kevinsUBARU Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 I know we all love talking about Jiffy Lube:drunk: Anyhow, I was at the dealer today and they have not 1, not 2, but 3 dead Subarus on the lot with blown engines because of Jiffy Lube. Enough said:-) Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferret Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 I know that 3-4 yrs ago, Subaru started agressivly mailing "discount" coupons to their known original owner database because of the rise in Damaged engines and transmissions from "Oil Change Chains". This is obviously Owner or Servicer neglect so SOA has no responsibility in these repairs. 4 years after no longer owning my 90 Legacy LS, I still get coupons for that vehicle also. If you do NOT change your own oil, then WHY would you not use a dealer with a $15-$24 oil change coupon? This is competatively priced and the dealers in my area still guarantee a change in under an hour. MY $.02 :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strakes Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Last week, a friend told me his daughter's 2002 Outback's front diff is toast because of a quick oil change place. During the engine oil change, they drained the front diff gear oil. She got about 2-3 miles until she pulled over because her car was making all sorts of noises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subie Gal Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 i've heard and seen the horror stories from Jiffy Lube and the likes... my dealership (that i work for) has just opened their own quick lube.. no appt needed... maybe for the on do-it-yourselfers.... this will curb some of these incidents.... who knows... but i know one thing... NEVER will my scoob go to Jiffy Lube jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Took my Brat there since they used Castrol oil (not Jiffy Lube but another un-named chain) and I was overdue for my oil change and it was raining (I'm a wimp; I hate to change oil in the rain). Anyway, the technician (?????) came out to show me the gearoil on my transmission's dipstick and told me my transmission was toast! "Fluid is supposed to be red, not burned like this." I told him to put the dipstick back into my MANUAL transmission and if he even touches anything else on the car, he's in big trouble. Before I left, I checked the engine oil level myself along with the drain plug. Never went back there again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Yeah my Dad took our 93 Ford van to Q Lube one time, and they only put 5 quarts of oil in, but the engine in the van took 6 quarts. My dad had to get out the owner's manual and show the "technician" where it said in there that the engine took 6 quarts of oil. When we lived in California, Dad took the van to a similar place a couple of times, and they always checked all teh fluids, or so they said, since the monkeypisser tank (aka washer tank) had a hole in it, so it only held like 1/4 of a tank of fluid, but yet on their check sheet, it was always listed as "FULL" I always change my oil myself :-P and if I did take it to one of those places, and they f**ked up my car, they would be paying to have the DEALER replace it with a genuine part :-) (well, giving me the money to anyway, cuz I'd just go to the JY...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 My Dad had the same prob with Spiffy lube, except they said they changed the diff oil in his 86 Dodge van. 1 day later he took it to his reg mech and he told him it was bone dry and toasted. They went to court and lost! My Dad even had the mech (ASE cert) with him, but they couldnt prove without a doubt that Spiffy didnt refill the diff. Cant even win when you take them to court:rolleyes: Btw, the shop is the one on Benson in Kent. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCraig Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 I use to work at an Oil Can Henerys for a couple of months. One day I took advantage of my free employee oil change. Big mistake!!! THey drained the transmission instead of the engine and put 4 qts of oil into the engine. I'm just glad I caught them before I left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinjmpr Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Hmmmm...Right now I'm about 3,000 miles late on getting the oil changed in my 99 OBW because I'm at a very remote site and don't have the time to make an appt at a dealer (nearest dealer is 100 miles away.) This thread makes me feel a little better about not taking the 'easy' way out, as I'd been tempted to do. FWIW, I do check the oil level every time I fill the tank, and it's still good. I should have time to get the oil changed this Friday, I hope. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 my sister's b/f has a good friend that builds Chevy Luvs with smallblocks in them. One day he took his pride and joy (11 second Luv) to a Jiffy Lube here in the valley. He arrived back about an hour later or leaving his pickup there to have th oil changed (he walked down to NAPA to buys ome parts for another truck). When he arrived, they told him his truck was done. He got in it and turned the key............nothing. He found out that they had started the motor up with NO oil in it. Well we all know what happens when you do that......majorly seized motor. He took them to court and won. He had enough money to rebuild his motor and finish two other trucks!?!?!?! Someimtes I wish I had money like that:boohoo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outback Jack Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 To give the Jiffy Lube guys a little bit of slack, it is probably more to do with being intimidated and ignorant about SUBARU in general. I'm sure they don't make the same mistakes with the cookie cutter cars out there. I myself was quite surprised in a good way that the tranny has a drain plug and seperate filter. But to somebody who should be careful, could spell DISASTER! (too much oil in engine, low oil in tranny :temper: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBRme Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Had a recent bad experience w/ Jiffy Lube as well- they changed the oil on my 01 OB wagon just fine, but re-used the "crunch bolt" (?) they pulled out of the car to drain the oil, so the seal was not good. Resulting in leaks, stained driveway, bad smells, angry wife, general distress. Not good, not fun. Finally brought it to the dealer, they fixed it by changing the oil. Could be a source of the mysterious burning oil smell I've seen discussed in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canedog18 Posted August 22, 2003 Share Posted August 22, 2003 A buddy of mine's dad had a Ford Ranger that he used for his daily 120 mile round trip commute to work. He'd been going to the same Wiffy Lube for years, but