The crap they try to sell you...

Did you check your oil level after the retards were done "servicing" the vehicle?

Why do you let them change your oil, to save time?

It would take me about an hour and a half to do it myself. I don't even have to get out of the truck this way. However, I don't think I will go back to this place. I usually go to a different place, where I like them and they seem competent.

Yup - they work on commission and don't make much on simple oil changes. Suspect if you had bit on the trans fluid change they would have done nothing but charge you for it!

Holy shit.....I can't believe I'm reading this. Are you actually saying that one of your criteria for service is not having to get out of your truck???

Not exactly, but one of the criteria for service is my very valuable time. If I can get the same quality from a drive though than I could do myself. Why waste time that could be otherwise spent doing something important, like spending it with my family?

When one of those places either hurts your car, or fails to see some bad situation developing which requires a future repair, all the time you saved will be gone, and then some.

Here's a scenario you should seek to experience:

I go to my regular mechanic for oil & filter. If he and I don't waste time talking about fishing, my car's in & out in 20 minutes. Usually, it's 30 because he likes to chatter. He checks all the fluids, topping them off for free if they need it. He goes over the entire bottom of the car with a big light, and seems to enjoy giving the customer a guided tour. He knows I tow a boat, and expect the parking brake to work on steep ramps, so he makes sure the cables, brackets & springs are blasted clean, lubed and working freely. Then, there's the "I think you're runnin' these tires with a little too much air" discussion, which has never come to a conclusion he's happy with, so we agree to disagree. He degreases door hinges & latches because since the last visit, they've usually got dirt clinging to the old grease, so he sprays on fresh lubricant (very picky).

A month ago, my son set up an appointment for the first oil change for his new-used car. The mechanic had him come in at 4:00 PM because he knew he could spend some time with him, acquainting him with the bottom of the car and explaining some of the noises he was hearing. "Here's the source of the oil on the driveway that your dad mentioned. We'll take car of that when we do the timing belt, and you watch your oil level until then, and that occasional creaking noise is coming from here & no need to worry about it....".

That's a mechanic.

I don't understand why you give a shit what I do with my car. I have my priority's straight, and it works for me. You will never convince me to do things your way, I don't even feel the slightest need to try to make you understand my motives. So when you show up at my door ready to start paying for my truck, I will take your advice under consideration. Until that day comes... find somebody else who gives a shit. Because I don't.

Two things:

In your initial message, YOU provided a number of reasons why you shouldn't go to those instant oil change places. And, without intending to do so, you made it clear that they were not looking out for YOUR best interests (see below). No matter who you do business with, in any product category, you should expect to receive the maximum benefit 100% of the time.

With a car, "your best interests" is defined as doing whatever is possible to assure that you have no mechanical failures which can put you (or others) in danger. Example: Last summer, on the NY State Thruway, a woman's car left the highway and ended up in a ditch, killing the passenger. No rain, broad daylight, no alcohol involved, not an elderly driver, no other vehicles involved (fortunately). The state police found that one of her ball joints had failed, if I recall. This could have been prevented.

How many times have you seen "misunderstandings" because someone's signal light wasn't working? Not accidents, but almost. My son's 17, and a new driver. He spots them constantly. If you go for an oil change and your mechanic spots a bad light bulb, hasn't he made your car safer for your family?

The possible reasons for accidents is a short one: Weather, other drivers, your mental & physical condition, and the mechanical condition of your car. You can control most of that list. But, unless you do your own mechanical work, you need a decent mechanic. The way to keep a car safe is to be proactive, rather than waiting until things go wrong.

Unlike the folks that hang in NGs you understand that in the finite world in which we live, time is more important than money. It becomes more obvious to most as one grow older. ;)

mike

Yeah, but when your car puts you in the hospital or kills you, it puts a different spin on the idea of saving time.

Going to a quick lube instead of mechanic, for a routine oil change, is not likely to make you an any more risk of putting your family in danger. You are now grasping at straws.

Three comments, and a two questions:

1) You apparently haven't spent enough time in this and other automotive newsgroups to read some of the horror stories about quick lube places.

2) It's not necessarily what they DO that can cause problems. It's what they DON'T do. If you don't agree with this, you must be too young to have enough perspective about cars.

3) Since everything I said in my previous message was true, your "grasping at straws" idea is logically impossible.

Question: Who does the rest of your mechanical work? How many times a year do you have your oil changed?

You could go that far... But more likely they will end up ruining your car causing you downtime trying to get it repaired.

Dante

He sounds like a keeper, Joe. I am equally blessed with such a mechanic.

All 3 guys at this place are keepers. I've been with them for 20 years. I wish I'd kept a running total of the stuff they told me NOT to spend money on, like when I wanted to jazz up the suspension on my Taurus so it could do better at towing.

I have spent enough time in Usenet to know that people don't visit too often to let everybody know that everything is going just fine. If you are drawing your conclusions based on what you have read here, you drawing your conclusions from a pool of people who are pre-equipped with issues.

I'm 40 years old. I have spent a good portion of my life working as a Service Manager at a major auto dealer. I have seen my share of mechanic f*ck ups, believe me when I tell you they aren't limited to quick-lube places. I would bet dollars to donuts that given the limited scope of the services they perform, they probably mess up a lot less cars than the dealer does.

True, but are they pre-equipped with facts, or imaginary issues? We can never really know. I'll tell you this, however: I accompanied an acquaintance to two different quick lube places. They were filthy and disorganized, and I think that reflects on the people who do the work. If you're so rushed that you can't keep your surroundings in good shape, I wonder about the quality of the work itself.

Again, it's also what they DON'T do that can cause trouble. Not all mechanical failures can be prevented, but many can, if someone bothers to look. Since you *can* find a mechanic who will making "looking" a regular routine while you're there for other stuff, it's nuts not to find such a person. Another issue is transparency. Will the mechanic show you what he's talking about on your car, or are they into the "insurance regulations" thing? The people I go to make a habit of teaching their customers, which generates trust, and obviously, that leads to more business.

Another thing: It makes sense to have all your work done in one place, so there's a certain level of continuity of thought, especially as the car ages. This assumes you can actually speak to the same person year after year, which often rules out car dealerships. A service writer looking at a computerized work record is not the same as speaking to the person who did the work.