Beware Jiffy Lube; it is not what it used to be.

I experienced a team of disrespectful dolts and their ineffective foreman bungling an oil change on my car (not an MB so slightly off topic) last week.

(...Flames on...)

I recall when Jiffy Lube first came to the Northeastern USA. We have a family friend who was one of the first in the region to open a franchise. It was great! He ran a tight ship. The guys working under your hood and below in the pit were real gear-heads. They liked cars. And they had a lot of respect for your property, and their employer. That was 15 years ago. I don't live near there any more.

I usually change the oil/filters in my family's cars, but I went to a (different) Jiffy Lube last week with my Jeep because I did not want to get my hands dirty before a customer visit.

I pulled into the Jiffy Lube on Needham St. in Newton, MA. It turns out this was to have been the last time I will ever go there.

I showed the technician a case of Mobil 1 Synthetic oil I brought with me for him to use. (Done that before).

I asked him to leave the air filter alone because it was a reusable K&N. He spoke broken English (the native language here in the USA) but said "OK, OK, OK". I headed into the waiting room while he went to his computer that had all the stats on me and my car. (I had been there in the past.)

5 minutes later, I turned to see another technician had pulled out the K&N air filter and dropped it on top of my engine. I think my scowl through the observation window had some effect. He proceded to cram it back into the box and put on the clips. (I later checked it at home and found the filter to be crushed, not properly sealed, and the cover latch clips were bent.)

Another few minutes later, after the oil drained and the oil filter was changed, the first tech opened my box of Mobil 1 and started pouring it into the engine. (Yes, they are supposed to do that right? I crossed my fingers that the guy below had replaced the plug). Went back to my magazine.

A minute later I looked up to find Mr. Filter Crusher squatting down, waiting for his buddy to finish pouring, and waving MY dipstick in his hand like a drum stick. I mean he was whacking it on the dirty floor to a tune in his head! I yelled to the foreman to please ask HIS guy to stop that.
I have done my best to protect the engine for 7 years, and here was this rat loading up my dipstick with a charge of sand to attack my cylinder walls! Before the foreman could get through the door, the tech had finished his chat and popped the stick into my engine. He shrugged at his boss. *******!

I realized the oil filter should catch any sand that may have gone into the sump. But I figured I would unload on the foreman when he came back. His appology diffused me slightly. But when he handed me their receipt, I noticed it said they used 6 quarts oil. The engine only takes 5 quarts.

"Why did you put 6 quarts in?", I asked.

"Lemme check..." goes out to the bay, has a dialog in a foreign language with Tech 1, comes back..."Oh, they didn't check the computer before they refilled. They put in 6 quarts, but it was too full, so they drained a quart back out."

"And who is going to pay for my $4.89 quart of Mobil 1 Synthetic he just dumped down the drain?" I asked.

"Well....why don't you buy another one, bring me a receipt, and I'll reimburse you for it," he offers.

"Are you suggesting I should buy ANOTHER quart to get you a receipt?" To which he agreed, missing my sarcasm.

So I have decided to eat the $4.89, and channel my frustration toward composing this message. Otherwise, I probably would not have mentioned this and saved you the trouble to your more expensive MB.

So when your Merc is beyond the Flex Service period, or you want a quick tweener oil change, I recommend you do not go to the Jiffy Lube on Needham St. in Newton, MA. Go to your dealer, or do it yourself.

PS. This episode was witnessed by a news anchorman for the local TV station, also in the waiting room. No libelous accusations here.

...Flames off....

-GrepAwk

That's why I don't go to Jiffy Lube, they're usually high school kids making close to minimum wage as it is. Why should they care about your car? A friend of mine had the engine in his Mercury ruined because Jiffy Lube didn't tighten the drain plug, causing all the oil to leak out. I've taken my car there ONE time, and they proceded to clumsily dump 1/2 quart of oil all over the valve cover and down the front of the engine. Never again. My advice: do it yourself, or at least take it to the dealer.

I generally stay away from any auto service place that has "Jiffy" "Fast" or "Quick/Qwik" as part of their corporate name! It's the same advice I follow when looking for neurosurgeons and tax consultants. The stories are rampant about employees stripping the drain bolt holes or not using the right gasket/seal on the bolts because they really don't care much about the cars or their work. Considering that MB owners typically change oil like clockwork, it would seem logical that we make this a DIY ritual. If you buy an inexpensive oil pump and a plastic gas can to retrieve the old oil, you don't have to get under the car.

I have done my own changes for 30 years and never had an oil problem. In addition working carefully I never had a stripped screw, suffered burst hoses from lazy/hurried mechanics pushing them aside to get at a screw or bolt ( don't you wonder why certain parts break in the middle for no reason?) never broke down, except running out of gas in the gas crises in the 70's.

There are some consciencous techs, but I am not taking any chances.

Sounds normal,
When I need to get my oil changed and Jiffy Lube is the only thing availible. I stand there and watch every step.
They hate it but there's nothing they can do about.
Tim

After reading this post, I have fully justified going through the hassle of doing my own oil changes. In fact, I let the oil drain for about an hour before pouring a full quart through to get the rest of any of the stuff on the bottom out. Then waiting another 3-45 mins. Pure clean oil. Not like the local lube shop.

Thanks.

Try to get them to only replace the oil filter sometime! They can't figure it out. Even though MB and Mobil recomend 10,000 miles between oil changes, the oil gets very dirty. I now change my oil filter and add make up oil every 3-4000 miles. Now my 10,000 mile oil looks much cleaner.

BTW, ask your local auto dealers if they have any oil change specials. I found that my local GMC dealer will perform a LOF (lube, oil, filer) in my Denali for 34.95 and do it in 30 minutes.

My best friend works for Jiffy Lube, at risk of his job I will not say where, but even he will tell you to go somewhere else. The high school kid thing is accurate and they do make barely above min. wage. Infact, my friend worked there two years, and I mean WORKED, and they barely gave him a raise from $6.00 to $8.00 an hour only after he threatened to leave. It took him another year to get a promotion. Also, at more than one point in his three and a half years there, he was the only one qualified to do anything on a car period! I have had work done there, but he's the only one who touched my YUKON the ENTIRE time it was in there (I've known him since I was 4 so he knew I'd kill him if he had ****ed up my truck). Anyway, I see the idiots in there now and I've heard absolute horror stories, not unlike yours and also worse, about things that have happened to people's cars as a result of the stupidity of the other people he works with. And the sad part is...drum roll please...they're the BEST store that Jiffy Lube has in his area! So that's my take on Jiffy Lube. By the way, this is coming from Texas so you know it's not just the northeast. I used a place here where I live called Avis Lube and they absolutely kick ***! They employ knowledgeable technicians and nice people. You are greeted by your name when you drive up, if they have you in the computer. And they have only one poor looking facility out of five in the city. I now use the MB dealer for my Benz as it is underr Starmark warranty, but will more than likely use Avis Lube again when it expires.