Quick lube rant

[leeaspell]

So one of our service trucks needed an oil change this week. (2012 Cummins). When he got back he handed me the reciept. It said they put in 5w40 castrol syntec. Being the motor oil nerd that I am, I had never heard of castrol diesel engine oil. So off to Google land I go. Turns out castrol 5w40 is a diesel rated oil, a CF rated oil which basically meets 1993 standards, not the CJ-4 oil speced for this truck.

So I called them up and questioned them on it. The guy obviously had no idea what I was talking about so he asked me to hold. After 10 minutes on hold I knew they knew they screwed up. When he came back he gave a story about how they "just" received the notice and the oil was wrong. They told me being it back down and they would get it out.

All I wondered was, how many other diesel trucks have they put the wrong oil in.


And people call me crazy for doing my own oil changes,

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by leeaspell

So one of our service trucks needed an oil change this week. (2012 Cummins). When he got back he handed me the reciept. It said they put in 5w40 castrol syntec. Being the motor oil nerd that I am, I had never heard of castrol diesel engine oil. So off to Google land I go. Turns out castrol 5w40 is a diesel rated oil, a CF rated oil which basically meets 1993 standards, not the CJ-4 oil speced for this truck.

So I called them up and questioned them on it. The guy obviously had no idea what I was talking about so he asked me to hold. After 10 minutes on hold I knew they knew they screwed up. When he came back he gave a story about how they "just" received the notice and the oil was wrong. They told me being it back down and they would get it out.

All I wondered was, how many other diesel trucks have they put the wrong oil in.


And people call me crazy for doing my own oil changes,

Nothing is as crazy as taking a vehicle to a quick lube place

[leeaspell]

I know, I hate it. But our company "policy" is take it to someone, then when stuff messes up we have someone to blame it on.

I got crap for saving $50 and using synthetic oil and a Mobil 1 filter by changing the oil on our shop van in the shop, 30,000k off warrenty.

[New Hunter Okotoks]

I would hazard a guess that they put the wrong oil into a lot of trucks by the way they responded to you. With the long intervals that people drive with diesels, there could be premature wear and tear happening and the customer has no idea.

I like to do my own oil changes too. I can buy synthetic oil and the high quality filters when they go on sale and still spend less than if I brought it to an oil change place and had a basic change done.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I would guess that not everyone who pays for high end synthetic oil actually gets what they paid for at the quickie drip places. There are just so many ways to get away with screwing a customer that I would be surprised if it did not happen on a regular basis. The guy at the counter could use the wrong filler head and most people wouldn't notice. The synthetic filler head could go into a regular bulk barrel out back and out of sight. Even if the right filler head is used and the hose goes into a synthetic bulk barrel, who's to say that the barrel labeled as synthetic oil was not refilled with cheap grade oil?

[AlbertaClipper403]

Originally Posted by leeaspell

And people call me crazy for doing my own oil changes,

I googled "Crazy" in quotes and your photo showed up. Might not just be the oil changes.

[Winch101]

My bet was 25 posts and I'm sticking to it .....
I'm starting to think Ban Camp returnee .

If you want it done right do it yourself .....

[Kim473]

Years ago I was taking my car into a shell quick lube, one of the first in town. After the third one and they replaced the oil pan plug for the third time because it was stripped. I talked to the manager and questioned him on the great scam they had of billing for a new plug everytime. Had all my previous bills and he was speachless. I told him that I was going to consumer and corprate affairs and reporting im of this fraudulant practice. Don't know what happened after that as I didn't go there anymore.

[CaberTosser]

The old adage you can have it good, fast or cheap (pick any two) kind of falls down with quick-lube places because all you get is fast (and that's if there's no line-up).

Kim473, after 3 stripped plugs one would think the oil pan probably needs replacing too......

[super7mag]

CF - CJ ratings really don't mean much . It's just SAE ratings or specs that they change every now and then . Any 5W40 synthetic oil would be fine in a deisel eng no matter what make. I run 0w40 in both my duramaxes all year around .
Today's oils are much better then that of even 30 years ago and tractors, heavy equip, and heavy trucks still ran back then.
I've litterly done hundreds of bottom ends , and just about as many overhauls on Diesel engines . The best thing you can do is run good oil and change it at reccomened intervals.
I rebuilt a tractor eng with 21,000 hrs on it , when I pulled the mains I was surprised how good of shape they were in. That guy changed oil every 100 hrs whether it needed it or not.
I also rebuilt one that had 6000 hrs that was the filthiest thing I had ever seen . The guys son said they never dropped the oil that his ol man would just screw on a new filter and top up the oil as needed, I scraped a layer of crap/ sludge built up 1/8" thick off the oil pan. Those mains were wore past the Babbitt and if they hadn't cooked a piston when they did I'm sure they would have spun a main shortly.

