BEWARE OF PEOPLE CHANGING YOUR OIL!!!

[SoCalDieselNewbie]

The other day, I stopped by Jiffy Lube to have the oil changed in my D-Max.

So anyway, I goto pay the guy and, as has become habit, I check the receipt to make sure everything is correct while talking to my girlfriend on the phone...

Then I saw it....

Rottela 8 quarts.

I told the guy that the D-Max takes 10 quarts not 8. He claimed that it takes 8 according to his computer.

I told my girl that I'd call her back, hung up the phone and then I calmly said... I don't give a flying #$%& what your computer says the truck ain't moving until it gets 10 quarts of Rotella.

He started making a stink about me being crazy and the computer says 8 quarts. He opened the hood and pulled the dipstick. It wasn't empty but it was a couple of notched off of Full.

So I walk over to the glove box and pull out the receipts from the previous 4 oil changes that I had done at the dealer. Every one of them had 10 quarts listed.

The guy had a look of shock on his face... and stammered 'but the computer has 8 quarts listed.'

I suggested that he top mine off and start calling people with D-Maxes that he has serviced and make things right.

Un-fricking-believible.

[WayCoolKennel]

Hey SoCal,

The lube-n-go near me just bought a mobile unit... it has a full shop in the fully enclosed trailer including lift, air conditioning, tire machine the works...

Coolest thing... it's pulled by a mid size truck.. with a DMAX !!

Hopefully they won't get their own oil change wrong ;)

Good thing you looked over the receipt... !

[DMAXDiva]

Well, I learned my lesson at Jiffy Lube many years ago...took my '94 Cummins Ram (which I still have, but RARELY drive now ;) ) in for oil change, told the service kid to make sure to put in 9 quarts plus one (in the filter), then keep checking the dipstick and add until it showed 10 (long story, but same outfit had overfilled same truck before by 2 quarts!)...I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and try again. Well, we got the fill amount correct, but the astrophysicist down in the service well only finger-tightened the new oil filter...yep, filter fell off on the highway, 32 miles from home... :mad: :mad: :mad: . Luckily, I'm pretty gauge-conscious, and saw the precipitous drop in oil pressure and shut her down before any real damage was done...

Needless to say, as long as I am the proud owner, no Jiffy Lube tech shall ever lay a grubby finger on my precious Duramax! tongue.gif

[ 07-16-2002: Message edited by: DMAXDiva ]

[ 07-16-2002: Message edited by: DMAXDiva ]</p>

[1BADDMAX]

This is the main reason I do all the maintenance on my truck. Unless it is warranty related NO ONE will touch my truck. My friends think I'm crazy, but I know I'll do it right the first time every time.

[oneton]

It not Dmax related but I had to fight a local quick lube company to replace my engine in my 94. They didn't replace the cover on the air filter correctly and I ended up with non-filtered air and sand in my engine. It took me, and my attorney, six months to get them to pay the bill. I'll never go back to them but I've had good luck with my wife's car at Jiffy Lube. I just watch them like a hawk and double check everything when I get home but the new Dmax will be self serviced.

[deckhand]

Sounds to me like the guy made an honest mistake and you took the opportunity to make a real jerk out of yourself.

[GBurton]

deckhand

What's your problem? :rolleyes: Are you telling us that if someone made "honest mistake" servicing your vehicle and damaged your engine, you would not expect them to pay for the damages? What if they ran into a wall with your new truck and put a big old dent in the side. Would you just tell them "that's ok, I know it was an honest mistake", I doubt it. Sorry but life doesn't work that way. If I hire someone to work on my (fill in the blank) I expect the work to be done properly. If they do something wrong and it causes problems, I will hold them responsible for "that" damage. That's why real businesses have insurance. Was oneton responsible to check the quality of the work performed on his truck - no! I am sure that he wishes that he had checked the air cleaner but he didn't.

George

[DMAXDiva]

Amen, George!

[GMC-2002-Dmax]

Let me chime in here,

I may be wrong and the Dealer is a ripoff, BUT if they have a good service rep, which my dealer does, and a personal friend who happens to be the ACE MECH. in the shop is the only one who works on it what could it hurt???

I am happy with my service so far and if I have problems the dealer can't argue about recommended maint. on my truck!!!!

JMHO and my $.02!!!!

