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Stupid Dealership Oil Change Monkeys

Wolfmansbrudda

By Wolfmansbrudda
in The Off-Topic Bar

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ChevyTech77 Senior Enthusiast

ChevyTech77

Posted
Posted
Look guys, maybe if the dealerships put a little bit of professionalism in the simplist and most common services such as oil changes and tire rotations, you wouldn't see such comments! Someone forgetting to put a valve cap on or stripping my hub cap with an air gun so it flies off on the freeway is pretty god damn annoying!!

Maybe I'm anal, but if thats the kind of crap service I get I'm doing it myself. (which is what I've been doing for 50,000kms now).

 

I'm sure you guys are professionals... but are you also the ones changing oil at your dealerships? Probably not.

 

 

And the "service" department guys (people who check you in) who pretend to know what they're talking about? I HATE THOSE GUYS! :sigh:

I'm sure the same could be said about ANY profession, including yours.

 

I think what these guys are referring to is the same people that ask them for help here, are bashing their profession in the next sentence. Happens all the time and I'm sure if you were in their shoes, you'd feel the same damn way. :D

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jtramsey Enthusiast

jtramsey

Posted
Posted

Been using our local Express lube for 10 years now.I know them and trust them. I can see what they are doing and if I want they will let me come down and look under my vechicles. I know every one has a bad experience but dont bash the Dealer Techs.Yes I want my moneys worth when I pay for a service.Thats why you find a place and use them.

SparkySparks Enthusiast

SparkySparks

Posted
Posted

I've only had a bad experience at the dealer during the seat cover change they did on my truck. They had someone who had never done anything like it before doing it because the normal guy was on vacation. The dealer replaced/painted/cleaned anything and everything that happen during the time it was in that one techs hands. The dealer knows me by name as well as most of the people working there (service writers, shop manager, alignment guy, trim guy and even the guy who just drives the cars to and from the lot). I was very angry about what had happen but gave them a chance to make it right. They only let certain people work on my truck now and I'm fully happy with them and trust them. The dealer I bought my car from is a different story, they only cared about making a sale nickel and diming you to death in the service department. It's like that in every industry, you have good and bad.

ladeerslayer Enthusiast

ladeerslayer

Posted
Posted

The garage I goto lets me stand there and watch them and shoot the bull while they are changing my oil, get up under truck and take a gander... when I do not do it myself. Usuually I take it to them when I want them to flush the transmission.

The dealership where is live does a jam up job but I have had bad experiences at dealership especially on major repair namely my frame being pulled...never was straight but the dealership I deal with now...A+... but... they are proud and I pay for it if, if I choose to use them.

95 percent of time you will get what you pay for...

  • 3 months later...
Alberta_Silverado Enthusiast

Alberta_Silverado

Posted
Posted

After reading this all thorougly I would also like to throw in my 2 cents. I started out in the local GM dealer's lube bay. I was the young guy that actually did his job properly as compared to the old men there that put the filters on with a wrench and snipe. I was moved to the actual shop after 7 months. Now I am one year away from being ticketed Journeyman and I can say that all of our techs do oil changes and we all do them properly. No over tightened filters, no stripped plugs, no shenanigans. Now with that being said, I've been bent over the counter and know how it feels to get gouged for repairs (high school) so I take pride in the fact that I am completely honest in the work I do, If it needs it, it gets it, and if not, move onto the next. So I find it very unfair to group all techs together. Now if you wanna really vent about tech's, lets start talking front end repairs....

wavery Enthusiast

wavery

Posted
Posted
After reading this all thorougly I would also like to throw in my 2 cents. I started out in the local GM dealer's lube bay. I was the young guy that actually did his job properly as compared to the old men there that put the filters on with a wrench and snipe. I was moved to the actual shop after 7 months. Now I am one year away from being ticketed Journeyman and I can say that all of our techs do oil changes and we all do them properly. No over tightened filters, no stripped plugs, no shenanigans. Now with that being said, I've been bent over the counter and know how it feels to get gouged for repairs (high school) so I take pride in the fact that I am completely honest in the work I do, If it needs it, it gets it, and if not, move onto the next. So I find it very unfair to group all techs together. Now if you wanna really vent about tech's, lets start talking front end repairs....

