Do You Wait For The Oil Change Reminder In Your GM?

[Westy5]

I change it myself every 3000 miles. I don't trust the goofs at the dealership. The last truck I owned the Chevy dealer installed a new battery under warranty and dented the fender installing it. Bunch of Idiots. Plus they identify your vehicle by putting a magnetic number on the hood which made me cringe at the site. I try to take care of my vehicles as best I can. Especially after I spent 40,000.00 plus dollars for their product. lDK maybe I'm to fussy, or not?

[Jsdirt]

I got you beat there - the dealer smashed my truck bumper to bumper down the right side. Guess their lot tech drove a Prius, and couldn't handle my tractor-trailer-sized half-ton Silverado ... 6' bed, extended cab. Now 9 years later, their shoddy body work is showing on the front plastic.

[Westy5]

Dealerships are full of goofballs

[Shawn5800]

Speaking of dealers. My GF recently bought an '07 corolla from a large Honda dealership around here. They gave her a coupon book to use for a couple free oil changes, free wiper blades and such.

 

First time she used the oil change, about a week afterward she started smelling oil coming through the vents. I popped the hood to find the oil cap flipped upside down over the inlet hole and oil had been splashing all over the engine bay, soaking the hood cloth and all accessories. She lost about 1 1/2 of oil like that. I brought it to the dealer and bitched them out, they promised they would have their detailing guy steam clean the entire engine bay.

 

They took two hours, I actually fell asleep waiting. I get the car back and take a quick walk around. Car was spotless inside and out, pop the hood. they never touched anything to do with the problem I actually brought it there for.

 

Second time she brings it for a free oil change, I tell her to give them the coupon for free wiper blades. The lady tells her that they cant honor that because they would have to retrofit Honda's entire wiper assembly onto her Corolla.

 

I call them and state that anyone bringing an older Honda there for service could potentially ask for a wiper blade change, therefore...they must have multiple sizes and variances for older cars...She got the wiper blades next day.

 

Yes, I always do my own oil changes and because its been winter, I have been reluctant on getting underneath her car. I figured the dealership could not mess up a oil change.

[Jsdirt]

You'd be amazed at what procedures can be screwed up in the automotive world.

 

You should've seen the truck when I got it back from the lot tech damage. Looked like a 3D movie in the sun. A 2 year old girl could've done a better buff job ...

 

 

 

I'm amazed at the amount of people today that pay someone to change their oil. Back in the day, everyone did it themselves.

 

I've never had the luxury of being able to pay anyone for anything. Guess that's how I became the neighborhood handyman. Ended up a blessing in the long run.

[Shawn5800]

I know all too well about being the handyman. The nature of my job requires me to turn my hand to most anything. Unfortunately, you end up being to go to guy for every project in your spouses family too!

Edited March 5, 2016 by Shawn5800

[Perseus]

Dexos oil every 3k

[88m53453]

I go with the OLM around here. The wife's 03 Tahoe has over 210k, I traded my 05 Sierra with 245k, it had developed some strange oil pressure problems. My "new to me" 15 Sierra gets driven about 3000 a month and is currently at 42k. OLM says to change at around 8k, so it gets the synthetic and a good oil filter

Edited March 6, 2016 by 88m53453

[okfoz]

Speaking of dealers. My GF recently bought an '07 corolla from a large Honda dealership around here. They gave her a coupon book to use for a couple free oil changes, free wiper blades and such.

 

First time she used the oil change, about a week afterward she started smelling oil coming through the vents. I popped the hood to find the oil cap flipped upside down over the inlet hole and oil had been splashing all over the engine bay, soaking the hood cloth and all accessories. She lost about 1 1/2 of oil like that. I brought it to the dealer and bitched them out, they promised they would have their detailing guy steam clean the entire engine bay.

 

They took two hours, I actually fell asleep waiting. I get the car back and take a quick walk around. Car was spotless inside and out, pop the hood. they never touched anything to do with the problem I actually brought it there for.

 

Second time she brings it for a free oil change, I tell her to give them the coupon for free wiper blades. The lady tells her that they cant honor that because they would have to retrofit Honda's entire wiper assembly onto her Corolla.

 

I call them and state that anyone bringing an older Honda there for service could potentially ask for a wiper blade change, therefore...they must have multiple sizes and variances for older cars...She got the wiper blades next day.

 

Yes, I always do my own oil changes and because its been winter, I have been reluctant on getting underneath her car. I figured the dealership could not mess up a oil change.

Your story reminds me of a 1983 Buick Riviera I had. Back around 1995 or 1996 It had around 170,000 miles on it, and I had really good luck with the car up until I took it to a GM dealer. Instead of using the Oil Filler tube on the front of the engine, they filled it thru a port on the valve cover. Regardless it broke things loose and shortly thereafter It started to Tick REALLY Loud. By this time they were unwilling to do anything for me. last time I took a car to a Dealership for any service. I got it calmed down with some engine honey, and eventually the tick went away... but It was quite disappointing.

[Shawn5800]

Hmm.. Was it typical back then to fill through the dipstick tube?

[Jsdirt]

No. Never!

 

Must've just got a real "rocket scientist" of a tech on the job, unfortunately.

[okfoz]

Hmm.. Was it typical back then to fill through the dipstick tube?

On many old cars, you would fill the oil thru a hole in the valve cover. As time has gone on, Most newer cars have a special tube for filling oil, usually in the front or the side. No, they did not fill thru the dipstick tube, the dealer used a hole in the valve cover, not the oil fill tube.

[Shawn5800]

I'm confused, aren't almost all modern cars filled through a hole in the valve cover? Atleast all I have filled oil on up to atleast 2013 have the typical plastic threaded cap on the valve cover.

[Jsdirt]

Everything I've seen automotive-wise from the Model T up to modern times is filled through the valve cover. Not familiar with the flat head V8, so not sure how those are filled.

[okfoz]

My tahoe goes into a tube... So does my V8 Rainier... I guess I never paid attention to where they lead to.. It might just go into the valve cover...