Oil Change Disgust

I posted this on www.netcarstop.com but I thought I would share it here as well.


My wife's truck has a set of tires from Sears on it so she took it there this morning for rotation and alignment and as long as it is there, she said change the oil.

I got a call a few minutes ago from the shop manager. He tells me that when they went to drain the oil that the previous tech (at another place) stripped the drain plug. Now I can understand a plug getting stripped, stuff happens. The difference is the tech knew he did it, because Sears tells me that the drain plug had sealant applied to it to keep it from leaking!

I told the manager to save the plug with the sealant on it and to save the little sticker that they put on the windshield as an oil change reminder. I am going to Express Oil Change this week to have words with them.

I say that I can understand how a plug can get stripped, but really I can't. They do this for a living, how hard is it, unless they are in a hurry and not paying attention.

Look who they hire for work in the pit...

I never leave an oil change place with out inspecting everything. I've caught several things.

They tend to want to do things without asking as well. On my F250 I had a K&N washable air filter. I watched the guy remove the filter, which did not need cleaning, and throw it in the trash. The air cleaner housing had a K&N decal on the outside and the housing itself also had a air restriction guage.

After the guy got a new filter off the shelf, unboxed it, installed it, and buttoned up the housing he came to the window and informed me that he had to install a new filter. I asked if he looked at the gauge? "No" Did you see the K&N decal? "No" Did you know that you just threw away my $70 air filter? "No" I showed him the guage and how to read it and my filter was on top of some boxes in the trash so it was not harmed. It was slightly embarrassing for him.

I had my brand new truck's air filter housing broken one of the few times I took it to a Quick Lube, they used an air drive screwdriver to tighten the screws and broke the mounting ear off. The filter was new and they tried to tell me it needed replacement, it was my "New" K&N filter that I had just put in, and it was the last time I took it in years ago to boot. didn't find out the broke the air filter housing until I changed the oil again in about six months.

Then they were "Checking tires" at -40 outside and put "Wet" air into them and the valve stems froze open, made it about two blocks and three tires were almost flat.

I do my own oil changes...

I dunno ...... Something does not sound right .

The guy said it had sealant around a stripped out plug ???? Thats taking one hell of a gamble . If it had fallen out later and you could prove they did the oil change ,you would have been in line for a brand new engine . Thats what they have insurance for . I saw it happen here on a fire truck here in town . It cost the lube shop big bucks to replace that Cat 3208 engine .I would look that plug over very close to determine who really did the stripping . Best of luck in getting it resolved .

Tractors4u said:

They do this for a living, how hard is it, unless they are in a hurry and not paying attention.

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Its called "Minimum wage high school kid drop outs" that don't give a crap"

I'd suggest doing it yourself, but then the manufacturer will screw you if they get the chance.

BigAl said:

Its called "Minimum wage high school kid drop outs" that don't give a crap"

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Does giving them a few dollars an hour more help their attitude? I say not.


One time my wife had the oil changed on the our suburban. Next thing I know I am getting a panick phone call from the place doing the work trying to find my wife. The guy said we noticed as she drove away there was oil running from underneath out suburban. A guy tried to follow her but she out ran them. Luckily my wife came to my office. Yeah oil running all over the place. The service agency came over and pulled the filter. The gasket was totally missing and he said see we had a defective filter. I told the guy you full of shi*t. You had a guy that didn't know what he was doing put that filter on that was missed the gasket.


murph

thcri said:

Does giving them a few dollars an hour more help their attitude? I say not.
murph

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Ahhhh
Good Morning my friend

Nope it don't help a bit .

BigAl said:

Ahhhh
Good Morning my friend

Nope it don't help a bit .

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Dang it is good to have you back Al. The drop out thing bugged me. They shouldn't be drop outs, they should be in school. And I remember the days when you and I were both young and having a job after school and summer was great even if it wasn't at minimum wages. I remember picking thistles for like a buck an hour. A paper route that didn't pay crap but it taught me responsibility of having to be there every night to deliver no matter what my friends were doing. Oh yeah and I milked cows too, that was a responsibility teaching lesson if there ever was one. But I guess for another thread as I am taking this off topic.

murph

OK, ok, enough about thistle picking! Ha ha.

We picked the truck up. It was Wal Mart that did the last oil change and who ever put that plug in was not discreet with the Permatex. It was globbed on pretty good.

Tractors4u said:

OK, ok, enough about thistle picking! Ha ha.

We picked the truck up. It was Wal Mart that did the last oil change and who ever put that plug in was not discreet with the Permatex. It was globbed on pretty good.

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Are they getting their oil change technicians from CHINA too ??

That's why I still do my own oil changes. That way I know the filter is on right,drain plug is tight w/o being stripped and all fluids are checked. Also grease whatever needs it. Heard too many horror stories from those quikie oil change outfits.
Mike