Author Topic: Stay away from Jiffy Lube (Read 2951 times)

Jackal1 · « **Reply #120 on:** June 21, 2006, 07:14:09 AM »

So...so far we have proved that sensors can`t be depended on, Audi definitely has been known to have oil sludge buildup problems, aftermarket producers have a smile a mile wide and some car makers are trying to go the route of big government to the point of nannyism and some are falling for it, but most of all common sense reigns once again even though not adaptable to some people. Anything else?

Mr Big · « **Reply #121 on:** June 21, 2006, 08:58:29 AM »

I think is pretty damn funny that some people feel they can only get an oil change at a car dealer, otherwise you are ruining your car and voiding your warrantry. What a racket you guys put up with over there.

Beetle, the milage you put on your last cars is next to nothing. My big f-350 has over 140,000 and my F-250 has close to 160,000. Not one problem with either of them.

Guess where I get my oil changed? Jiffy Lube.

You tell then what oil to put in it, and that's what goes in it. They put the manufacturer's recomended oil in if you want. It's cheaper and MUCH faster to got to a Jiffy Lube than it is to get the car to a car dealer.

Plus, you can watch them work on the car at Jiffy Lube. I'd trust Jiffy Lube over a car dealer any day.

When I need my oil changed, I pull right into an open bay at Jiffy Lube, and I'm out of there in usually 15 minutes.

When I was a kid, I ALWAYS changed my own oil. My 1968 El Camino had over 200,000 miles on it, when I sold it for a profit. It never was serviced at a dealer for anything. I did any tune ups and maintanence it needed.

Chairboy · « **Reply #122 on:** June 21, 2006, 09:48:36 AM »

Wasn't there a lawsuit that set some precedence over the whole "use the dealership or you void the warranty" conversation a couple decades ago? I think it's a RICO issue, but I can't recall the exact case.

Essentially, the argument was (iirc) that forcing customers to use the dealership and automatically disregarding any non-dealership repair as something that voids the warranty was a violation of anti-trust laws and costituted a type of coercion.

If the oil meets respected published standards, there's no reason to void it's use, and Audi would have to prove in court that the oil used was improper.

mora · « **Reply #123 on:** June 21, 2006, 10:26:59 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mr Big
I think is pretty damn funny that some people feel they can only get an oil change at a car dealer, otherwise you are ruining your car and voiding your warrantry. What a racket you guys put up with over there.

No it's not about oil change but scheduled servicing. There's no such a thing as an "oil change between services" here. There's only scheduled services which has to be performed at a place which has the necessary skill and equipment to do it. I don't think "jiffylube" would qualify as one though. I could personally open an authorized V.A.G service if I wanted to, V.A.G would be obliged to sell me training and equipment at the same price as to anyone else. So it's not like you are obliged to go to the dealer.

And yes, you could do the oil change at the jiffylube without voiding the warranty(on engine), as long as you can prove the mileage and the type of oil used (receipt), and have the rest of the scheduled service made elsewhere.

If the above doesn't apply to the US, then I really wonder why the manufacturers issue any warranties at all. Especially after seeing the video which was the original topic.

mora · « **Reply #124 on:** June 21, 2006, 10:43:40 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
Essentially, the argument was (iirc) that forcing customers to use the dealership and automatically disregarding any non-dealership repair as something that voids the warranty was a violation of anti-trust laws and costituted a type of coercion.

It doesn't automatically void warranty, but of course the car owner is the one who has the burden of proof. If it's done at the dealership there's no burden of proof as the services are on their database, and on the service booklet.

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #125 on:** June 21, 2006, 02:40:49 PM »

There are exceptions to the rule also. If you own a mercedes you should never trust the 'lifetime' oil cycle in the automatic gearboxes. It's 150k miles and a new gearbox (maybe they call it lifetime cycle because of that.. hmm..)

Any professional MB serviceman will recommend a maximum of 38k miles between tranny oil changes.

mora · « **Reply #126 on:** June 21, 2006, 03:09:13 PM »

I would neither. In an automatic the oil gets strained in the torque converter and clutches, and even gets contaminated as the clutches wear. 38k is on the lowside though, when talking about automatics in general.

Maverick · « **Reply #127 on:** June 21, 2006, 04:31:26 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by mora
I would neither. In an automatic the oil gets strained in the torque converter and clutches, and even gets contaminated as the clutches wear. 38k is on the lowside though, when talking about automatics in general.

That also depends on the load and how hot you let the oil get. If you cook the oil it will degrade very fast.

Chairboy · « **Reply #128 on:** June 21, 2006, 07:57:37 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
That also depends on the load and how hot you let the oil get. If you cook the oil it will degrade very fast.

Except for in Beetle's Audi.