[Kim473]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

The old adage you can have it good, fast or cheap (pick any two) kind of falls down with quick-lube places because all you get is fast (and that's if there's no line-up).

Kim473, after 3 stripped plugs one would think the oil pan probably needs replacing too......

The pan was steel and the plugs aluminum. No new pan needed. After a couple years going to other places, no plugs ever needed changing. Like I said, SCAM ! They probably never ever replaced the plug, just billed for a new one. If they did that at $3.00 for every person every day.

= $3.00 X 20/day X 350 days = $21,000 per year pure profit in the pocket.
What a SCAM !!!!! I have to wonder what other scaming they were doing????
Watch out for these quick lube places. Son had taken his car into one, they told him that his engine was filthy dirty and he needed it flushed. $ 40.00 I saw this bill and said WTF ? Car had 10,000 km on it and it needed a flush? Called the manager and gave him an ear full. Again, what a SCAM !!! got a free oil change for that one and we have never gone back to that place.

Had an oil change done on my truck at 15,000 km mostly winter km, Never been on a gravel road and they said the air filter needed changing, I looked at it and it looked almost like new. Again SCAM! This was at a dealer.

They pray on the average person now days. Watch out for these lube places.

[Peace Meal Farm]

I just put a 9.75 rear end (housing, ring and pinion, carrier, bearings etc) in a 2012 F150. The truck was a week removed from having the driveline fluids changed at the local quick lube stop. The franchise ate my bill in this case seeing as I found it missing the fill plug. ha

[Duramaximos]

Found a good deal at Southgate chev last week.
Shell T6 synthetic 5L jugs for 32 each and a free filter if you bought 3 jugs.

My duramax is still in warranty so I usually have them do the maintenance but since I bought the parts from them I feel ok about changing oil myself before the warranty expires.

.....I know it shouldn't matter but I've heard enough horror stories of denied claims to avoid the risk until warranty is over.

[KGB]

About 12 years ago I had a tenant that did the oil change at lube city. ... They forgot to put the oil cap back on the engine... He drove for 30 min, parked the car and 10 min later it coughs fire.... Burned to the ground...

[CaberTosser]

I'm pretty sure those places must have a commission based system for the staff, as not much else would explain the hard sell and lies about what you "need".

[creeky]

Originally Posted by jhutter

Nothing is as crazy as taking a vehicle to a quick lube place

our daughter has a fancy crazy expensive ($100k+) vehicle-pick one (BMW, INFINITY, LEXUS, PORSCHE, JAGUAR, FERRARI). She had to leave us to pick up her "being maintained" rig before closing on the friday of the last long weekend.

She came back to eat at our place to then left and after one our other dinner guests set out to leave, they came back in and mentioned a huge pool of oil all over our driveway

Of course service dept closed till Tuesday, and I won't mention the brand because they more than made it right and saved and boosted our kid's plans for the weekend.

Long story short is that they all do it (expensive, cheap) and the moral is to never assume. Now my wife and daughter never pull their faces when i change my own oil.

[bobtodrick]

Don't know why anyone would use one of these places.
Last year I spent my vacation in Southern Alberta and needed an oil change.
Stopped of at a Mr. Lube and paid $45 and was told about all of things that needed attention under the hood and chassis. Would have totaled $150 if I'd done it all (but since I regularly maintain me vehicle I knew it was all bogus).
My regular mechanic (Ital Motors in Edmonton, whom I've dealt with for 30 years and is great) charges $37 for an oil change.
The Mr. Lube may be faster...but if I make my appointment ahead of time Ital does it while I wait anyway.

[KWO]

Yes, these places are typically staffed with "non-experts." but they are probably a decent deal for the standard joe. I used to do all of all of my own oil changes for about 20 years. Lost access to facilities about 6 years ago. Since then I have been getting oil changes from Lube City and others, and have had no issues.

[ghostguy6]

Originally Posted by Kim473

The pan was steel and the plugs aluminum. No new pan needed. After a couple years going to other places, no plugs ever needed changing. Like I said, SCAM ! They probably never ever replaced the plug, just billed for a new one. If they did that at $3.00 for every person every day.

= $3.00 X 20/day X 350 days = $21,000 per year pure profit in the pocket.
What a SCAM !!!!! I have to wonder what other scaming they were doing????
Watch out for these quick lube places. Son had taken his car into one, they told him that his engine was filthy dirty and he needed it flushed. $ 40.00 I saw this bill and said WTF ? Car had 10,000 km on it and it needed a flush? Called the manager and gave him an ear full. Again, what a SCAM !!! got a free oil change for that one and we have never gone back to that place.

