Xweb VS. Jiffy Lube & my wife...

W

wrxdrew

1300cc's of Angry Bees
There are two entities in this world that should not be entirely trusted with ones automobiles; Lube Shops, and certain types of women.

I've told my wife a thousand times... "Oil shops change oil and that's it, they are not mechanics and can't be trusted with anything but the cap the plug and the filter." Sometimes they can't even get those right.

Long story short. The wife calls me at work complaining of car trouble, her Nissan Murano is acting funny like 25 miles away from my work. I of course get talked into being Mr. Hero. From what she described it sounded an awful lot like fuel system issues. I used some of my drive time on the way out to call the old sage Papa Tony. For a minute I was concerned it was going to be a fuel filter and pump. $$$

I was going through all the suspect checks, and on Tony's advise pulled the air filter. Low and behold its brand spanking new and its about at that point my wife tells me she had the oil changed two days ago. "You didn't have them change the filter too did you?" "Yeah" At this point my brows arched in a half pissed half puzzled look.

I go over things a little more and duh! The oil change dumb ass failed to reconnect the large 5" hose off the filter. "Oh, look there's a sensor on either end of the filter hose, that can't be good" I re-installed the filter lid and ducting correctly. Boom, Car fires right up and idles perfectly. I just got done doing the test drive around the block when the tow truck show up. Xweb 1, the man 0. If that tow truck would have hooked the Murano and dragged it to the shop it would have cost me like $450 for the tow, diagnostic, and the 5 minute repair.

Moral of the story: Oil changers are for changing oil, and nothing else. Trust your Xweb brethren before you trust a shop. Turn your own wrenches whenever you can. (For the record I change my own oil in the X.)
 
Maybe you should get a AAA card? :)

At least you won a round Andrew!

I took the 86 to a Valvoline last year because I didn't feel like changing the oil. I made sure to take my oil plug wrench, fluid capacities spec sheet and the proper oil filter. A "Bertone" doesn't even show up in the Valvoline system, so the youngsters were definitely stumped. I offered the allen wrench when they pulled the car in, but the guy told me they had all the tools in the pit. I smiled knowingly and stepped back to watch the fun. It was quite an event and I ended up as foreman on the operation. They gave me a real nice discount for being so patient.

Speaking of AAA. I finally got a AAA membership after years of dragging my feet. I have two teenage driver's now and figured it would give me some peace of mind. Heck, it might payoff someday if I am on a road trip and need a tow for the X.
 
haha!
I was expecting you to say that the new air filter still had the seran wrap on it.

When I was wrenching for the toyota dealership you wouldn't believe how many of the 96-99 Camry's I would see that came in for check engine lights shortly after having the oil changed. They would have a Evap code.... and the evap hose going to the airfilter box would always be laying there not hooked up anymore. Huh.... like the guy that checked the air filter didn't see it pop off.... and never put it back. huh.....:sigh:
 
Not exactly Andrew...

I took Sharon's Pilot to the Honda dealer for a recall on the trans... I told them they might as well do a 30,000 mile service and oil change while it was there.

Turned out trans was OK and they just added an upgrade instead of replacing it and did all the service work also. I drove Sharon over to pick it up and she followed me home... 7 miles... uphill... on a 100 degree day.

Two days later I get in to drive the grand kids home to Culver City and it takes like 15 minutes to pack the car and buckle every one in... and I back out of the drive... pull forward and thought all the buzzers and lights would settle down... and they did... all except one that I don't EVER recall seeing before...

I finally had to stop the car... adjust my bifocals... and craned my next under the steering wheel to finally decipher what looked like an OIL CAN!

"Hmmmm..." I thought... "a LOW OIL light? I don't ever remember being ONE quart low before and a LOW oil light coming on... those jerks must not have filled it correctly..."

I better check it... and I turned off the engine an opened the hood. How 'bout a "NO OIL" light... not a drop! A brand new filter... but NO OIL!

What the hell... I started it... drove it home a mile or so... and called the dealer. Its a Sunday... but left word for them to come get the car on Monday.

Lots of discussion and the short story was they forgot to refill the crankcase... they can't find NOTHING wrong with the engine... but will install a NEW engine for me or guarantee the entire car for another 36,000 miles bumper to bumper.

I happened to mention my wife always wanted their $500 CHROME BUMPER "Bling" OPTION too...

HA! I took the latter... and now have 93,000 on the car... never burns a drop of oil... runs perfect. Its good that Honda makes such a damn good car to compensate for their forgetfull technicians...

Glad I was able to help and ya found that loose sensor connection!

You deserve to wear a Good Guy Cape for the weekend!
 
DIY or watch them do it.

I went through the automotive programs here at the community college. Mechanics, Collision, Refinishing whatever I could. I can tell you straight up that the kids from my classes who showed up late if at all and hung around the shop instead of working are the ones who I see working at Jiffy Lube down the street. I would never never tell anyone to go there. There are oil change shops that are decent, Oil Can Henry's and Valvoline seem to be O.K. for the most part.

Another story for you...

A friend of a friend just got fired from an oil change shop, for tightening the drain bolt by hand and leaving it. It came out, the oil drained, the driver was a girl who didn't notice the difference and drove it till it died. The shop bought her a new engine when they saw what he did on a security camera.

At the very least, double check everything real quick when you get home.
 
A number of years ago I brought my MX6 in to a Jiffy Lube, where the manager and a "mechanic" performed a pre-check before they actually drove it in to the bay. Then they had a kid attempt to drive it in but for some reason floored it, but he was a little left of being centered over the large opening in the floor and the right tires went up onto the lip of the frame that surrounds the hole. I reprimanded the kid but was just glad he didn't drop the car down into the basement of the place. When they were done they drove it out and said the car would barely run and were surprised I was able to drive it over? I got in, pressed on the gas pedal and it wouldn't move unless you floored it! Called some of the guys over (at which point the manager headed in the opposite direction) and asked the "mechanic" what they did during the pre-inspection, and then he noticed a large electrical plug that they forgot to plug back in when they checked the air filter. Ran nice after he plugged it back in! I apologized to the kid that drove it in, and told him it was the managers fault after all.
 
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