Jiffy lube, Oilchangers, etc.

A friend of mine used to brag about how he got such a good deal when he got his oil changed at Jiffy Lube. He bragged that they even checked all the filters, etc.

Then, one time, he drove away from getting his oil changed and his car ran really crappy. He took his car to the dealer and spent $200 on new plugs and wires. The car dealer then said they couldn't figure out what was wrong and wanted to charge him to keep replacing things with no guarantee that it would fix the car.

He told them never mind and got his car. He came over to meet me for a golf game and I asked him to pop the hood and I'd take a look at it.

As soon as I poked around, I saw it. The Jiffy Lube guy had left his air cleaner cover disconnected (not fastened down). That was enough to screw up the MAF reading, etc and make the car run terrible.

I snapped the cover back on and the car ran perfect.

I just don't trust those guys to change my oil.

JiffeeLoob is to vehicle service as MacDonalds is to "food"...... if ya want cheap, ya get cheap..... unfortunately, high price is no guarranty of good work - this is a problem with society rather than the trade.

Your serpentine belt is going to break before you get home. We will replace it for $85.00. All your hoses are on the brink of bursting. You may not even make it home unless you let us replace them now. Your windshield wipers need replacing (after I bent them). Your air filter is dirty and choking your engine. It really needs replacing now. etc. etc...............

Your friendly neighborhood Quick Lube Guy

No, Jim, it's more simple than that.

If you want it, you can have it any 2 of 3 ways.

1. It's cheap and fast, it won't be good. 2. It's good and cheap, it won't be fast. 3. It's fast and good, it won't be cheap.

You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Your call.

I've often told customers that same thing..... I do 3 kinds of work.... cheap, fast and good - PICK TWO

It's not limited to things automotive but it has permeated every facet of our lives...... The Mom&Pops that offered great. friendly service have all been replaced by big boxes that answer to shareholders rather than customers. Once they've killed off those scuzzy, do-good, overcharging shills that actually take an interest in our problems, they can play havoc with your check-book.

I don't know about anyone else, but even a 'bad' $6 hamburger tastes much better than most 'good' $1.99 hamburgers....... trouble is, most folks think a $1.99 hamburger is 'good'.

...... we are fast approaching a life where cheap is good and it doesn't matter how bad things are as long as we can bitch about it.... and go back for the next cheap fix to fix what we broke in the last fix.

When I call someone in to do repairs that are best left to those in the know, I want a "worst case" quote..... I have no patience with low-ball

*ssholes digging for work. I want good and I feel I deserve the best - not the cheapest.

I haven't met one yet. I had the oil changed at one because I was out of town and I am religious about fluid changes. The service writer thought that I needed transmission fluid change, rear diff drain and change, coolant flush and fill, fuel injector cleaner...all at outrageous prices. I told him just change the oil. I also told my wife to NEVER take her car to one of these places. We have a good garage that we trust and hasn't steered us wrong. They get our business, and it doesn't take all that much longer to get the oil changed with them, either.

GyppyLube-

Barely got home due to stumbling engine. Found they knocked MAF connector off. Told my radiator overflow tank is empty = $3 bucks to refill it. [I refused] Extra $3 charge on my bill for replacing the oilpan plug (was not told about this beforehand nor shown it afterwards) [refunded and 1/2 price coupon from corp. offices)

These are three different episodes. I don't go to them anymore, either.

I think I've told this story here before:

Went to Jiffy Lube on Long Island, NY last year, with a friend for her Pathfinder. They said it was time to rotate her tires. I asked them what they would set the lug nut torque to? They said: "What's that?" Then they let me talk to the manager. He said: "What's that?" After I explained about lug nut torque settings, that failing to follow them could result in warped rotors, he was so surprised that he thanked me and said he was going to buy himself a torque wrench on the way home so he could check the lug nut torque on his Blazer. Can't believe what they are doing to customers' cars at ol' Impact Wrench City. Kind of gives a whole new meaning to the term "quick lube job," doesn't it? :O)

Your ans. The best quick oil change place:

1) Yourself (get under there, check other stuff out). It will be done right and more cheaply. I won't let anyone touch my Explorer unless it is absolutely necessary! 2) Run it up to Jim Warman's place in the muskeg. (Come on, Jim. Can't you relocate to the good ole US?)

My dealership has a Quicklane built in. Price there is actually a couple dollars cheaper than Jiffy Lube. Always get good service there.

I don't know how it is in your area, but around here the dealers don't waste their service techs on the oil change lane. They hire kids for that, just like most of the other oil changers. They may or may not train them better, I don't know. H

The best way to keep your car out of the shop; is to keep your car out of the shop.

If you set up a system, an oil change shouldn't take longer than a half hour and should only cost ~$12, saves both time and money.

Now if Ford would just stop designing their engines with the oil filter hanging vertically.

What's wrong with vertically? I like vertically.

Me too, prevents most of it from spilling out when replacing.

-- Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . . Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House of Representatives, August 17, 1789

That is assuming they mounted it with the base pointing up- my '65 MGB (and a few other cars that I forget) have the base pointing down, which guarantees a shower of oil everywhere.

I like a vertically-mounted filter because it allows pre-filling, AZ. I always fill the filter before I put it on. Don't know if it makes any difference, but why not?

But thinking about it just now, I'm not sure vertical DOES prevent spilling. My friends' Corollas are horizontal and accessible from the top of the engine compartment. (Unlike a vertical filter, which requires going under the truck). Oddly, I don't remember any oil coming out when I took those filters off. And some oil DOES come out when I loosen the vertical one off on my 92 (Don't you have a 92 too, AZ?) . That makes me think that when you shut off the engine in the Explorer, some oil stays on top of the full filter and gets released when you loosen it. On the Toyotas, the sideways orientation of the filter must allow the oil near the filter and some in the filter to drain away when the engine is turned off. So there's no spillage. On the other hand, maybe there is spillage, and I just don't remember. But you certainly couldn't pre-fill, at least not very much.

If that's right, then there's no anti-drainback valve, which means the filter must be filled before the oil pressure gets high enough to protect the engine on start-up. Something to think about.

Bill Funk Change "g" to "a"

...

That said, I'm not sure I'd have a lot of confidence in the dealer either.

andrew [ snipped-for-privacy@wwwebbers.com]