eddie3260 wrote: Screw ups can happen anywhere.
I guess you take a chance anytime you let somebody else work on your car.
You're right about that. Several years ago a buddy of mine bought a brand new pick-up truck and never made it home from the dealership before the transfer case burned up because no oil was ever in it.
Factory or dealer prep.??? None.
When we require oil changes while on the road, I always went to Wal-Mart. Never had a problem yet. Of course I always check for a new filter, drain plug torque and proper oil level before leaving the parking lot. Just in case........
Why is it that whenever there is a post where Wal-mart is mentioned it turns into Wal-mart bashing and and away from the original posters subject matter? After all, millions of people patronize Wal-mart stores and are repeat customers.
I wouldn't personally deal with a WalMart auto center for much more then oil changes and tire work, but for those two things I feel pretty safe going there.
Now, when it comes to more sensitive things they offer such as fuel system flushing, injector cleaning, etc, I'd take a pass. Licensed mechanics don't get paid what they do for nothing - they're educated, and the more complicated the job becomes, the more educated about the process I'd like the person performing the process to be.
But yeah, and oil change is pretty hard to screw up.
oshawapilot wrote: But yeah, an oil change is pretty hard to screw up.
You would think. Of the two diesel engine oil changes I watched completed at Wal-Mart; the first, the tech failed to fill the oil filter with oil prior to installing the filter and the second, I watched the tech install and tighten the oil filter with a filter wrench well beyond the normal "hand tighten" torque. I can only imagine how the next guy managed to get that filter off. I'm not bashing Wal-Mart. I shop'em every week. You just get what you pay for and I'm not turning our $50K truck over to some kid for an oil change that was flipping burgers last week just to save a few bucks.
Happy camping!!! See ya'll down the road!!!
AIR FORCE RETIRED "EITHER LEAD,FOLLLOW,OR GET OUT OF MY WAY"!
2006 GMC 3500 SLT CC DRW 4X4 D/A LBZ,PREDATOR & FS2500 OIL FILTER
2004 HR PRESIDENTIAL 30 SCD 5'ER.
CHEROKEE & CHEYENNE, MINI DOXIE'S
LOADED LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN, FLYIN LIKE A JET PLANE!!
oshawapilot wrote: around here the price suddenly skyrockets to about $75 for any HD diesel. Total cost after taxes (including disposal of the old oil) was $18.
Let's see now: 3 gal of Rotela-T ($22), a Stratapore oil filter ($15) and Wally labor $18 = $55. Geez, that's more than if I had the local mechanic do it, who charges $7/hr.
George
Lifelong tipi, wall tenter/mule packer. 850-ac in Montana.
61 U404, 99 Dodge V10, 79 Airstream www.nativeradio.com
oshawapilot wrote: But yeah, an oil change is pretty hard to screw up.
You would think. Of the two diesel engine oil changes I watched completed at Wal-Mart; the first, the tech failed to fill the oil filter with oil prior to installing the filter and the second, I watched the tech install and tighten the oil filter with a filter wrench well beyond the normal "hand tighten" torque. I can only imagine how the next guy managed to get that filter off. I'm not bashing Wal-Mart. I shop'em every week. You just get what you pay for and I'm not turning our $50K truck over to some kid for an oil change that was flipping burgers last week just to save a few bucks.
It's easy to do, when you don't put oil into the block or overfill it. Most kids that work at Jiffy, end up at Wally.
I change my own (Wal-Mart doesn't do oil changes here)...the old oil gets added to the fuel, one quart per tank. My old-school 12V Cummins is prefectly happy to burn it.
John
1984 Ford B-700 school bus conversion, Thomas body
A bunch of other vehicles
3 nutty cats (Maya, Vierna, Briza)
One lazy dog (Marmaduke)
One wife (Liz)
"A wasted youth is better by far than a wise and productive old age"
-Jim Steinman
Walmarts around here charge exactly the same as most of the quick change places. $26.00 including oil, filter and labor. My truck takes two extra quarts so they add shelf price for that. Good luck / Skip
I haven't had any problems with Wally, but I stay real close while they're doing it. Some have pretty competent people (that even grease the steering).
OTOH - dealers have charged me anywhere from $50 to $90 for an oil change. One - utilizing one of the "people" referred to above, apparently, put genuine Mr Goodwrench 10W-30 in my Duramax. After leaving Tyler, TX and heading down the highway, fiver on, the next morning I noticed the temp was a little higher than it should have been, and the oil pressure a little lower.
On inspection, I saw it in the paperwork and on the sticker. It was the Saturday before New Year's Eve last year. The dealer had given the shop guys the day off. I went to the next dealer and paid for the second oil change in 72 miles. I eventually got the original charge refunded, but not without acrimony.
It's not just Wally that can screw things up. Another dealer, after I had specified Rotella, blithely put in whatever was on the other end of his hose - while another "mechanic" walked around my truck, fresh off the highway, and let air out of the tires - down to 50 psi - after being told to leave them alone. I made them drain the oil and start over. I went back to my trailer and pumped up my own tires. Oh, and they told me the tires were getting pretty worn. They were three days old and had about 450 miles on them.
Some buddies and I used to go the local Iffy Lube and follow oil trails, seeing who could follow one the farthest. Bonus points for a car on the side of the road at the end of the trail.
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