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.

[ablose58]

Never trust your vehicles to a Monkey! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wavey.gif) AL

[Joe Ricard]

And you wonder wht us CSOB's do all our own work? It usually only gets done once because it was done right the 1st time. The car is mine so I will take the time to do it right. I won't make any more money doing other things (not sure why I still get caught in that trap).

Back to your car I would actually check the vaccuum lines as they are the easiest to Fuck with and will give that idle symptom. Then thy will charge you an arm and a leg for a motor mount if they really change it.

Maybe documented pictures of the what ever it was that they screwed with and send it to Corporate aling with a scathing letter telling them about all the 1500 + 914 club members who are now really pissed.

[ejm]

The fast lube places are good for business at my shop.

Common screw-ups are oil leaks from filters and drain plugs left loose, stripped drain plugs and oil filler caps left off. Also see check engine lights on from vacuum lines or MAF connectors left loose after checking the air filter.

Bigger F ups include oil level way over filled from forgeting to drain the old oil, blown motors from oil leaking, and tranny's drained by mistake.

Usually they come in thinking any problem is covered under warranty. Few people are happy when a five dollar savings end up as a $40 to 10K repair bill.

[tdgray]

Those places are freakin rip off BIG TIME.

Reminds me of a friend of mine who used to work at a parts store (Forest City Auto Parts - pretty big chain of stores - they are now out of business). They intentionally deceived customers as a company policy. If you called for a part they would get the info from you and say yep we've got that in stock (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bs.gif) it is 10.99, come on down and remember to ask for Steve (cause they made commision). Well they didn't know if they had the part nor did they care. When you went in they would tell you that it just got sold but they could have one for you the next day (if you paid for it right now). <_<

IF they actually did have it they would go for the upsell like a pitbull on coke.

>>>>> Best bad used car salesman voice>>>>

"Well you like this car? Yeah well then you need the lifetime warranty part........ You use this car for work / weekend driving/ any other f'in thing? Then you need the heavy duty part.

Then they would go in the back slap a couple of heavy duty and lifetime warranty stickers on the regular part box and your 10.99 part just turned into a 49.99 part ----- PURE FREAKIN PROFIT.

To add insult to injury they had a bell in the back that everytime the salesperson would slam a customer like that they would go back and ring the bell basically advertising to the other salespeople that they F'd someone. I'm sure all this did was put the other salesmen into a feeding frenzy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/finger.gif)

And you wonder why this place is out of business?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[airsix]

I second Joe's suggestion. Check the vacuum lines. Check the intake boot between the mass airflwow sensor and the throttlebody. They might have torn the bellows when prying up on it to check the air filter. I'd check for a split across the bottom or the 'acordian' section. (I've seen this before more than once). An unmetered air leak on a MAF equiped engine will often go unnoticed above idle, but will cause a rough idle and/or hesitation coming off idle.

Never ever take your car to a quick-lube. When I was younger I worked in an excellent shop (I was very lucky). About 30% of your business was fixing dealership and quick-lube screwups. The rest of our business was repeat business from those same customers. The dealers aren't too bad for the most part, but the quick-lube places are like an episode of monster-garage with apes.

-Ben M.

[GaroldShaffer]

I guess we are pretty lucky here in my not so small city anymore. There a few chain type lube places here but there is also a ma & pa quick lube place here that does small repairs also.

They have been around since I was a kid (I'm 38 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) )
My father went there & so do I for all the non P-car stuff. Excellent service, honest, and yes they have "kids" working there but under the supervision of the owner or his son. yes. they do make mistakes but they have been honest about it. They round off a drain plug once in my wifes car, replaced the plug & FREE oil change. Also bent one of my steel rims when mounting the Falkens, paid for a "new" rim and no charge for balance & mounting of all tires.

To bad all places are not like these guys.

- Garold

PS just for the record it's Portage Quick Oil

[rick 918-S]

We have an Xterra. I changed the oil exactly once! I will never do it again. The factory didn't provide access through the skid plate for the drain plug!

We had an injector stick once. caused a shutter at an idle. The dealer wanted $ 100. to add injector cleaner to the fuel tank. They stated if we paid and it didn't clear up they would replace the injectors under warrentee. If we didn't pay, no warrentee. We drove it for a couple of miles and it cleared up.

Check to see if they knocked a vacum hose off someplace around fill cap.

[davep]

If you do talk to them, make sure they know up front that you have work experience in the business, and know the sales routine. They will realize they can't pull the wool over your eyes and cut out the BS. Too bad you didn't tell them before they did the service.

[mikester]

It looks like it's over a quart over full.

I'm taking it back over there now.

[John]

I'm surprised to hear that they still leave drain plugs loose or strip drain plugs. I thought they stopped using the drain plugs entirely. I thought they all suck the oil out the dipstick tube. I know that some do.

