Quick oil change shop Poll: (places like JiffyLube)

i woundnt let any of those places touch my vehicle i do it myself

 

I use to have my local quick lube do it. And they seamed to do a pretty descent job everytime. Only bc I could see them and watch them verry closely.
But now Im kinda having second thaughts.....

 

Goofy Goob!!!!

had a friend in high school that worked at a jiffy lube.... he still doesn't know how to change his own oil...

 

I have always done my own services in the past but have been using a lube shop for my Taco. Not much differnt in price from doing it myself & don't have to freeze my fingers at -40. I also have proof the services were done on time. Do I watch what they do? They now know that I demand to watch every step, and they don't even add oil without me confirming what's going in. I wouldn't use a shop that doesn't let you get in the pit.

 

The difference is one's a certified tech that went through alot of schooling to mainly work on one specific brand of vehical, the other is a kid making minimum wage that probably dropped out of high school. If you feel comfortable going to jiffy lube that's your decision but there's alot of data advising against it. That said I don't trust anyone doing my oil changes...I do my own.

 

honestly its an oil change .. ether you tell them what kind of oil to put in or the computer tells them. you drain the oil and put new in. there aren't to many ways to mess that up. if you do get it done there check before you leave to make sure the oil level is full and check to see that its not leaking. like snowman said you can get screwed at a JL or a dealer you just have to find a place that does good work. or change the oil yourself get to know your truck or car that way when you take it to a place to can make sure its done correct. The JL by me is really good, other then them trying to get me to buy the fuel system service or air filters or wiper blades there good. but thats all a part of the business

 

doesn't mean the certified tech is more honest or less likely to rip you off. thats why i fell its good to have some automotive knowledge so if someone is feeding you some BS you can catch it

 

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Sorry, I just do not trust them. My Tacoma is so easy, I will do it as long as I have the truck.

FWIW ... my wife's Honda dealer is excellent ... but they know that I am picky too.
(I have the service writer WRITE on the work order any previous vehicle damage (dings, chips, scratches, etc.) BEFORE it goes to the back for service)

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it is hit or miss, just like any nationwide franchise. there is no blanket statement that can be made to accurately represent these places other than that.

when i was a kid i worked for monro muffler/brake. i had a great attention to detail and was driven to do a good job. we had a tweaker who worked with us who was the complete opposite. it just depends.

IMO, blackstone oil report, proven HQ filter/ high quality true synthetic and your own two hands - the things that will keep you from worrying if you are getting ripped off or wasting money/oil ; )

 

My buddy got a job working at a dealership straight out of HS. He exclusivley does oil changes. Don't expect the dealership to be any better.

 

I worked at one of these establishments over a summer during high school so I am a little biased. I would say the majority of the time we would do a good job with the work, but if a vehicle came in that we did not have an oil filter for the manager would tell us to leave the old filter on. So there is no way I would ever take my truck anywhere to get work done and will do everything myself.

 

yep. lube tech or express service tech. i personally have more faith in the chances at a dealership than the other places, simply because of the recourse available, but that isn't saying much.

 

I would have to say I've been to quick lube places for many years and with many cars. Probably over a hundred times. I've only had one problem back in 1980 with one place that didn't check that the oil filter gasket was removed. They put another filter on top of it. My '79 Monte Carlo sprung a leak. I was refunded my money. It's hard to cover up leaving old oil and an oil filter. Open the hood, check the dipstick for clean oil and look at the filter to see if it's shiny new.

Where do you guys recommend going if you are elderly or unable to change your oil?

BTW, I change my oil now to save $$$.

 

Great Stories and responses. I am glad to know that it is okay to get in the pit and watch them change your oil. The Jiffy Lube I went to has all sorts of tools and stuff blocking the view from the waiting area to the pit. I now realize why they might do this. I did try and watch them once by taking a fake cell phone call outside and I just paced the front. I never did see them change the filter. Thats why I asked all you great TW members if I could change my own oil. I would say in general I have had good experiences.

They love to sell you things you dont need or I caught them 3 times trying to get me to pay for things they said Toyota said I should do. The first time I just said no and checked my manual. Of course it wasnt needed for another 5,000 miles. Same thing happened again twice but I had looked up what Toyota recommended be done before I walked in. They also said that my truck has no cabin air filter, which it does as ive changed it many times, also said they couldnt rotate my tire b/c the lift only lifts 4,000 lbs. well my manual says my truck is 3,800 so Im sure it was fine. Im still glad I didnt have them do it.

It all comes down to having a good relationship with you mechanic. Going there and establishing they do a good job. My problem is my ace mechanic is so damn busy that I save him for when I need a tow truck. Guess everyone in town knows he rocks.

 

I had NTB do an oil change for me on another truck cause i needed the tires re-torqued after i painted them (cant afford a torque wrench haha). they were only going to use 6 quarts (tundra takes 6.5). most shops round up to 7 to make their records easier which can cause seals to go bad as the extra oil sits on them. idk why they can't just follow the manual...

 

Jiffy Lube on W Lane in Stockton CA is the best place for services like this. They are the most professional and quickest. I'm taking mine there tomorrow. . Surprising, I know.

 

Agreed! I have found screws cross threaded and clips missing after going to quick change place AND the dealer.

Mr Lube (Canada) used Mobil 1- I saw them pouring it out of sealed bottles and gave the option to use OEM filter (extra charge). They said they install new crush washers, but when I changed the oil myself there was no crush washer on the drain plug. They also charge me an extra $10 every time to remove skid plates. When I changed the oil myself, I was surprised to find that you don't have to remove the skid plate at all- and they had cross threaded the bolts when they had done it. Also, they always spilled oil on the front of the engine and belts when changing the filter. For $120 that is a lot to pay for the convenience. Once you get some practice it only takes about 1/2 hour to do it right yourself. A good hint is to get some 5/16 vinyl tubing from the hardware store and attach it to the fitting under the filter when you remove it. Not necessary to spill a drop of oil.

 

For these reasons, I take the Taco to the dealer.

On the other hand, my father takes his 14 year-old Caravan to Midas and Jiffy Lube. The Caravan (with the anemic 3.0L Mitsubishi engine) is common enough that the correct oil filter or drain plug is always available.

 

I work at a Valvoline Pro Lube part time while im going to school. Where I work yes you do get what you pay for whether its conventional or synthetic, its all in seperate oil barrels. We do alot of fixing peoples stuff that walmart tle screws up.

And its privately owned not a big chain.

 

You don't need to know which end of a screwdriver to hammer on to work at a quick lube place or big box store auto center. Those places don't always have the correct grade of oil, never install a new drain plug gasket and who knows where those oil filters come from. Plus they always try to sell services that aren't needed, but can't do something useful like rotate the tires or repack the front bearings.
Most dealerships have a quick lube lane and the price is competitive. So if you're going to the dealer to get an oil filter and plug gasket, might as well let them do the whole job. I do.