GMC ;)

[ 07-16-2002: Message edited by: GMC-2002-Dmax ]</p>

[oneton]

Ahh, I'll take that one head on. (if your talking about my engine, I've used this same company for eight years and come to know them quite well. They've service all my trucks. I went back to the shop first and gave them an opportunity to see the damage first hand. Then it went into the shop for a tear down of the heads. They never denied the service mistake but the long battle was how much value the engine had at the time of it demise. It has taught me to double check even though you may think the world of your service tech. A valuable lesson learned because even later at another shop it happened again but this time I caught it. The #1 consumer complaint here in FL is auto machanics and I believe it.

[SWLA]

Posted this story before, but seems relevent again. Took my previous truck (97 Z71) to a local oil change/carwash place. After 15 minutes they tell me I'm ready to go. Jump in, start the truck up, idles a little rough. Turn it off, grab the manager. He says it couldn't have been anything they did, maybe my timing is off. I take off down the road, gets much worse. Thick black smoke pouring out the back. Luckily the dealership is less than a mile away. They pull the dipstick, tell me its overfilled. Up on the rack, pull the plug, out comes 20(TWENTY, two zero)quarts of Mobil 1. Now I've got a serious case of redass. Quick lube refunds my money, pays the bill from the dealer. No long term damage that I was aware of as I drove it for another 75,000 miles without any problems until I traded it for the D/A. Still have to rant about it when given a chance.

[odoh]

I don't think refilling w/oil w/o chkg the fill level would be an 'honest' mistake. It is indeed a mistake compounded by poor maint practice. The point to be learned here is to insp and double chk ones work. As I see it, fortunately, the customer/client caught it and they both were lucky. ~ odoh

[SoCalDieselNewbie]

Deckhand,

It is damn frustrating when you are dealing with a person that doesn't know their job.

I told the guy that I have done 6 oil changes in the last 8 weeks.

I got showed his computer saying 8 qts.

I got the "I can't fill it any more because of insurances reasons and it will damage the vehicle."

We went back and forth of five minutes before I had enough and told my girl I'd call her back.

What was more than incredible was how when he showed me the dipstick, it was clearly 2 quarts low but he insisted it was ok because it was between the E & F.

ANYWAY, the reason that I brought it up... JIFFY LUBE'S COMPUTER SHOWS THE D-MAX AS TAKING 8 QUARTS.

[ 07-16-2002: Message edited by: SoCalDieselNewbie ]</p>

[wangotango]

The Duramax engine does not belong in the hands of "quickie" lube attendants.

They just scratch the paint with their nose rings.


w/t

[DMAX Daddy]

It was an honest mistake to fill it with 8 quarts.

It was very poor business after that. Rule # 1. The customer is always right, and in this case the attendant was given proof of the error, he should have corrected it.

[motovet]

W/T,I agree!!! I would not only check the reciept, but would have to check the dipstick, then crawl underneith and check the filter and drain plug(or valve). By that time I could have done it myself and felt confident it was done right. These places have decent margins due in part to paying the techs as little as possible. SCARY. SCDN, lucky you caught the problem. I have noted that you use a LOT of oil and your girlfreind is very patient!

[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: motovet ]</p>

[odoh]

Dipstick is there for a reason. It take precedence over a computer or customer. Since when has it been replaced by a computer? Sounds to me like an 'unscrewed' head somewhere~ odoh

[SoMnDMAX]

Back when I was in tech school, I worked in an alignment/tire/oil change shop. All vehicles that had the oil changed were checked for the proper fill level. That's one thing ANY shop tech should be able to handle. There are some that don't give a rat's a**, and those people are the ones that give these places a bad name. It's too bad too, as the Jiffy Lubes and such are the only way for some of us to get the service work done. Call me old fashioned, but what ever happened to "job done right" instead of "job done fast and wrong"???

Me, I change my own oil. Stop at Wally World, get 2 1/2 gallons of Delo 400, stop at the dealer, get me a filter, and head home. 30 minutes later, the oil's drained, changed, and the chassis is lubed. The best part is- I can sleep at night knowing all is well.

[mackey_62]

I want to re-emphasize to everyone how important it is to watch people changing your oil. Not just quickie lubers, but dealer too. I posted last month about my dealer, who filled mine with 8 quarts of some noname brand oil. Reciept showed 8 quarts rotella. I caught it before any damage was done, mad as hell, but I'll have to go back here for warranty some day.

So, remember, your the one who wants 200-300K or more miles out of this truck. No matter who changes oil for you, CHECK IT BEFORE YOU DRIVE IT.