German efficiency and all that means that the oil degrades all at once after a 12,500 mile interval. If you drive 12,501 without that service, your engine will fall off, and you'll deserve it. The first 12,499? It's perfect. The trick, of course, harkens back to well known german physics professor, Dr. Heisenberg. This is why the Audi does not have a dip stick. As long as the oil is not observed, measured, or analyzed, his Uncertainty Principle states that it remains in a state of uncertainty, flipping back and forth on a quantum level between "Good" and "Bad", between "Low" and "Full". At precisely 12,500 miles, the computer activates a sensor to measure the oil, and the quantum states collapse immediately.

Well known facts. This is why you're a sucker if you change the oil any earlier. Not to mention the risk you face of being attacked by countless thousands of quantum cats....

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #129 on:** June 22, 2006, 03:23:18 AM »

Chairboy you're wrong. Frequent oil changes are only necessary on low grade non-synthetic oils. Dig up some longevity tests where they drive cars at high speed for 300 000km and only stop to change oils / driver between 20 000km.

The opened up engine showed no signs of wear with fully synthetic oil.

Chairboy · « **Reply #130 on:** June 22, 2006, 03:35:58 AM »

How can I be wrong? I just agreed with Beetle, now I understand how the 12,500 miles between changes works. Just like Tom Lehrer said about New Math, "It's simple, so very simple, that only a child can do it".

BTW, have you ever heard the yowling-screech that thousands of Schroedinger's cats make when their waveforms collapse? It's tremendous.

DiabloTX · « **Reply #131 on:** June 22, 2006, 03:59:47 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by MrRiplEy[H]
Chairboy you're wrong. Frequent oil changes are only necessary on low grade non-synthetic oils. Dig up some longevity tests where they drive cars at high speed for 300 000km and only stop to change oils / driver between 20 000km.

The opened up engine showed no signs of wear with fully synthetic oil.

This is actually true with just about ANY engine oil.

After managing a Mercedes-Benz repair shop for 6 years one thing I learned is that highway driving is much, much better for engine oil that short trips and idling in traffic.

We used Castrol GTX 20W-50 exclusively and you could really tell the difference. The summers here in Texas are brutal for short-trip/long idle situations, especially here in Houston. The cars that were mostly driven on the highway always showed better oil condition than those othat weren't mostly highway driven.

One of the things that amazed us at the shop were the later models (W202, W210, W140 etc...) that had no transmission dipstick. Sealed non-servicable automatic transmissions. Designed obsolesence at it's finest.

Jackal1 · « **Reply #132 on:** June 22, 2006, 09:06:07 AM »

Before this thread I thought Jiffy Lube came out of one of them vending machines, in the men`s batroom, down at the Texaco.

indy007 · « **Reply #133 on:** June 22, 2006, 09:48:18 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by beet1e
Well, it does say that the system continually monitors the oil quality, which implies that it does more than simply count the number of start/stop cycles. It's only a 3 page document - an overview. But it does say that this continual monitoring of the oil quality means that the service interval can be as long as 30,000 miles. I don't get that with my car though. I think the document was designed to give ordinary consumers an insight into LongLife oil and the modern day extended intervals between oil changes. At 3 pages in length, I don't think it was intended as part of a degree course in automotive engineering.

See, here's the issue I have with that system. How neccessary is it? Assuming you're going to save money on maintenance, is the money saved over the time you own the vehicle greater than what the additional sensors cost. Sensors on cars tend to be ridiculously expensive. I know the costs, because I broker them.

Also, another little sticky point in my mind... all my hands-on experience is with Toyota. Right now they're the most reliable cars on the planet. They don't bother with the oil quality sensors at all. Just the pressure sensor for the low oil light and a dipstick.

Cool system on the Audi/VWs, but I think it'd take a hell of alot of maintenance before it actually paid for itself

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #134 on:** June 22, 2006, 11:23:57 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by DiabloTX
This is actually true with just about ANY engine oil.

After managing a Mercedes-Benz repair shop for 6 years one thing I learned is that highway driving is much, much better for engine oil that short trips and idling in traffic.

We used Castrol GTX 20W-50 exclusively and you could really tell the difference. The summers here in Texas are brutal for short-trip/long idle situations, especially here in Houston. The cars that were mostly driven on the highway always showed better oil condition than those othat weren't mostly highway driven.

One of the things that amazed us at the shop were the later models (W202, W210, W140 etc...) that had no transmission dipstick. Sealed non-servicable automatic transmissions. Designed obsolesence at it's finest.

Checking the fluid is accomplished by breaking off the red locking seal located at the dip stick. the lock is replaced after the oil is checked. Use part number 140-991-00-55 for a new lock. There is no dip stick to check the ATF. You need a special tool to check the fluid on all 722.6 transmissions, part number 140-589-15-21-00.