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+--- Thread: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? (/showthread.php?tid=118997)
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - MikeF - 06-21-2011
BernDog wrote:
In spite of my previous post, I did used to occasionally go to JL in my younger days. They tried to upsell me on wiper blades. I had just replaced them less than a week earlier.
Come on -- everyone knows you can't do a good oil change with old wiper blades.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - OWC Jamie - 06-21-2011
Whichever you choose, don't wait till the last minute.
Murphy will certainly break something. :-)
You always hear about the screw-ups, but I doubt they'd stay in business if screwing up was all they were capable of.
I used to change my engine oil myself, but when I bought this truck it came with as-long-as-you-own-it oil changes for $13.95.
-and the filter is awful to get at.
-and you should be checking for leaks no matter who changes your oil and filter.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - hotdogthemovie - 06-21-2011
Another vote for do-it-yourself.
I have had some bad experiences at quick change places. Once they forgot to replace the oil-fill cap, and I ended up with motor oil all over my engine and under-side of hood. Once they forgot to remove the old oil filter's gasket with the filter, so the engine had 2 gaskets on the new filter, which of course caused a major problem once the seal blew out. And another time, they pulled off the handle of the hood release lever, which probably would have happened anyway, but I can still complain about it...
YMMV... but 15 minutes to change my own oil so I know it's done right is worth big bucks to me!
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - cowboyxjon - 06-21-2011
I change the oil in my vehicle because I like knowing that it was done correctly. It's not difficult and my local Advance Auto Parts will take and dispose of my used oil for free.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - DRR - 06-21-2011
I usually do my own but I once went to a Jiffy Lube because I was low on time also. They did it, and I drove away. Simple enough, I thought.
A few months later when I went to change again I noticed a couple things were amiss. First thing was my skidplate. Usually held on with 6 bolts. There were 2 or 3. They didn't bother bolting the rest of it on. Second, the oil filter was old. It was the same one I had put on 2 changes ago. Third, it was kind of dented and twisted in places like they had tried to take it off for a minute, decided it would take too much time to put it on properly, and gave up and left it on.
So then I wondered, if these monkeys are so rushed for time or so lazy that they can't properly replace a couple of bolts on a skid plate, why am I trusting them with my engine, which at last check, was a somewhat more vital component than a skidplate?
Never again. If you lack the tools or expertise to DIY then take it to a well-reviewed independent mechanic. Those quick oil change places are slam-bam-thankya-ma'am. They don't care about you or your car. I would gladly run on the same oil/filter another month or thousand miles if I was crunched for time so I could DIY, rather than trusting the job to those idiots' hands.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - bazookaman - 06-21-2011
I drive my truck down to a friend's house and pull into his garage. We let the truck sit while we go out for some breakfast and chat. Come back and change the oil. My truck is high enough to where there is no lifting or jack stands involved. Then we hang around and talk about cars for another hour or so. So I get up at 7:30 on a Saturday. Drive 45 minutes. Spend a couple hours changing the oil. Then drive 45 minutes home. There is no way I would pay someone else to do it.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - Racer X - 06-21-2011
5 of our 6 cars we don't need to lift in any way to do an oil change.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - Paul F. - 06-21-2011
Last week, in 30 minutes, the local chain oil change place (Oil Stop, not Jiffy Lube);
Changed my oil and replaced my oil filter.
Changed my overdue transmission fluid.
Changed my rear differential fluid.
Topped up my coolant.
Changed my cracking serpentine belt.
Topped up my window washer fluid.
Washed my windows.
Replaced my (long LONG overdue) air filter.
and
Replaced my windshield wipers (they needed it).
It cost me $322, and saved me about a week of chasing all that stuff down, and doing it myself. Plus, due to the location of that damn belt, I probably wouldn't have noticed it being in bad shape until it broke and fell off...
Are there scummy, scammy, "service" places? Darn right...
Find a place you're comfortable with, and as the saying goes; "Trust but Verify".
COULD I do it all myself? Sure... but I am happy to pay the professionals for the service of doing so in a faster and more efficient manner than I could.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - OWC Jamie - 06-21-2011
One of those "speedy lube" places was putting a quick drain thingy in place of the drain plug with or without asking.
I have one on my tractor and I don't think I'd want one on my car.
Re: Jiffy Lube or Do It Yourself? - modelamac - 06-21-2011
Just don't buy the trans. oil game they try when they show you all that grit. If the oil is reasonably clean, close to the proper color, does not smell burned, and the car is running fine, just pas on the change. I always check that before I take it in.
I change my own in warm weather, and pay to have it done in cold weather or if I don't have time before a trip. I like to get under there and look for other problems before they become problems.