My father-in-law brought his new truck over and wanted me to change his oil. He said he took it to a quickie lube and they wanted to change all the fluids telling him they were all dirty (it only had 2500 miles on it).

Well to make a longer story short, when I put it up on my lift, the factory paint on the drain plug was never disturbed. That drain plug had never been out. He insisted that they changed oil and filter... Indeed, the truck had a differrent filter on it, so they did change that...

I too worked in a good shop when I was younger and we did perform a few repairs on cars done at quickie places. We too had a large following of regular customers... I only take my cars to others to work on when I can't do the work in my shop (alignments and AC work). I own all the other tools required to do any other work.

[Uncle Richy]

A year after I bought my first 914 I took it to EZ Lube for the $19.95 oil change. They took one look at it and said "that'll be $40.00". I asked them why and they say it was because it was a P-car. I already knew it was much easier to change the filter and fill the oil than the 1985 Ford Tempo I once owned (which they did change for $19.95). Haven't been back there since. :finger2:

[airsix]

A year after I bought my first 914 I took it to EZ Lube for the $19.95 oil change. They took one look at it and said "that'll be $40.00". I asked them why and they say it was because it was a P-car. I already knew it was much easier to change the filter and fill the oil than the 1985 Ford Tempo I once owned. Never been back there since. :finger2:

I know the feeling. I had a reputable local allignment shop refuse to do my 914 when I showed up for my appointment. Guy wouldn't even give an explanation. Just said he woudn't do it and went back to work on another rig. (He had done a nice job on my first 914 a few years earlier) I resisted the urge to spray gravel all over his El Camino as I left his lot.

-Ben M.

[Aaron Cox]

A year after I bought my first 914 I took it to EZ Lube for the $19.95 oil change. They took one look at it and said "that'll be $40.00". I asked them why and they say it was because it was a P-car. I already knew it was much easier to change the filter and fill the oil than the 1985 Ford Tempo I once owned (which they did change for $19.95). Haven't been back there since. :finger2:

i had some same kinda crap today froma an alignment shop. advertised at 40 dollars. wanted 69.95 because its a pcar. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pissoff.gif)

[John]

I had a reputable local allignment shop refuse to do my 914 when I showed up for my appointment. Guy wouldn't even give an explanation. Just said he woudn't do it and went back to work on another rig.

I had a guy try to refuse as well. I showed him that all six of my bolts could be removed/tightened easily without breaking them. He then would do the alignment. He once broke one of the bolts in a car and was nearly sued. Apparently 914's have become notorious for problems with alignments.

[mikester]

HAd them drain all the oil and refill it with the proper amount. Again the truck runs smooth as silk.

They stayed an hour later than closing waiting for me to show too - so I'll give them that.

But I'm still calling the manager and writing a nasty letter regarding the sales technique they used on me.

Oh, and I'm not a customer of theirs any longer.

[4WheelDrifter]

I've got a 99 Frontier with 108,000 miles and runs strong and smooth. Why? I do the work on it myself. I use only Full synth oils and Nissan OEM parts. Even Nissan wiper blades last the longest.

I'm pretty hard on the truck taking it off-roading. Still comes back for more.

(IMG:http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid109/p8b0e8184c42c11229da5e7ad9c26f16a/f93254fd.jpg)

99% of the Oil change places scare me.

[Powerman]

I like the kid that tried to sell me automatic tranny service for manual T-bird. Ok, did you drive it into the bay? Did you push in the clutch? Poor kid!

How about the oil I payed extra for?? Got a 5 quart flush I guess.

One time there were five people looking under the hood, I just knew something was up. Manager was showing them the turbo system because my motor was so clean??

What part of don't mess with my air filter don't you understand? Ignoring my pre work briefing, and the big sticker on the side. Did you know there was oil in your filter? Why yes, that's part of the design of a K&N filter. Get the damn thing out of the trash, and if it's messed up your paying.

Only went to these places when I was out of town, or without facilities. I still check the drain bolt and filter.

[dmenche914]

One of the quick places did my dads honda for a tune up, started running bad later that day, found one of the plugs out, held on by the wire, and the other three all starting to back out. need I say more, he never went back.

dave

[TimT]

Ive used jiffy lube type places for many of my daily drivers...

and have never has a problem...

Yes this goes against the grain of this thread

First I rarely let anyone "sell" me something. I just want a oil and filter change.

The power steering flush and other services are defered with a simple NO

I dont give a crap what there opinion of my air filter is.... oils and filter thats it!!!

I usually spec a synth oil for my daily driver.. and they dont have that in there bulk oil supply...so I get to count how many quarts they put in..

I watch as the guy pours in the oil....

Never had a prob with a stripped drain plug...

On my Porsches I do all the oil changes...

Its part of the Zen of owning a Porsche..

Also when I use the jiffy lube its for convenience... they get rid of the old oil and filter.. for thirty bucks or so

so anyhoo.... thats my experience