I personally am going to give up my remaining free oil changes, about ready to go synthetic anyway. And I don't wear a nose-ring, one less thing to worry about :D

[Allison Jettester]

I worked in several service stations and a dealership for 10 years in the 60's and 70's (when you got real service). The proceedure to change oil is to:
1. Drain it.
2. Check manual for number of quarts w/-w/o filter-if there is a discrepancie with manual/computer and customer, don't argue, do more research.
3. Keep empty containers next to vehicle until done.
4. Fill oil filter with oil, wipe some oil on gasket, install hand tight.
5. After filling, start engine, run vehicle back up on lift and check for leaks.
6. Lower vehicle, turn off engine and check oil level and adjust from there.
7. Check all other fluids, belts, battery, etc.

If your service provider does not do the above routinely, go somewhere that does.

Joe

[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: Allison Jettester ]</p>

[SoCalDieselNewbie]

Funny thing is that I have a GREAT DEALER!

They do great work and I have a great business relationship with them. They have been working on my Vettes and Trans Ams for years.

Amazingly enough, they rarely (i'd really have to think to remember a time) ever go over their quote and, many times, it is WAY less and they toss in freebies here and there.

This was my first experience at one of the Lube Shops, either I or the dealer change my oil, and it will be my last.

This foray into the unknown was the culmination of several circumstances... Me being swamped with work after coming back from vacation, my truck already being overdue for an Oil change by 1200 miles (from vacation) and my Dealer not being able to do it before I had to be at work for the next week. By that point I would have been 2,000 miles over at least.

[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: SoCalDieselNewbie ]</p>

[Silver Bullet]

For those of you who count on the quickie lube places also be aware of this...you may not get all grease zerks lubed! On my '99 Z-71, I never had problem with the oil/filter change, but they would never hit all the zerks b/c they could not easliy reach them and they were not smart enought (or maybe they were too lazy) to turn the wheel a little to be able to reach 'em.

[Russ Denman]

I am unable to get to the zerk on the idler arm without droping the front skid plate. Maybe my arm doesn't bend in the right places.

How many of these lube places get the idler arm? :confused:

[midwestdmax29]

My GM dealer left the oil cap off on my '01 when they did the 1st service(just to be safe). I later found it on top of the skid plate along with a nice haze on the engine and hood pad. They called that a "mistake" as well, and now they don't get my business. They did offer to clean it up though. Run a dual bypass and Amsoil and eliminate the oil change issue all together.

[colorado2002]

I learned a big lesson in the summer of 1965 while working at a Humble (later Exxon and now Exxon-Mobil) service station while attending college. It was Wednesday (double gold bond stamp day) and customers were lined up all day at the pumps and the service bays to get them stamps!! I serviced our best customer's station wagon in the afternoon. This guy spent $300-400 a month with us which was huge. Remember gasoline was $.30-.35/gal. Anyway, he picked up his car and called from home to let my boss know the engine was down 1 qt. of oil. My boss asked if he would bring the car back in and he would make it right. I just knew that I was getting fired from my very first paying job (I grew up on a farm and there wasn't any paychecks). The guy came in, I apologized for my mistake, he accused me of selling oil for the commission, my boss explained that no one got commission at his service station, etc. The guy left saying that he would never be back. My boss called me in to his office (here it comes) and asked that I be more careful in the future. He also added that he knew how busy we were on Wednesdays. The one thing that has made me remember this all these years was when he said "Just remember, the person that makes no mistakes is not doing anything. Everyone makes a mistake occasionally. If that customer is going to leave us over one quart of oil after all of the years of good service, we don't need him". The very next day the customer called to apologize to me and the boss. He said that when he thought of all of the little extras that we had done for him over all of the years that he really had no right to question our integrity.

The point of all of this rambling is that people make mistakes but if it is pointed out to them, IT SHOULD BE CORRECTED WITHOUT MAKING THE CUSTOMER FEEL LIKE A DIPSTICK!!! That computer program showing 8 qts for the Duramax is only as smart as the person doing the input and that person has obviously never changed the oil on a King of the Road D/A!!!!! :D :D :D :D

[mdrag]

The 2001 Helm's manual lists the oil capacity w/filter change as 8 QUARTS!!! :eek: Believe it or not!! IIRC, it is in the first volume, under the maintenence section, with fluid capacities listed for all the different engines...I did a triple take when I saw that :confused:

Obviously a mistake, but could lead to the type of confusion that started this topic...

It may be listed correctly (10 qts)in other sections of the Helm's manual, but I did not check. IIRC, it is listed correctly in the Diesel supplement...