I was Service Manager in a Chevy Dealership for more years than I care to think about. Often times, the guys on the lube rack were working at Jiffy-Lube the week before. People are people, no matter where they work.

 

The BIG difference is......... If Jiffy-Lube forgets to put oil in your engine (that happens a lot) you are basically screwed. Oh ya...... you might win if you take them to court but who needs that crap.

 

If you take it to the dealer and they screw it up, they'll fix it (even if it means a new engine) and you won't have to fight them.

 

Most dealers have pretty competitive oil change prices and usually run specials at least once a month......

 

As for me........ no one touches my truck but me........ Screw driver through the filter???? That's how I drain the oil from the filter anyway. Just did it yesterday........ Let the filter drain for awhile while I eat lunch, stick the screwdriver back in the filter and spin it off........ No big deal. Put the new one back on as tight as I can turn it by hand. In all the years that I was in the business, I never saw a tech pick up a wrench to tighten a filter but I have seen filters fall off from being under-tightened..

ChevyTech77 Senior Enthusiast

ChevyTech77

Posted
Posted
After reading this all thorougly I would also like to throw in my 2 cents. I started out in the local GM dealer's lube bay. I was the young guy that actually did his job properly as compared to the old men there that put the filters on with a wrench and snipe. I was moved to the actual shop after 7 months. Now I am one year away from being ticketed Journeyman and I can say that all of our techs do oil changes and we all do them properly. No over tightened filters, no stripped plugs, no shenanigans. Now with that being said, I've been bent over the counter and know how it feels to get gouged for repairs (high school) so I take pride in the fact that I am completely honest in the work I do, If it needs it, it gets it, and if not, move onto the next. So I find it very unfair to group all techs together. Now if you wanna really vent about tech's, lets start talking front end repairs....

 

Let's! I've specialized as a front end tech for most of my 17 years in the biz. Sure I've done a little of everything but mostly front end work. So, you were saying? :thumbs:

  • 2 weeks later...
Alberta_Silverado Enthusiast

Alberta_Silverado

Posted
Posted
After reading this all thorougly I would also like to throw in my 2 cents. I started out in the local GM dealer's lube bay. I was the young guy that actually did his job properly as compared to the old men there that put the filters on with a wrench and snipe. I was moved to the actual shop after 7 months. Now I am one year away from being ticketed Journeyman and I can say that all of our techs do oil changes and we all do them properly. No over tightened filters, no stripped plugs, no shenanigans. Now with that being said, I've been bent over the counter and know how it feels to get gouged for repairs (high school) so I take pride in the fact that I am completely honest in the work I do, If it needs it, it gets it, and if not, move onto the next. So I find it very unfair to group all techs together. Now if you wanna really vent about tech's, lets start talking front end repairs....

 

Let's! I've specialized as a front end tech for most of my 17 years in the biz. Sure I've done a little of everything but mostly front end work. So, you were saying? :dunno:

 

 

 

Nothing against front end techs, mostly angry about gravy techs that if a ball joint boot is dirty they call it as being worn past spec. Pisses lots of people off. It's not front end tech only, we have diesel techs that still find a way to call front ends for easy money. Sorry if my comment seemed directed to only front end techs, I should've directed that to crooked techs haha. My bad

Austin83 Enthusiast

Austin83

Posted
Posted

Change your oil yourself, it's relaxing, it's cheaper, you know it's right, and you can hand tighten your own filter. Grab some Mobil 1 and have fun....

Doug_Scott Senior Enthusiast

Doug_Scott

Posted
Posted

Not sure how it is outside of Ontario when it comes to mechanics, but here it used to be all you needed to go into the auto mechanic field was your grade 10 education, and shop willing to take you on to start your apprenticeship. I think has changed now, and you are supposed to have your grade 12.

 

When I started my apprenticship back in 77 (while you only needed your grade 10, you technically needed to be 18 to sign contract). The mechanic I was working with had a letter that someone had written a few years before that to the local paper. I did not get a copy of the letter, but the basic premise was when your kid could not cut it in highschool, you told him was ok, you can alway become a mechanic. And that was actually the way it was back then. I really wish I would have had it photocopied (actually more correctly called "xeroxing" back then), it was a long letter that explained what was asked of the mechanic that was not able to make it through highschool. Doubt anyone here has it, that pre-internet by a long shot.

