Why I Ceased Having My Engine Oil Changed by the Dealer

msl82

Dont you need a jack, or some other machine to lift up your car in order to change your oil? How do you change your oil?

Also, is royal purple better than Synthetic Mobil oil (the best one)?

Do you guys trust franchise stores, such as Jiffy Lube to change your car oil?

Many thanks.

ACoupe

You're supposed to change the oil in a car?????

SiXK

I know a guy here in orlando that has worked for one of the Nissan dealerships service departments for over 20 years. I hire him on the side sometimes to help me work on my Z32 whenever I have a job that takes two people. He told me that the oil change guys forget to put oil back in customers cars "probably once a month" and then crank the car on up. When they realize what they did, he said they turn the car off real quick and put oil in it. If it appears theres no damage they just go with it, but he said probably once or twice a year they have to replace engines due to oil change techs forgetting to put in oil.

He also told me, a few years back, that if they saw someone drive up in a Z32 they would tell them almost anything to get them to go away, as they did not like working on them any longer. I can't imagine taking mine to a dealership and I won't take my 370 either unless its an absolute necessity or an alignment or something else I can't do.

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Magnetic Black 2009 370Z / Pearl Yellow 1991 300ZXTT

semtex

I'm assuming you're kidding. Right?

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drdre8424

Yea! You just drive it till the oil lite comes on.

U235

Yes to jack or ramps or something.

I think Royal Purple is overrated. The top-end Mobil-1s are pretty good, not sure if it's better than RP, but my guess is yes.

PS - Dealers usually have interns changing oil. I've had two cars that had problems with dealer oil changes.

1) Toyota dealer - Forgot to put oil cap back on. After 60 miles I got out and oil was EVERYWHERE. It was coming out of the grill, burning (smelly) on radiator, etc. I took it back, they apologized and power washed my car, but I was never able to get rid of this burnt oil smell in the AC system.

2) Lexus dealer - Put the oil filter on wrong (missed the threads). Oil was getting on the exhaust manifold and left some nice memories on my driveway.

If I don't change the oil myself, I generally find a quick-lube place near where I live, bring my own stuff, and seek out their best guys. If you roll up to those places in a nice ride, they do seem to care more. I had this guy once that was so meticulous, but their place shut down. I got a new place doing the Infiniti now, I'm real happy with the guy that does my changes (he drives a Camaro SS that's in great condition so I know he cares).

I gave up on changing my Infiniti's oil. There's some 22 screws holding up that plastic underguard, it's just an annoyance to take off/take on all the time.

ACoupe

Oh yeah, no worries there. However, my wife's mother drove her car dry and told her husband when the engine seized that she didn't realize you had to change the oil...