OT! Quick Lube places, bastards Options

[mikester]

Recently we had a news expose on the quick lube chains EZ Lube, Jiffy lube and Econo Lube. EZ and Jiffy didn't do so well in that they pressured customers into services they didn't need and recommended services based on fluid color (against written company policy but encouraged) rather than strictly by mileage and maintenance history.

When I was in college back in Florida I worked at a Jiffy Lube for a few years - it was actually a fun job - I got to work on cars and such. I hated the sales part though - it was rough - you had quotas and such and it really seemed like a rip off so I made myself the "pit man" and made sure that I was the best at it and would always be under the cars rather in front of the customer.

So, I took my truck to EZ Lube today because just getting an oil change isn't a big deal. Right?

Well, I go in and the truck is running smooth as silk - it's an Xterra with the 3.3L v6 and it has always run well. They recommend to me every service they have, show me the color of the fluids and everything they aren't supposed to do by policy. I say "No Thank you" and go back inside. They finish up and I get in to leave. I'm sitting at the light just a mile or so down the road idling and it just seems like the engine isn't balanced - it's rough. Power's all there but there this odd out of balance thing going on. So, I turn it around and take it back. I tell them it's running rough now and you can feel it best at idle. So, they get in the truck and start revving it. Morons, I say excuse me - You can feel it best at idle - why don't you try that. So he tries it - it idles very steady but it's just rough and it wasn't when I brought it in. Then they say, I'm due for a tune up and that's probably why it is running rough. Of course - it wasn't rough when I brought it in. They stand around for another minute or two - poking around and then one of them says "might be a broken motor mount."

Then I just said "Close the hood" and got in the truck and took it home. I haven't really driven it since and I'll check it all out this weekend but...from now on...I do my own oil changes on the Xterra too.

I'm going to contact the manager tomorrow - now that I'm cooled off.