Many of the aluminum plugs have the gasket built into the plug so your forced to change the entire plug rather than just throw on a new gasket. I do remember that we were to replace all aluminum plugs due to the fact they would often stretch when we removed them. Also with many of those quick change places your engine comes in hot since its been running for a long time. The treads on the end of the plug that are in the hot oil expand more than the rest of the plug which creates problems since the average customer doesn't want to wait.

I'm pretty sure those places must have a commission based system for the staff, as not much else would explain the hard sell and lies about what you "need"

.

I know Lube City does have a commission if you exceed the weekly quota. For example I got( or should have gotten if they had actually paid me) $2 for every fuel filter I installed after the 8th one per week. This was 15 years ago so I don't know if they have changed that but I doubt it.

You think these scams are bad, you should have your transmission or differential flushed. Many fill plugs on the transmission and differential have magnets on them. When taking the fluid sample many of the "techs" would touch their finger on the end of the plug knowing it would be covered in filings when the fluid might to totally clean.
When you get your transmission flushed I don't think any of the quick lubes actually take the time to drop the pan and change the filter any more, they just hook up the machine and pressurize the system to push any contaminants backwards through the system. After doing this a few times your filter starts breaking down and contaminates the system even more leading to some really expensive repairs.

[rugatika]

Had some great guys at quick lubes that knew a fair bit and were dilligent, and some not so much. I usually keep a close eye on them since the time they got me to start my truck before they put the oil in it.

My brother in law took his tacoma in to a Toyota dealership for an oil change and made it half way home before he realized they forgot to put the oil in it. They gave him a new engine.

At least at a quick lube I can watch what they're doing.

[teledogs]

I used one once in Calgary and left for Red Deer. On the exit to Gasoline Alley the oil plug fell out...

Now I do it my self.

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I'm pretty sure those places must have a commission based system for the staff, as not much else would explain the hard sell and lies about what you "need".

I know the great canadian oil change quick lubes are by commission

[sewerrat]

I usually go to Mobil1, when they do the oil change on my vehicles I get out of the vehicle and watch what they are doing, make sure they put the right oil in, watch them fiddle with the air cleaner etc. Never go to their lounge and read the paper and drink their 7.00 am old coffee.

[calgarychef]

I went for a quickly oil change awhile ago. I'd judt had a new throttle body installed about 3000 km before. Of course the dude rubs his finger inside and shows Mr hoe " dirty" it is. His face was priceless when I called his blubb and told him it was so new. I use these places a lot but just get my oil changed and an occasional air filter or bulb that I'm too lazy to do mtself.

[hogie]

Originally Posted by ghostguy6

Many of the aluminum plugs have the gasket built into the plug so your forced to change the entire plug rather than just throw on a new gasket. I do remember that we were to replace all aluminum plugs due to the fact they would often stretch when we removed them. Also with many of those quick change places your engine comes in hot since its been running for a long time. The treads on the end of the plug that are in the hot oil expand more than the rest of the plug which creates problems since the average customer doesn't want to wait.

.

I know Lube City does have a commission if you exceed the weekly quota. For example I got( or should have gotten if they had actually paid me) $2 for every fuel filter I installed after the 8th one per week. This was 15 years ago so I don't know if they have changed that but I doubt it.

You think these scams are bad, you should have your transmission or differential flushed. Many fill plugs on the transmission and differential have magnets on them. When taking the fluid sample many of the "techs" would touch their finger on the end of the plug knowing it would be covered in filings when the fluid might to totally clean.
When you get your transmission flushed I don't think any of the quick lubes actually take the time to drop the pan and change the filter any more, they just hook up the machine and pressurize the system to push any contaminants backwards through the system. After doing this a few times your filter starts breaking down and contaminates the system even more leading to some really expensive repairs.

Trans flush machines don't push fluid back. Uses the the direction of flow and exchanges the fluid. Many transmissions don't have serviceable filters. Use a screen type that may not be easy to change.

Used to do a filter change when doing Trans services, now mostly just a fluid exchange. I don't think a fast lube place would even try to change a filter on trans if they could. Take them too long.

[bobtodrick]

I do have one funny story from Mr. Lube.
Goes back 25 years and my Alfa Romeo GTV.
With the mods I'd one you had to remove one of the headers to get at the oil filter...so even at my mechanics (aforementioned Ital Motors) an oil change was the basic charge, plus an hour labor.
I took it to a Mr.Lube that I did trust because I knew the manager. They did the oil change for their standard charge, though he was less than happy that it tied up his bay for an hour.
Got away with it two more times...then he told me he didn't want to see my car in there again.