Wal-Mart's High Quality Oil Change Service

[Fox Body]

Since my brother and his fiancee have been down for the weekend, we've been riding around in her '96 Camry. Every time we'd stop at a light or to get out of the car, we'd smell burning oil-- pretty strong. She says it's been like that for a week or so. So I tell her I'll check it out for her. After quickly looking, I didn't notice any oil on the the front of the motor or smoke, so I decide that if it is burning oil that bad for that amount of time, it would probably show up on the dipstick so I decide to check oil level first. I go to pull up the dipstick and guess what.... The trained professional wal-mart mechanics left the stinking oil cap off the valve cover and all the oil was splashing out onto the motor. Then I notice oil all over the area of the motor close to the valve cover. She was about 2 quarts low. Well at least these trained professional mechanics we gracious enough to leave her the oil cap (sitting on the engine--glad it didn't fall off).

Things like this is what irritates Fox Body. Fox Body mad. Fox Body wanna give them a piece of Fox Body's mind. But Oh well, I just added more oil. She can yell at them if she wants to. It's her car.

[Hammer]

and people wonder why I do my own oil... and brakes... and plugs... (so THAT'S why the wife says I'm never around...)

[lx5091]

YUP...want it done right....do it yourself! Too bad that they don't teach people how to do simple maintenance in driving school! HAHA! Most of the poor suckers in this world have to take chances with their auto service provider. It stinks.

[mustangman65_79]

Originally posted by Hammer
and people wonder why I do my own oil... and brakes... and plugs... (so THAT'S why the wife says I'm never around...)

Yes, that way I can only yell at myself. (like leaving the oil filter off, I realized that one real fast, big oops!!!)

[Rev]

Or forgetting to put the drain plug back in? Guaranteed oil leak, LOL.

Rev

[Crazy Horse GT]

wally world, i only let them rotate my tires , it's worth 1.50 a wheel for them to do it instead of me, ok i'm lazy lol.

[srv1]

i do all the work on my cars. i mean ALL. you name it i do it. i dont trust someone else changing my oil.

[jj_jonathon]

Originally posted by Crazy Horse GT
wally world, i only let them rotate my tires , it's worth 1.50 a wheel for them to do it instead of me, ok i'm lazy lol.

hell, they cant be worse than ford...gainesville ford threw one of my radial tires on backwards once...the only time theyve touched my car...now i always wait til i go back home ad deal with the small local dealership that my car was bought through...

i swear some mechanics know as much as me...lol

[lx5091]

backwards? i guess you mean it was a directional tire? that sux......some people, because they don't care about their jobs means that every customer they handle gets the shaft!

[cyberstang5.0]

It's not that people are lazy, or don't know how to do their own simple maintenance, it just comes down to you can't trust anyone anymore. The only thing I take my car to a shop for is to do my alignment and even then I watch them like a hawlk.

[jj_jonathon]

Originally posted by lx5091
backwards? i guess you mean it was a directional tire? that sux......some people, because they don't care about their jobs means that every customer they handle gets the shaft!

yea, the one with the damn arrows on them! lol...i think its cuz i was in there for a balancing and wheel alignment, etc and they deal with saleens and cobras...so my GT is a little guy to them...bastards...

[MissBlondie]

Great work in action. I actually had my oil changed on one of my old stangs one time where the tech pulled the entire dipstick and holder around it, away from my car. Thankfully they owned up to it before I left the dealership.

[84LX89GT]

Being a "apprentice technician" i'd like to take the side of dealerships on this (yeah, i know...boo! hiss! ). They hire hourly people to do alot of the simple, mindless labor such as oil changes ("fast lube" services) and tire rotations. These people usually have little to no actual training and about the same amount of motivation to do it right. This is a VERY generic statement because i have seen some lower level mechanics do things right and double check their work, which is something i pride myself on doing. There is a HUGE difference in the quality of work from the professionals in the industry and the "hacks" who don't care about their work. You're more likely to get hacks at a Jiffy Lube than at a dealership because dealerships like the one i work at usually only give the "oil changers" a chance or two before they're fired depending on severity, whereas i've talked to someone at an oil can henry's who had siezed 8, yes 8, engines.

On the other side, if you do all your maintenance yourself and spend the time to do it right, not only is it more rewarding, but you know you did it right.

I'm not sticking up for people who do a poor job working on cars, as i see them as not worthy to hold a job in the first place, but there are people in the automotive industry who are interested in customer service and doing things right.
I'd say the best way to make sure your car is getting done right is to actually talk with the people who work on your car and find a person who you can trust to do quality work and try and stick with that person. There's alot of repeat customers where i work that come in and say "i want XXXX to work on my car"....just some advise to people who don't/aren't able to work on their car.

[Fox Body]

Originally posted by 84LX89GT
I'd say the best way to make sure your car is getting done right is to actually talk with the people who work on your car and find a person who you can trust to do quality work and try and stick with that person. There's alot of repeat customers where i work that come in and say "i want XXXX to work on my car"....just some advise to people who don't/aren't able to work on their car.

Yeah, obviously, I wasn't bashing the whole "mechanical technician" world, just sharing my indirect bad experience with that Wal-Mart. It is a rant, and a very common one. They're not all bad, but many of them are. Many people just don't care about other peoples' stuff.

But, I agree with you, I have a small list of places I go to for certain things when I need to take my car somewhere when I can't or don't want to do it myself. These places are places friends tell me about and has had experience with themselves. I am a big "return customer" and when I find a good place after a lot of research, I stick with it. Also, if I go to a place to get something done to the car for the first time, I watch the mechs like a hawk and they know it. they also have a good idea that they are not dealing with a pushover who knows nothing about cars. I make sure to check their work thoroughly if possible and if there are any problems , we're gonna get them resolved.

