More on the dealer that slapped my wrist

Personally I wouldn't waste my time on the air pressure. Just plug in your portable compressor & finish the job. Confronting the prep guy is most likely just going to stir up an argument if you insist on at least 42/40 because you prefer to save gas and prolong tire life.

My indy mechanic deflated my tires while doing the last oil change. I just spent 15 minutes correcting it.

 

I totally agree with ol' Jim.

I feel the same way as you do about a dealer following my wishes. But this is one of those times where your time and blood pressure just aren't worth the small effort to make it right. Nobody else cares about your stuff as much as you do - so do as much of the stuff you can yourself. Giving them yet another chance to much something else up is false economy!

 

Hi Evan,

What's the difference between the 100K mile service and the other services?

• iridium spark plug change, this is easy
• transaxle fluid change, this is easy
• inverter coolant change, this is easy when you know what to do
• engine coolant change, this is moderately difficult because of the need to fill the CHRS canister, the most time-consuming of all tasks

I've posted on these items before, and all are within the capability of a competent DIYer. A big DIY benefit is that you know the work was done by someone who cared - this may not always be the case when you visit a repair shop (whether dealer or independent)...

 

The dealer service manager is blindly following Toyota's guidance without engaging his/her own brain. This shows poor judgement and a lack of knowledge in what they are servicing. I doubt they can competently troubleshoot problems as doing so requires some critical thinking skills that they haven't displayed.

The tire pressure change is idiotic but minor. The dealer overfilling the oil is unacceptable. They should be checking the dipstick. If you come out 1/4" overfull then they aren't doing their job. Instead they are blindly dumping in Toyota's fill without following the guideline to keep the oil level between the marks.

When I change oil in any vehicle I hold back the final quart (of the stated capacity) and check the level after running briefly to see where it is hitting. Why? Because I don't want to overfill. How hard is it for a dealer to do the same? I don't dump all the oil in and then check it. Typically I end up adding in another half quart to get the level near full, but not overfull. This is just common sense to me--am I the only person that does this as SOP?

 

i'm so sick and tired of other people touching my car, i want my in-house mechanic back.

the last 2 guys let air out of my hot tires. that's asinine, pressure is supposed to be set cold. when my tires cooled, the actual pressure was a few psi below the spec they set it to. then when i bring up the issue, i'm talked to like a girl (ie, like i don't know Wth i'm talking about) and pooh-poohed. i nearly had a closed-fist arm spasm the last time that happened, but that last guy was a little stunned to be schooled in suspension and alignment by a girl...

[/rant]

 

oh, and does this dealer have an express lube or did a line tech do the work?

 

Always, always, always, check the oil level yourself before driving away from an oil change, no matter who does it. You can catch some gruesome errors before they become expensive.

 

Don't EVER count on your dealer (or any mechanic) to do the right thing for your auto ..... EVER! When possible, ALWAYS check their work. Here is what I do for an oil change and tire rotation:

BEFORE WORK
-mark the current oil filter with marker (if they don't change it, you'll know)
-mark the tires on the inside sidewall (to see if they rotated correctly)

AFTER WORK
-check the oil level and purge if needed (bought a marine oil pump that goes in the dipstick)
-check to see if oil filter was changed and that the tires were rotated correctly

And it goes without saying that you never tell the dealer things like "do the 25k service" or "fix whatever is wrong". Instead, you've already investigted and know the maintenance your auto needs. YOU tell THEM specifically what is to be done or diagnosed.

The dealer (or mechanic) WILL cheat you .... but only if you let him.

... Brad

 

I know next to nothing about cars so I have a question. Why the issue about overfilling with oil? I DO understand about underfilling, but what is the harm in overfilling? Please remember that I know virtually nothing about the mechanical aspect of cars.

 

There is a lot of anectodel evidence that suggests that overfilling the oil will lead to a large decrease (10% ish) in mpg. One person had a schematic of the oil pan and why overfilling it would decrease mpgs.

 

Basically, it has to do with the parasitic drag of the crankshaft dipping and running through the extra amount of oil. This drag does decrease an engine's efficiency due to the friction and added heat. This is one of the reasons why the high HP guys utilize a 'dry' sump setup where oil is pumped through the engine and returned to a seperate and remote oil sump (pan/reservoir).

 

I also came across a site that explained that in general (not specific to the Prius) the crank slapping the overfull oil level could churn up a froth sending bubbles through the oil pump and lubrication system. Depending on the level of frothing the consequences could be severe. Air is a poor engine lubricant.

I've not seen posts suggesting that the small amount of overfill is causing a history of severe mechanical problems for the Prius ICe, but there have been some who have indicated the mileage improved by getting the oil level down into a proper range.