ot180

Yall would have to be there to believe it. I live in a small college town so a good shop is hard to find. A new mobil one shop just opened so i went down to get the oil changed (i know i know do it yourself). I brought my own 15000 mile oil. Anyway i give the keys to the service manager and he points me to the waiting area. Yeah right! Yall watch over your car too? Im standing right next to the car while they work on it. The guy goes to get my car. He starts rolling into the curb. Wow! you cant even get it in reverse. I was patient and explaned the **** to him. So he pulls it in the bay riding the clutch the whole way. The tech is standing at the front of the car trying to figure out how to open the hood. Wrong way dummy. It was everything i could do not to leave. Then he adds coolant and spills it all over the front of the car. I had to ask him to clean it off. He used windex. I was beyond angry by this point. Never will i ever go back

rocco16

That's fairly typical of oil change places.
If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.

Larry
code5coupe

OdinsRage

of course... shame on you for even bringing it there! you know what to expect at quickie lube places!

l1sikes

I get irritated when those places stick the grease gun on the zerk fittings without wiping them off first. They pump grease, your dirt, and dirt from the guy before you, into your ball joints and tie rod ends.

P.S. - I only go to those places when an oil change/grease job comes due while on a long vacation, but it still hurts.

SJW

And all too often, they'll also pump so much grease into the joint that it ruptures the boot.

I do nearly all of my own work, and I do it mostly as a matter of self-defense...

Be well,

SJW

ot180

yall are 100% right. I guess i just saw it was mobil one and trusted them. Lesson learned. However, if you are going to work on cars you need SOME knowledge. I knew how to open the hood of a corvette before i started grade school.

96Eric

I had a similar bad experience at a Mobil 1 shop near me in Apopka, Florida. Mine was far worse though. I had a vortech mustang at the time and I took it there b/c I was in a jam and really needed it done. Everything goes well and Im driving home in the pouring rain and the hood flys open and just about bends when I slam the breaks. The dude didn't put the oil cap back on and just left it on the side fender. Then he shut the hood on top of the oil cap so it latched but was putting pressure on the oil cap that was just sitting on the inside of the fender. Make a long story short, Mobil 1 bought me a painted new hood, re-changed all my fluids, and gave me all my money back. I still would never go back though. Im just glad they paid for their mistake, and not me.

SJW

I never regard an oil change as being an urgent matter.

If circumstances dictate, I will drive my car with dirty oil in it for many miles until I am able to change it myself, rather than let anyone else do the job (especially a quick-lube shop employee).

I'm confident that the chances of avoiding major damage are stacked heavily in my favor for taking this approach.

Be well,

SJW

SLOWRIDE

Leftoverture

Another problem with the quick lube places is they over tighten the drain plug. Just try to get it off yourself next time. You'll see the threads will be all chewed up from over torquing. I get my Mobile One from Walmart (it's relatively cheap there) and do the work myself. If you've had a quick lube place do it, buy yourself a new drain plug when you do it yourself. With proper torque, the drain plug will never leak and will last virtually forever.

kdf1986

Its because of stories like this that I do all my oil changes myself.

kdf

Hogan

Plus it gives you a sense of accomplishment. As long as you don't burn your arm on the cat (don't ask) or spill the oil.

eschoendorff

Oh good lord, Hogan! Are we gonna have to take your tools away???!!!

corvette1989bham

I take my car to the 10 minute oil change where I sit in the car. I can supervise and point out everything they are doing wrong. I let them do oil changes,trans fluids, stuff like that only. the other day I went in with my museum 89 (18k original) miles and the got everything done OK told them to clean off around the drain plug, pre-fill the filter, took my own bottled Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 filter. Paid for my service then the MANAGER went to close the hood and started shaking the whole car and I thought he was going to crack my hood before I could shout "IT DOESNT CLOSE THAT WAY" he didnt align the hood prop to close and was trying to FORCE it down as HARD as he could with two hands. If I hadnt been there it would have been serious damage with paintwork. We would have been in court for years over that one.

Kinkajou

I am from Mexico, and once heard the term " Grease Monkey", and after seeing how some mechanics work it seems about right.

I usually do all the work I can, even if I like to do it. The reason is to protect my car from a person that will not give a hoot about another persons property.

Honestly, how many mechanics have you seen using a torque wrench.
I have not seen one do it here, and I am talking GM mechanics in GM shops!!

I will only take the car to the mechanic if I do not have the tools for the job , a Helms manual can surely replace the need for a mechanic without doubt, considering you have some skills , time and patience.

Aquaman92

I took my company van to Jiff Lube and watched them they changed the oil started the car up then they changed the filter.

bluealtered

After reading this and as many posts here i can every morning over a cup o mud, THE message remains the same, this is your baby, do it your self, or learn how to do it your self. When you cut corners you get what youy pay for!
As for dealers, i have worked for a few, some are good, some arent, you are paying the bill, ask them for some corvette owners that are happy with their work, or simply go to the bbb and check their record. joe

redwing76

I have my oil changed everytime and I've never had a problem.
I use the dealer and a place that just does oil changes.
I've been going to the same place for 10 years. Never a problem.

CentralCoaster

I'd rather go on a 3,000 mile vacation on 5k on old oil then let them change it.

JCD

I let the dealership change it last time because they gave me a deal (local corvette club), it hasn't blown up yet.

In general I do as much work as I can (mainly because I can't afford the $75/hr for labor). It's pathetic, but I get a sense of pride from changing my own oil. I know that it was all drained and that the extra metal shavings from the threads of the filter was removed prior to being installed.