call those places and ask for radiaters, fan belts, or thermostats for vw bugs or corvairs lol and they havent caught on yet. Yes sir thats exactly who I'm trusting my ride to work to. (kidding)

 

[daves87rs]

Same people that told me Durablend would blow up my engine, because once you go synthetic, you can never go back...

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: RedCorvette
I did an online order at AZ for their M1 oil and filter deal which makes M1 0w40 a good value. The filter I chose was not for the same application. I think that the application goes through to the store when you put in the order.

Anyhow, at pick up, the clerk was puzzled by the filter choice. He asked what car the order was for and I said Mercedes. He then said the filter was not correct, which was correct, and I explained it was for another car.

Then he said, you need 5w30 for a Mercedes. Not only do we have owners running the wrong oil in these extended drain German cars, we have AZ clerks helping them make the wrong choice!


My son in law uses M1 10-30 in both of their late model MB. Seems to work fine.

 

[stroked93]

I hire for a Large Retail Auto Parts Company, I always read about these so called parts people who know about every car and truck built, every nut and bolt every wax, chemical, oil, lubricant. the truth is there isn't a Large pool of talent out there wanting these Jobs, they are long hours and relatively low pay 9-12 a hour. No we don't only hire at minimum wage. There are no(that I know Of) high school guidance counselors recommending our industry as a place to make a career. That being said I have. I have been in parts for 20 years and make a decent wage. on average I would say 1 in 20 want to stay and make a career out of it....

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: cp3

I thought the GM dealer parts guy telling me a PF47 and a PF47E were the same thing was bad....



I hope he meant that either one will work for you, because that is true. But, yeah I bet he doesn't even know the "e" indicated an e-core filter. Sad part is, all GM dealers were given this filter information via GM-Techlink which I doubt any read or the would know.