 

Needless to say, painting mechanics as being crooked or thieves is plain wrong. Remember that the only opinions you will hear about mechanics are bad opinions, simply because no one complains when things go right, do they. Now, painting the customers as being crooked is something you will find just about every mechanic has run into the "professional customer". The customer that comes into the shop for a wheel alignment, and comes back afterwards saying ever since you did the alignment, the car vibrates between 50 and 70 miles per hour, or ever since you put 4 spark plugs in the car runs rough at all time, hard to start, smokes on acceleration, and so on. Any other mechanics here run into that customer?

TRCM Enthusiast

TRCM

Posted
Posted
every dealer, every oil change place does the same thing, the concept (and actual instructions on every damn filter I have ever seen) of hand tight then 3/4 turn, doesn't seem to register with anyone.

 

 

Well, the one for my old CTD said right on the filter...tighten hand tight, then 1 more full turn

pm26 Senior Enthusiast

pm26

Posted
Posted

As long as we are talking about oil changes, let's mention some lessons learned here:

 

I have done literally hundreds of oil changes on my vehicles over many years and did a few dumb things, but nothing too bad. One time I was changing the oil filter on my Ford Range pickup and the old filter gasket remained stuck to the engine block. I did not notice it, screwed on the new filter with its gasket, changed the oil, started up the engine and 10 seconds later I had almost all of the oil on the ground. Quickly shutoff the engine, no harm done. Now I never fail to check that the gasket does not separate from the old filter and remains stuck to the block.

 

On some cars, they use aluminum sealing washers for oil pan drain plugs. When you tighten the plug, the hard metal of the plug head usually cuts a groove in the softer aluminum washer. It is prudent to replace such washers at each oil change if you see a groove in the washer. Unless you align the plug head perfectly with that groove, you will have a leak. I learned this the hard way. Fortunately it was only a minor leak.

 

When tightening the drain plug on aluminum oil pans, be careful! Never use any torque specs and do not torque the plug! Just tighten the plug snugly. If you overtighten the plug, you will damage the softer aluminum threads in the pan. I am proud to say that I never stripped oil pan aluminum threads on any vehicle, and I had quite a few with aluminum pans, especially motorcycles. I know a few guys who damaged their pan threads trying to torque the drain plug to the prescribed spec. Keep in myind that if the threads are well oiled, you will cause a much higher preload in the threads by using a dry troque spec value. That is why it is prudent to tighten these plugs only snugly. I never torqued oil pan drain plugs and never had a leak due to a loose plug.

 

I always tighten new oil filters by hand only, after oiling the gasket with fresh oil. I also wipe the block gasket surface to make sure there is no grit or some other dirt there.

 

Sometiomes it is difficult to loosen the oil pan drain plug, even with a socket and ratchet. I usually hit the ratchet handle with the palm of my hand in such a case, and the plug always comes loose. And never use an open end wrench to loosen/tighten the drain plug. Box end of the wrench, or a socket and ratchet.

GMCBro Enthusiast

GMCBro

Posted
Posted

Nothing more annoying than a fuel filter that's glued on. I had to wrestle with one for a solid 15 minutes one day. What a pain.

  • 5 months later...
Black2011 Enthusiast

Black2011

Posted
Posted

Well. guess i should add mine aswell. I work at a Peterbilt dealership. I am an apprentice. Here, it is required to have grade 10 education to be an apprentice. I have my grade 12 however, because I intend to take my mechanical engineering afterwards.

On MOST filters, it is recommended that you tighten the filter until the o-ring TOUCHES the sealing surface, then an additional 3/4 turn. I personally go hand tight. And on my pickups, I go one hand tight. If you cant remove a filter by hand, its been put on too tight, or left on too long. On my cummins (the last truck i owned) I changed the oil 8 times in the year i owned it. Never bought a filter wrench. Never had an oil leak.

On highway trucks, I see them overtorqued almost every day. I've also seen one fall off. Just one.

Personally, i've done about 100 oil changes this year. LOTS of big truck drivers demand perfection. So naturally, Every truck gets treated like a show truck. Every dealership should treat all vehicles with the same respect.

One other thing I should mention is I just did my second oil change on my '11, and I used dexos approved Mobile 1 full synthetic, It was 33 bucks for oil and 6 for filter. The dealership charges $80. And by doing it myself I get a chance to look the truck over. WIN WIN.

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