Wish Repair Shops Would Listen Better

There is one major part of this story missing. What was the response when the OP said, "look, I know this car, it LIKES 15w-40, put that in after you do the service, thank you". The story jumps from that to getting the car back home. The integrity of the shop weighs entirely on what that response was. If they said, "No, I'm sorry, we can't do that." then that's completely different then if the service writer said, "Yeah, sure, we can do that." and then didn't do it.

Another major part of the story missing here is how did the OP know it was 5w-20? That's left out. Does it say that on the work order? If so, why wasn't this seen while still at the shop where you could have brought it up to the service writer? If the OP knows this was 5w-20 just by pulling the dipstick and looking at it, that's sounds pretty sketchy. There's no way you can know with enough certainty to condemn a shop just by looking at some oil on a dipstick.

And then not checking oil for 2 months when you supposedly know it's going to burn faster. You don't "get busy for 2 months". Just say you forgot to check it. It happens. We're all human. You're allowed to forget to do things.

I just see a lot of people filling in the blanks on their own here based on their own biases. I'd like more information before passing judgement on someone.
I believe I touched on all of your points in my post above - yes, I agree, lots of questions
 
but that they lied to the customer. There is no excuse for it.
Shady practice to tell the customer they will follow his/her request only to do something else. Quite simply they are liars. There is no justifying it.
Where in the OP's post did he say that they acknowledged his request and would do it ?
 
I went to Jiffy Lube and the guy says we may be out of the recommended 5-20 oil.
I said put 5-30 in instead,he says we have to use what is recommended.
Wal-mart won't even install an oversized oil filter.
...and in the OP's story, they would only put in the manufacturer's spec'd oil viscosity. Everyone notice a theme here ? I agree and support the different shops on this and if the vehicle owner wants something out of spec, do it yourself.
 
...and in the OP's story, they would only put in the manufacturer's spec'd oil viscosity. Everyone notice a theme here ? I agree and support the different shops on this and if the vehicle owner wants something out of spec, do it yourself.
I have a small business that has a retail division and a service division. We perform service in a client's home instead of a shop, but it works exactly as it does for businesses that bring stuff into a shop. I can tell you that we absolutely never deviate from manufacturer specifications, and in our industry, only OEM parts are used, period. I don't care if someone's equipment is out of warranty, I don't care if they "know" their equipment, I don't care what they tell me about it, I have no way to know what they are telling me is true. If I deviate from specs, even if I have a customer sign a waiver, I'm still liable. These things don't usually work the way most people think it does, and in a civil case, the buck will always stop with the expert and professional, regardless of what waivers they have the client sign. The best you could hope a waiver will do is split the liability. Yes, I have lost customers because of this policy, but I will stand by it until the end of time. In the long run, it's way more cost effective for me.
 
even if I have a customer sign a waiver, I'm still liable. These things don't usually work the way most people think it does, and in a civil case, the buck will always stop with the expert and professional, regardless of what waivers they have the client sign.
That's my understanding of waivers as well. At best, the customer might be fooled enough and tell themself "well, I signed that waiver so I guess I can't do anything about this...." and not pursue it. If they choose to pursue it though, the company that they contracted with will be in court, spending $$$ on attorneys, and probably end up settling (i.e. "losing").
 
That's my understanding of waivers as well. At best, the customer might be fooled enough and tell themself "well, I signed that waiver so I guess I can't do anything about this...." and not pursue it. If they choose to pursue it though, the company that they contracted with will be in court, spending $$$ on attorneys, and probably end up settling (i.e. "losing").
The reason the outcome is usually unfavorable to the business (in cases like this hypothetical) is that the burden on the plaintiff is only a preponderance of evidence (more than 50% in weight of their complaint). It is just not worth the hassle to acquiesce to customer requests like the OP's. And like you just said, even if the business "wins", they lose.
 
Not a good time to check the oil level. I can't get a proper level reading after a short 5 min stop.

Cold in the morning before setting off, or after work before leaving for home.
I guess it depends on the engine. Both mine allow quite accurate reading when I shut the engine off, start fueling, pop hood, pull and wipe dipstick and then in/out again to read it. At least low oil level can be caught this way. Also, if engine burns oil as a fact, why not check level for two months? Not very smart thing to do regardless how busy you are.
 
Not a good time to check the oil level. I can't get a proper level reading after a short 5 min stop.

Cold in the morning before setting off, or after work before leaving for home.
huh? 5 min during a gas stop is more than adequte to get a reading. How long does your car's oil take to drip back down to the pan?
 
Kia and Hyundai recommend checking the oil when it’s at operating temperature after sitting for a few minutes (like after pumping gas, that’s when I check mine).

It only takes a minute to pop the hood and check. If I had an oil burner, I don’t know how I could be too busy to check the oil while I’m already at the gas station.
 

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My manufacturer recommends checking oil when the engine is full hot, but has rested for 15 minutes. Same with the trans fluid levels after a full hot run at highway speeds for at least 20 miles then rested for 15 minutes.

It will vary by manufacturer. Luckily mine isn't a model that requires you to insert a graduated tube after calculating/ measuring full hot transmission core like a few Asian makes. So always double check your manual or a service book for your needs.
 
How much did the water pump run you?

My wife has the same engine in her ford edge sport and been debating having it done on hers. I run PUP 5w30 synthetic and the car seems to love it.
 
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I've found my Nissan Versa likes Citgo Supergard 10w40 conventional better than Pennzoil Platinum 10w30 synthetic. The oil would always be just below the full mark when using the 10w40 (maybe 1/4 quart low) when the next oil change came around. With the 10w30 I had to add 1/2 a quart about 2/3 of the way though this interval. 10w40 will go back in it at the next OC. I'm not going to blame this solely on the oil because I know there are many factors in gas mileage but my gas mileage has also be lower on this OCI.
 
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I understand why they used 5w20, but they should have clarified that with you first. One of many reasons I do my own oil changes. I want to know what goes in.
 
huh? 5 min during a gas stop is more than adequte to get a reading. How long does your car's oil take to drip back down to the pan?
More than 5 mins, obviously. The oil tends to hang around the diptube. I like to pull and check - not pull, wipe, reinsert and check. So I check after a multi hour - or overnight - drainback.
Subaru and Ford.

I think some European dipsticks with a round shaft and large heads tend to not misread as there is no flat bade of the stick to contact the dip tube walls and draw in oil.
 
If you've run that engine for the majority of its life on a 40w then fine- I guess it's ok but I would not keep stepping up viscosity just to stop a leak. I mean gear oil would probably burn even less but would not be a good choice (I wouldn't think).
 
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