[Rev]

Has anyone ever tried to talk to the technician that worked on his car at a dealership? I have. It was a major communications gap from the service manager to the mechanic, who actually repaired the car, eventually, after some effort, I did speak to him. Granted, this was many years ago, but after that, ughh.(I never wanted to to do it again). It was a Ford dealer, too.

Rev

[84LX89GT]

Originally posted by Rev
Has anyone ever tried to talk to the technician that worked on his car at a dealership? I have. It was a major communications gap from the service manager to the mechanic, who actually repaired the car, eventually, after some effort, I did speak to him. Granted, this was many years ago, but after that, ughh.(I never wanted to to do it again). It was a Ford dealer, too.

Rev

I believe you totally, there are some dealerships i know that do that. Some technicians aren't people persons either (that sounds weird). At mine, usually the service writer will bring the customer back if they have any questions or bring the technician up to talk to the customer. I tried to apply at a dealership 3 years ago that i wasn't even able to get back to the service area because the salesmen were so rude and made me move my car 3 times.....i left leaving 2 black "thank you" marks in their sales parking lot.
I guess it's all the luck of how a place operates and who you get to work on your car....which unfortunately angers customers and drives them away.
I agree though, the only way to make sure things are done the way you like, is to do it yourself the way you like.

[TruBluePony]

I had all kinds of problems at my dealership...I had a 01 GT that the synchronizers we going out in third. So I take it in and they tell me because I had a PRO 5.0 shifter in there that could have caused the problem. And he said the O2 sensor wiring harness was pinched between the back cross member on the tranny and the frame so I did that when I dropped the tranny to switch the shifters. I said no I didn't and the dude tells me "his guys" said you have to drop the tranny to get the shifter out. LMAO......so I told him I bet you a $1000 dollars I can change the shifter out in 20 minutes and not have to touch that transmission and after that you can fire your "guys" because they are DUMB*SSES". So he says he needs to talk to his service manager and he'll call me back. Needless to say they fixed it along with replacing the motor because they found out it had two chips in the block where it bolted up to the left side head. Later I had a brace(?) that comes off the rear end and is spot welded to the front of the trunk area break so they replaced it with an 02 GT. That was like pulling teeth also to get them to do that. Ford still owes me about $900 for the mods I had so it's looking like I'm going to have to sue them to get my money back.
Anyway just because it's a dealer that doesn't mean they know what they are doing either. I would always double check everything that's done before you drive it off the lot.

[Miss Mischief]

Me.......

Synthetic valvoline Oil Fram Filters
Transmition Gear Oil and Rear end and front end Gear Oil On the Jeep Lunbricating the Chassy.

Plain and simple No One Loves My Mares Like I do....

And I am Not a wrencher at all..

[0h n0 5.0]

fast, quality service dosen't exist. on the door above my mechanics shop inside there's a lil sign that i've come to learn an respect it says:

"Pick only two: cheap, fast, good
fast an cheap=not good
good an fast=not cheap,
cheap an good=not fast

and its true. quality is expeted to go with speed for some reason. its jus expected nowadays, but nobody wants to take the time to do it right, everybody such in a damn hurry , they jus want the damn lowest price, it to be done an nothin to go wrong!!.. its sad.. as for the devil, Sam walton...

***** WALMART.
excuse my language, but walmart is pure evil. they are everything wrong with retail. unnattractive stores, dirt quality production value, no pride in their work, employee appearance, customer service.. i could go on an on about the sodom an gamorah that is Walmart. rather than take their time an develop good, quality merchandise or good customer relations, the vibe i get is one of:

"Damn it, we've got to do everything, regardless if we know what we're doin, have the proper training to do it, or are even certified to do it sans potential lawsuits from ignorance of poor employees suckered into workin for the us"

or is it jus me?

i've never had a dealer work on my car, my mechanic 's a ford guy (built several fastbacks an foxes from the frame up) so, needless to say, I trust what he says when i visit him.

[Miss Mischief]

Originally posted by 0h n0 5.0
fast, quality service dosen't exist. on the door above my mechanics shop inside there's a lil sign that i've come to learn an respect it says:

"Pick only two: cheap, fast, good
fast an cheap=not good
good an fast=not cheap,
cheap an good=not fast



i've never had a dealer work on my car, my mechanic 's a ford guy (built several fastbacks an foxes from the frame up) so, needless to say, I trust what he says when i visit him.

My Cherokee 1999 Model Is Still Under a 7 year warenty that I Bought through Gieco"Costs Me a whooping $2.35 a Month on top of my insurance" I Only bring her to a 5 star Jeep Dealer where it was Bought Because I found Out after trying them once they follow In Cheap an Fast= Not Good. I still do the Maintence for the Jeep But if she Hickups she goes to Cross Motors.

For any Of my Ponys this was More Difficult I had to call around to Find a Certified SVT tech and them Load up with Buckshot and see if he can dance LOL. Seriously I finally Found One In Louisville at Town&Country Ford He bealives Cheap an Fast= Not Good and also he does Nothing But Snakes Gt's and The MACH 1.

Also something else Good about Finding a Decent Wrench at a Dealership. A] If he screws Up and we Catch Him Its his a s s and the dealerships. B] Under warenty there is No question you used the correct parts. If you went to the Dealer, or did they? After I took My Cherokee in for a fluish and Fill Guess what they Did! Loaded My Radiator With the Green anti Freeze. Not the Pink that was suposed to be Hence Free Raiator Power Flush and One fired Employee......