one time they didn't put any oil back in the crankcase and his engine seized up on him. He got a new motor out of them and was able to go car payment free for another 4 years because the truck had a lot of miles on it and he was getting ready to trade it in. I don't think the new engine ever saw the bottom of a Wiffy Lube bay again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted August 23, 2003 Share Posted August 23, 2003 Well, heres a thought. If you have a high mileage vehicle (doesnt have to be a Soob), just start taking it into Spiffies for oil changes. Sooner or later they will screw up and forget to put the oil back in, and you get a new motor out of it:D Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outback Jack Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Then we should maybe get our automatic transmissions flushed there too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crash613 Posted September 8, 2003 Share Posted September 8, 2003 I fell victim of Jiffy Lube too. I had a 96 Sunfire GT that i usually changed the oil on myself.... I took it to Jiffy LUbe one cold winter day, no garage and they did an oil change check all levels etc..... everything was fine, or so i thought... about a year later, yea a year, the transmission blew. i took it to a tranny shop, they said that the dipstick was gone and that the tranny juice just slowly sputtered out. he said it happens alot with instant oil changes and i said i change my own oil. i said i went to one but it was a year ago... he said that is possible.. due to so little dripping out at a time that it would take that long before it ran dry. He showed me where the dipstick should have been and how its removed. no chance it could have come out on it's own, nor that i have ever taken it out. Of course try to prove this. so i was stuck.... screw that jiffy lube. I always change my own oil now, or go to the dealer. and when i change my own oil, i put it in a milk carton and drop it off on jiffy lubes front steps, when they are closed. Screw them. they can dispose of it. since they are in the hole to me for a grand, in my book anyway. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted September 8, 2003 Share Posted September 8, 2003 and so much of this depends on the mechanic's training. I worked on commercial vehicles for many years and still have to resort to the manual and actually find anything I wish to work on in the subie. Clutch slave on top of the engine???? You pull the air box to find it???? A whole lot of folks in Jiffy Lubes have minimal training and are recieving low wages. In my area most seem to have minimal English skills which must make thier training more difficult. When I was a kid working in garages if it had not been for the manuals I would have been up the creek. At least at the dealer or independent Subie place you get someone who has some familiarity with your car. I have a good friend who owns a chain of Speedy Oil places. When I took my Mercedes to one of her places the next time I tried to raise the hood the seconday latch was gone. They are plastic and pop out when you release the hood. An untrained employee pulled it the wrong way. I just ordered another and replaced it myself, but that was the last quick oil chnage experience I have had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Ursalia Posted September 8, 2003 Share Posted September 8, 2003 Jiffy Lube guys may have minimal training, but it doesn't explain the cars we have gotten in here at the dealership that have had washer fluid put in the oil pan instead of oil . I can understand though... I mean, they look *sooooo* much alike, and the viscosities are nearly identical ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted September 8, 2003 Share Posted September 8, 2003 There a re some things that I can easily understand, such as pulling the wrong drain plug. But that seems truly stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Some people simply should not be allowed to breath MY air. Dern mouth breathers anyway. LOL - washer fluid in the oil - LOL. Ok - you made me laugh - that's not easy either. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Ursalia Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 In the oil would be bad enough... this was in place of the oil! Don't get me started on how they always remove the external 4EAT tranny filter and huck it in the woods by mistake, and then drop a nut when they find out it's like a $35 part . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 What gets me is that the 4EAT filter is OBVIOUSLY on the side of the tranny. WTF! If they took a second to look around they would certainly find the engine filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobySchmitty Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by edrach Took my Brat there since they used Castrol oil (not Jiffy Lube but another un-named chain) and I was overdue for my oil change and it was raining (I'm a wimp; I hate to change oil in the rain). Anyway, the technician (?????) came out to show me the gearoil on my transmission's dipstick and told me my transmission was toast! "Fluid is supposed to be red, not burned like this." I told him to put the dipstick back into my MANUAL transmission and if he even touches anything else on the car, he's in big trouble. Before I left, I checked the engine oil level myself along with the drain plug. Never went back there again. ROFLPMP!!! You should have made him taste it too, to make sure it really was "burned" :brolleye: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruppster Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Originally posted by ScoobySchmitty ROFLPMP!!! You should have made him taste it too, to make sure it really was "burned" :brolleye: Yeah, but on a side note how many cars have you seen that have a dipstick on a manual? My Legacy has an automatic but when I was reading the owners manual I came across the portion pertaining to checking fluids in a car with a manual. I was shocked to see a dipstick on a manual. I have been around cars for almost 20 years and this was the first time I've ever seen this. Sounds like it was the first time for the kid too. Ruppster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Well - that dipstick is technically in the front diff... but it's the same oil as the tranny. To be sure i have not seen others like this either, never seen any independant diffs with em either. It is kindof strange now that you mention it. Never had given it much thought tho. Soobies are kind of strange mechanically speaking - especially our old skool stuff. You get used to it tho. I personally like the layout of the whole system, it works well. I can't stand transverse mounted FWD cars - what a pain to work on. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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