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Was Jiffy Lube Telling the Truth?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Joekc, Apr 8, 2008.

  1. Joekc

    Joekc Member

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    I went in for my first oil change on my 2008 Prius yesterday and intended to use synthetic oil, mainly based on what I've read here. The guy at Jiffy Lube insisted that Toyota shipped all Prius from the factory with synthetic oil, so that's what I HAD to replace it with (with an $18 premium.)

    I pointed out to him that the owner's manual only said 5W-30, nothing about synthetic. Since I was going to do this anyway, I went ahead with it, but it doesn't sound right. Comments?
     
  2. limetime13

    limetime13 Junior Member

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    WHY would you take a (new) (any) car to Jiffy Lube????????? :eek:
     
  3. prius729

    prius729 New Member

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    please stop listening to the folks at Jiffylube.
     
  4. EJFB1029

    EJFB1029 New Member

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    First, Jiffy Lube are morons, you need to watch them like a hawk if you ever use them. Second, they make money by getting you to believe you need this or that that costs more, so you have to know what you want and what to expect when you use them.
     
  5. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Was there smoke coming from his pants?
     
  6. sendconroymail

    sendconroymail One Mean SOB

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    I went to Jiffy lube for my first oil change after moving to FL. The guy brought over a piece of paper while they were changing my oil which contained a dark oil like substance. He said this is your transmission fluid and its really dirty you want us to change it? And I said no because I have a standard transmission so it does not have transmission fluid. Then he stumbled a little and said, its clutch fluid and really dirty. And I said this car has a spring clutch (Volvo 240) and does not have clutch fluid. He did not say another word and just walked away. I never saw him again. Of course I never went back again.
     
  7. Jack66

    Jack66 Kinda Jovial Member

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    I use Jiffy Lube for our van but I ignore anything they say unless it is "Your car is done."
     
  8. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    I had some guys at EZ Lube tell me that my 2004 Toyota Avalon needed the rear differential service...when i told them it was a FWD and didnt have a rear axle they said, "you're car will be ready in 5 minutes"



    ENOUGH SAID
     
  9. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Bulldada!

    No matter who changes the oil always, always, always check the oil level yourself before driving away. This can catch some gruesome mistakes before they cause expensive damage.
     
  10. SparrowHawk60

    SparrowHawk60 Happy to be green!

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    Was the shop certified by ASE?
    Did you happen to see one ASE mechanic?

    I highly doubt it, Jiffy Lube is not in the habit of hiring trained professionals. You're better off doing anything they can do (and they do little right) yourself.

    If you don't want to get your hands dirty, if a neighborhood shop that others have recommended to you! If that fails there is always the dealer, and that's not a bad idea if the car is still under warranty!

    "ASE—Certifying the Automotive Professional
    Finding a competent auto technician need not be a matter of chance. Much of the guesswork has been eliminated, thanks to national program conducted by the non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
    ASE tests and certifies automotive professionals in all major technical areas of repair and service. With nearly 400,000 currently certified professionals, the ASE program is national in scope and has industry-wide acceptance and recognition. ASE-certified professionals can be found at every type of repair facility, from dealerships, service stations, and franchises to parts stores, independent garages, and even municipal fleets."
    Finding a shop: http://www.ase.com/bluesealsearch/locator.php
     
  11. priusenvy

    priusenvy Senior Member

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  12. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i'm with sparrow on the ASE thing. most ASE cert guys don't wear their patch on their shoulder, but they're happy as hell to show you their credentials. ASE shops plaster that blue seal all OVER the place.

    DH has his ASE Master gold patches, pin, gold magnet on his toolbox, business card, and certifying documents ready at a moment's notice almost everywhere he goes, and especially while at work.

    though that does not guarantee honesty, it guarantees the guy has been working for 2 years in the field, had to take a night off work, pay $100, and pass a written test for the areas he's certified in.
     
  13. Joekc

    Joekc Member

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    Umm, thanks for the answers, but aside from the probably accurate insults hurled at Jiffy Lube, no one answered the question I asked about whether the Prius is shipped with synthetic oil.
     
  14. alanh

    alanh Active Member

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    Well, I think the implication was that everything they were telling you is a lie.

    I'll let the oil analysis guys chime in, but I'm 99% certain the original oil is just regular oil.

    Even if it was synthetic, there's no reason you couldn't switch back to dino oil.
     
  15. Pinan

    Pinan Member

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    They tried to pull this BS on me too. A talk with the manager about pushing unnecessary items/services was dangerous to their lively hood, and hadn't they had enough bad press already, made him do an about face. "Oh sorry....we were thinking the Honda hybrids". I said....care to think again?
     
  16. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Wow, so if their (Jiffy Lube's) lips are moving, you know they are lying.

    This has been going on for years with franchise type auto repair facilities. The Buerou of Automotive Repiar has caught AAMCO transmissions shops and Sears Auto Repair shops as well as EZ lube mentioned in this thread.

    EZ lube story here:
    Bureau of Automotive Repair Seeks to Shut Down Southern California EZ Lube Shops

    In the case of AAMCO transmission shops, back in the 70s I think, BAR modified the transmission on an undercover car by puncturing a hole in the diaphram of the vacuum modulator, a common part on transmissions of that erra which used engine vacuum as an input in determining shift timing. The result was no 2 - 3 shift becuase the vacuum signal was not pulling the plunger to let the transmission out of passing gear. This was an inexpensive part attached to the exterior of the transmission that could be easily diagnosed and changed without taking anything else apart, very similar in complexity to replacing an oil filter. The undercover car was taken around to at least 5 differnt AAMCO shops who all recommended a complete transmission overhaul for say $400 1970s bucks. Finally, the fifth or sixth some odd AAMCO shop replaced the Vaccume modulator and billed the BAR somewher around $35.

    This is why it is imperative to learn how your car works or find a friend who understands how it works and take them with you. If you are real lucky, you will find a dealer or independant shop that will be like a friend you can trust, but the guy at Jiffy Lube or the like could have been flipping burgers last week and may be changing the sheets at Motel 6 next week.
     
  17. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    I don't know. It doesn't matter because Toyota makes no particular recommendation for or against synthetic. What matters is that some dweeb was happy to invent a story to try to sell you a more expensive product. Of course Toyota does the same thing; it wants us to believe that genuine Toyota motor oil is best.
     
  18. Jack66

    Jack66 Kinda Jovial Member

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    I thought it was mentioned on another thread about oil recommendations so you could do a Google search for it. If I remember correctly, the Prius is shipped with non-synthetic.
     
  19. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Probably true, since that would be less expensive.
     
  20. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    According to the handful of used oil analysis we have reported on factory Toyota motors, the answer is NO.

    Otherwise, stay the hell away from Iffy Loob. Learn to do the oil change yourself, it's simple enough. As NoMoShocks reported, an innocent lack of knowledge on your part can result in major financial impact