Oil Change - Dealership vs DIY

duquephart · May 27, 2019

Another issue along these lines would be tire rotation. Does anyone believe a dealer rotates as per the manual? Mine openly stated they rotate "front to back." I requested cross rotation but did I get it? Need to mark the tires next time.

KARNUT · May 27, 2019

Another issue along these lines would be tire rotation. Does anyone believe a dealer rotates as per the manual? Mine openly stated they rotate "front to back." I requested cross rotation but did I get it? Need to mark the tires next time.

I wonder about that. That used to be the rule with radial tires. Recently you cross when going to the back. I don’t think that happens.

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Daryl Z71 · May 27, 2019

Anything I can do myself, I will just take care of. Even when I was buying brand new trucks I would do the same. Yes it's more effort but then it's guaranteed to be done the way YOU want.

Donstar · May 27, 2019

10 hours ago, dukedkt442 said:

If you want to live naively, go for it. I've never met a tech, in decades of shops and dealers, who could completely finish a job to my satisfaction of "competency"

I pride myself in being a fussy customer and can recognize good work. The complexities of an oil change are pretty basic and I trust most peopled hired to do the job have this level of competency. I also suffer from a little "paranoia" and often check the oil level, filter and cleanliness of the job after getting my truck back from service. I agree with those choosing to change their own oil for reasons of convenience, time, money and personal satisfaction. I don't agree with avoiding dealerships or Quick oil-change shops for fear of being scammed. We can all muster up a personal story or one we heard from a friend. Such stories can make you more cautious but shouldn't cause a widespread distrust. I've met people who fear restaurants because they've seen or heard stories about cooks not following safe food handling rules. I may choose to not go to the specific restaurant where such a story originates but I still like having my meal prepared!

Cpl_Punishment · May 27, 2019

I may be paranoid but I like to take my car to the dealership for all scheduled maintenance while it's in the warranty period because I have this fear that they'll deny my warranty claims even if I have receipts. Outside of warranty, I like to do things myself. I'm also an engineer (process/ chemical) so want to know how things work, why they fail, etc.

I've had a couple minor issues at my dealership but I still would trust them over a quick lube place any day of the week. The issues I had include leaving the cap for my brake fluid reservoir loose one time, mounting my wheels incorrectly so I had a bad shake at highway speeds and breaking a piece in my shifter when they were doing recall airbag ECU work.

I'm not sure why anyone would pay for tire rotation. I run summer and winter tires on both my cars and I've always swapped them myself. I just look at the tires and put the two that look best on the drive (front) wheels. The cars are light and the tires seem to be balanced as they are wearing pretty evenly.

Doublebase · May 27, 2019

9 hours ago, duquephart said:

The point, I think, is the tech is not interested in stealing the filter. Rather, he is interested in saving the time it takes to install and then must do something with it.

Lol, I know. There's no stealing of the oil filter, it's the not installing them part.

I once knew a guy who would sell customers ball joints and then just throw them in the trash. He never even bothered to stash them, he'd just toss them right in the barrel...never even took them out of the packaging. Two ball joints, right in the barrel. Then he'd charge them for an alignment.

KARNUT · May 27, 2019

Lol, I know. There's no stealing of the oil filter, it's the not installing them part.

I once knew a guy who would sell customers ball joints and then just throw them in the trash. He never even bothered to stash them, he'd just toss them right in the barrel...never even took them out of the packaging. Two ball joints, right in the barrel. Then he'd charge them for an alignment.

He’s pretty stupid to keep buying ball joints to throw into the trash. A smart crook would by one set.

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ES44AC · May 28, 2019

I really like changing own oil. I'm also a little OCD too.

The 2 problems I have having the dealer doing the oil changes.

#1 the whole process driving to and from the appointment. 1.5 hours waiting.

#2 High pressure sales , somehow I need 25 things done to a vehicle that doesn't have that many miles on it. Lots of times they are purely taking advantage you.

Paintor · May 28, 2019

Trucks had a rough life. 2016 with 24,000 miles. I barely drive.

Went to the Dealer website to make an appointment for a oil change an they wanted to charge an extra $52 for “severe duty” on top of the oil change, added “visual inspections”. Not due to mileage. Because its had hardly any mileage put on it. Still 400 miles from the mileage the Dealer put on the sticker in the windshield for next oil change.

I was lazy. I took it to JiffyLube. What they charged me was the same as if I took it to the Dealer...paid for the oil change and the “Severe Duty” rip off penalty.

Saved nothin. True story...

Wayne3593 · May 28, 2019

Full time college student living in an apartment so dealer for me, plus lifetime powertrain warranty requires me to take it in for maintenance. However, even after I installed the nerf bars, I can easily slide under the truck and reach what I need to change the oil. As long as you have an incline, shouldn't be an issue.

davester · May 28, 2019

8 hours ago, KARNUT said:

He’s pretty stupid to keep buying ball joints to throw into the trash. A smart crook would by one set.

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Not really. If he just bought one set of ball joints to show customers, eventually someone sues him for not doing it, and even an incompetent lawyer would ask for records to show he's buying the parts from somewhere to install on customers vehicles. Not being able to produce them, it automatically becomes a much bigger problem (as in, criminal as well).

But, if he has records to show he's been buying the parts, then it's much more of a hassle to sue, you have to prove he didn't install them, it's harder to expand the search to include other customers.

KARNUT · May 28, 2019

I really like changing own oil. I'm also a little OCD too.

The 2 problems I have having the dealer doing the oil changes.
#1 the whole process driving to and from the appointment. 1.5 hours waiting.
#2 High pressure sales , somehow I need 25 things done to a vehicle that doesn't have that many miles on it. Lots of times they are purely taking advantage you.

I agree they up sell. They want to sell me injector cleaning every 30K. In the manual it only recommends that if you use cheap gas. Reading the manual prevents the up sell. Once I started using my dealer for oil changes I got coupons in the mail for discounts making the service cheaper. If I had to travel to get my oil change done I probably would do it myself.

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KARNUT · May 28, 2019

Not really. If he just bought one set of ball joints to show customers, eventually someone sues him for not doing it, and even an incompetent lawyer would ask for records to show he's buying the parts from somewhere to install on customers vehicles. Not being able to produce them, it automatically becomes a much bigger problem (as in, criminal as well).

But, if he has records to show he's been buying the parts, then it's much more of a hassle to sue, you have to prove he didn't install them, it's harder to expand the search to include other customers.

Ifs he’s that dishonest you can duplicate on the computer. It’s very easy to tell if the ball joints been changed. You can scam an aliment though easy.

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Doublebase · May 28, 2019

14 hours ago, KARNUT said:

He’s pretty stupid to keep buying ball joints to throw into the trash. A smart crook would by one set.

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Pretty shady. Again this is not normal but stuff does happen.

Donstar · May 28, 2019

2 hours ago, Doublebase said:

Pretty shady. Again this is not normal but stuff does happen.

I'm sure you're right. I have worked with people who would do what they could to make their job easier. They aren't necessarily stealing or saving the company money but they're super lazy. On the other end of the spectrum, I've witnessed workers/businesses who give you more then is expected. I've even witnessed this at my local GM dealership!! On a recent service visit the service rep. told me I'm due for new cabin and engine air filters. I said in all honesty, I knew it was time and would like to have them changed but my wallet says this will have to wait. I came to pick up my truck, and the total of the bill was as originally expected and my filters were changed. The service rep acknowledged that they appreciated my business and reduced my bill to accommodate the extra expense. I am well aware that they are not losing money on me and this kindness will help maintain my loyalty, but this individual went the extra mile in my opinion.