Oil Change Place

[MoKelly]

My wife takes her car to an oil change place. They do a fast job and it costs $49.99 including synthetic oil.

This time they told her the air filter needed changing. The guy said “but, you should know the person who changed it last put it in backwards”.

Wife says “that’s funny since you guys put in my last air filter”.

Guy says “oh no ma’am, we are trained. We would never put it in backwards”.

So my wife, who is a trained CPA and more organized than a file cabinet, opens the glove box snd shows him a receipt where they installed an air filter 15000 miles ago.

The guy hems a haws and says “maybe you changed it since then”? She says - “are you serious”?

Guy says “no, sorry. Let’s me give you a free air filter and we’ll put in in correctly this time”.

I looked up the filter on my phone. Oil change place charges $24.99. Car parts place charges $14.99.

We got home and I checked the oil level and look under the car to be sure no leaks.

MoKelly

 

[stevewarner1957]

In my opinion, forget the quickie oil change places. I’ve heard to many horror stories from their work. Most of their employees are high school aged young men and we know what they are thinking about, it’s not about changing oil. I do most of the oil changes myself at home, otherwise I go back to the dealer

 

[MossRoad]

Some are good.
Some are bad.
I tell my daughters to ask for just an oil change and lube, but tell them "No need to check the air filter or cabin air filter, my dad just changed those."

 

[Roadworthy]

I change my own oil and am therefore quite able to keep an eye on my filters, too. Can you put an air filter in backwards? You may wish to do a bit of follow up on that one. The guy may have been feeding your wife a line to get an air filter sale out of the deal and had a problem when challenged.

 

[RustyA]

First thing is "needing" an air filter at 15xxx miles. Second is their reminder sticker in windshield or brand of oil filter should have been a clue that they service it. Or vin in their system should have shown they changed air filter last as well as their brand of air filter.

 

[MoKelly]

Some are good.
Some are bad.
I tell my daughters to ask for just an oil change and lube, but tell them "No need to check the air filter or cabin air filter, my dad just changed those."

Good advice. But, I guess daughters listen better than wives!

It’s hit or miss in my experience. I had my CRV oil changed and it really needed a new air filter. They charged $12.99.

At AZ they wanted $16.99 for the filter.

But on my wife’s car (Subaru Outback) they marked up the filter $10.00.

I’d change the oil if (1) I was 20 years younger (2) I had a way to do it w/o getting on my back and rolling under the car (3) I had an easy way to dispose of the oil and (4) the price was well higher than $49.99 including the oil and filter.

Plus, they refill the washer fluid, make sure tires are aired properly, wash the windshields and give free chocolate bars.

MoKelly

 

[nbking]

That's one of the things my dad taught me to do. He takes his vehicles in now since he's older, I will continue too until I can't. I agree with Steve too many horror stories, from quickie places to stealerships

 

[MoKelly]

I change my own oil and am therefore quite able to keep an eye on my filters, too. Can you put an air filter in backwards? You may wish to do a bit of follow up on that one. The guy may have been feeding your wife a line to get an air filter sale out of the deal and had a problem when challenged.

I checked when we got home. Sure enough, it can go in either way. Kind of like an a/c filter.

MoKelly

 

[stevewarner1957]

That's one of the things my dad taught me to do. He takes his vehicles in now since he's older, I will continue too until I can't. I agree with Steve too many horror stories, from quickie places to stealerships

Well I would take my chances with a “stealership” over quickie shops. If someone else does it no matter who, make sure you check the oil on their lot and check for leaks prior to leaving. Even when I do my own I’m paranoid about checking, double and triple checking things.

 

[fried1765]

Good advice. But, I guess daughters listen better than wives!

It’s hit or miss in my experience. I had my CRV oil changed and it really needed a new air filter. They charged $12.99.

At AZ they wanted $16.99 for the filter.

But on my wife’s car (Subaru Outback) they marked up the filter $10.00.

I’d change the oil if (1) I was 20 years younger (2) I had a way to do it w/o getting on my back and rolling under the car (3) I had an easy way to dispose of the oil and (4) the price was well higher than $49.99 including the oil and filter.

Plus, they refill the washer fluid, make sure tires are aired properly, wash the windshields and give free chocolate bars.

MoKelly

Even at 80 I don't go near those fast oil change places.
I do my own oil and filter changes.....on both cars and tractors!
Only takes once for the oil monkeys to not properly tighten the filter, or forget to fill, and it will become a disaster!