Dealer oil change error

Change oil itself. I had nothing but problems with dealer oil changes.

 

Some of don't have the tools or experience or courage

 

My advice: Either let the dealer handle everything or change the oil yourself.

 

If you want something done right, sometimes you have to do yourself.

You shouldn't have to, but in the case of dealership service departments, I've always thought why would I take it to the same place that tried to screw me in the effort to maximize their profit when I was purchasing the car?

Do they have the same "maximize profit" attitude in the service department?

I change my own oil, but for some things I will take it in.

Find a good local garage and build a relationship with the owner/mechanics there. I've been taking my vehicles to the same guy for almost 25 years and have never had a problem; I will when he retires next year though. LOL

 

why don't you have a serious conversation with the 'excellent service manager'?

 

I will forever change my own oil. I don't care if I get two years of free this or that. They can keep it.

Mike

 

My thoughts exactly. They give away 25k miles of free service, or 2 years.. but all it takes is 1 tech not paying attention to my vehicle to give me 10w30 oil, the wrong amount, scratch my car, dirty my interior etc.. save the headaches and do it myself.

As for a reply to the original poster, you may seriously consider going to another dealer for service in your area if it's close enough. Apparently this dealer may have a good service manager but a bunch of C techs working on your car that you just spend good money on.

When I dropped my subaru off for warranty repair, I wrote them a list of what to do and they stapled it to the work order. Perhaps you can write specifics down and they will attach it for you as well.

 

As far as I know the lot boys or a mechanic in training working for minium wage is doing these freebie oil changes, I wouldn't trust them with my lawn mower, these guys don't give 2 shits if they overfill your car, strip your drain plug or send you home with an improperly tightened oil filter.
Inless your physically unable to do it yourself...do it yourself, you'll be much happier knowing it was done with with care.

 

I take Mobil 1 into my dealer, and was taking in the quarts and would only give them 4 quarts so they could not overfill it, and all was good. I would add the last half quart myself when I got home. WalMart started carrying the 5 quart jugs so I started using them and all was fine until the last change. I left the dealership and after a few miles realized the jug with the remaining half quart was not in the car so I pulled over and called the service manager. He said he had it and I could come back and get it but it only had about a cup left in it. He said the guy that did the change is the only one that works on the hybrids and he said he filled it but did not overfill it. I checked it the next morning so it was all drained down and sure enough, about 3/8 of an inch above the full mark. Next time, I will ask them to fill it to roughly half way between the add and full marks and I will take care of filling it the rest of the way. I used to change my own oil for many years in both cars but after moving to Michigan with the cold weather part of the year I started going to the dealerships for oil changes. This really has me considering going back to doing it myself. BTW, while there are many reports of overfills in the Gen II causing an MPG drop, I have not observed any drop in MPGs. Maybe with the larger engine and subsequent larger oil reservoir, there is more of a buffer where MPGs are not impacted. I worked at a full service station in the early 80s and did MANY oil changes and can't figure out for the life of me why this is so hard for so many.

 

One word IDIOTS

Mike

 

Over the past 45 years that I've owned cars, I have never had an oil changed by a dealer. I've always done every one myself.

Now that I will get two free oil changes at the dealer for my new Prius v, I'll let them do the two.

First, I'll change the oil myself at about 3k to get the asembly lube and "crap" out of the engine.

Before I change it, I will mark the filter cap withpaint alignment marks in the factory tightened position, before remove it. This will give me the correct "angular torqued" tightened position. All I'll have to do it to tightened it back to align the marks together, and I will get it back to correct tightness without a torque wrench. I'll use the Assenmacher TOY640 cap wrench that I have already purchased from Amazon.com.

Although I have many specialty tools and some way beyond what some dealers have included precision aierospace service torque wrenches and special sockets, using my method, you'd need no more than even an 8 inch adjustable "crescent" wrench to loosen or tighten the oil filter cap.

Then, when I have the oil change done by the dealer, I can raise the car up on ramps, open the oil service door and see if the dealer changed the filter.

More likely than not, the "monkey" at the dealer will either not tighten the cap enough or too much.

 

Yet you had your dealer change the oil for you?

 

While I have never changed my own oil, I have seen it done and it seems easy enough.

However, I have the dealer change my oil for two reasons:

1) I live in an apartment complex that very clearly states I am not allowed to service my vehicle in the parking lot.

2) More importantly, I have no clue where to take the drained oil for disposal.

Can someone here address point 2? What do you guys do? Should I just Google oil disposal for my local area?

 

Google would work but I believe any retail store that sells oil has to have a program in place to take in used oil for recycling and not charge for taking it. Around here there are so many shops and other places that use used oil for heating and beg people for their used oil.

Mike

 

my local gas station always adds the 'recommended amount' to my gen II which brings it about 1/4 - 3/8 over the full mark. i have never noticed any adverse effects and my mpg's are consistently between 55 and 65 depending on the season.

 

I found out yesterday that my dealer has been putting regular oil in my car for the last four oil changes, despite my insistence EACH time I come in, that I get synthetic. I didn't realize my car takes synthetic oil but on the first oil change back in July 2010, they told me that. I wasn't happy about the $20 surcharge for the synthetic oil over the cost of a regular oil change but accepted that it is best for my car, and that is why I always insisted on it. Yesterday, the service manager checked my records and said that, aside from that first time, I have never had synthetic oil. And he told me that now the additional cost over a regular oil change is $60. I am livid that
a) they don't KNOW that my car requires synthetic - the are the supposed experts on my car (as opposed to Costco or speedy oil change outfits)
b) I specifically asked for it, and they ignored my request
c) the last oil change, I was charged for synthetic, but they readily admit they didn't put it in
d) they have the nerve to charge a $60 surcharge for synthetic now, when I can walk right over to their parts department and purchase it for $28 (a 1L jug sells for $6.85...and they told me I need about 4 L)

I called Toyota Canada to complain about these shoddy and fraudulent business practices...and they suggest that I go back there today for my 48K maintenance and speak to the service manager....I feel like they are sending me back to crooks!!

 

No way I'd go back to that dealer. Find another or a oil change shop that will do it right every time.

Mike

 

I'd be willing to bet...most requests for synthetic oil fall on deaf ears, even when the stealers get caught red handed, what happens...NOTHING. A dealerships service department is the most profitable department, and for one reason...most people have no clue when it comes to car service, they get lied to, cheated on and basically raped, with little or no recourse.