OIL CHANGES AT THE LOCAL WAL-MART DON'T DO IT!!!!!

[squid]

Well I started out my Holiday week with a bang. Took my mountaineer to Wal-Mart for an easy-to-do-oil change. They first tell me 3hrs. No problem since I had other things to do. Well, two hours into it...they call me and proceed to tell me they kinda did something wrong the LAST time I took it there and now I need to tow it somewhere to get fixed, and that I will have to pay for the tow and the fix.... > >

You gotta love a company that will tell you they screwed up....but you have to pay for it............... > > > > > > >

I can not wait till I talk to the Dealership about what they did and the Store Mgr to see if they are going to actually make me cover the whole cost of their damage.

I have never had a problem from them before now. With this lesson, I will now ALWAYS take my vehicle to a licensed mechanic just to do my oil change and all the other things that come with owning a vehicle.

[move]Just needed to vent!!!!!!!!![/move]

Squid

[frogtog]

Let me guess, they stripped the oil pan screw out. :-/

[squid]

Why couldn't it be that simple...lol.  But that was some of it....hummmm..have we run into that before?

[Big T]

That does not surprise me. I use to work at Wal-Mart I had heard that our store had to replace a customer's engine because the TLE department forgot to put the drain plug back in the oil pan.

[squid]

Yep, they did that to a friend of mine...3 yrs ago.

[Cajun1977]

aint noway  and i mean noway  , i would let them make me pay the repairs or tow

[burleytog]

This is akin to having to say 'Don't wipe your *** with sandpaper!'.

[mattm]

This is akin to having to say 'Don't wipe your *** with sandpaper!'.

Maybe the funniest post i've ever read ;D ;D ;D

[Pond Hopper]

Took my truck to a quick shop oil change place and watched them use power tools to take off and put on the drain plug.  The next oil change I had, not to my surprise, the drain plug was stripped and although it was only $4 I was still hot because I knew why it was stripped.

[Root beer]

Why even shop or go to wal-mart? If you want quality dont go to wal-mart. After all they are real cheap, must explain why they screwed up and made you paid for it.

Why didnt they tell you what they did wrong? Maybe they didnt nothing wrong? Otherwise something would've blown after you got it change the 1st time. Something dont sound right.

[David P]

Stripping the oil pan isn't the end of the world, typically it can just be tapped out.

I'm curious to know what it is they did wrong and what the repair is going to be?

I mean I've only heard of a few things, the worst being that they didn't tighten the drain plug and the oil comes out and the engine goes to hell.

Keep us posted =)

Oh, and just do the oil changes yourself, it's much easier, save a few bucks, but also, you can trust yourself over any mechanic.

[Root beer]

Oh, and just do the oil changes yourself, it's much easier, save a few bucks, but also, you can trust yourself over any mechanic.

That exactly what I do. My cousin paid nearly 100 bucks for an oil change. . But I think the mechanice talk him into wind sheild fluid, and that extra crap. I told him you could've done it your self less then 20 bucks.

[cart7t]

Oh, and just do the oil changes yourself, it's much easier, save a few bucks, but also, you can trust yourself over any mechanic.

That exactly what I do. My cousin paid nearly 100 bucks for an oil change. . But I think the mechanice talk him into wind sheild fluid, and that extra crap. I told him you could've done it your self less then 20 bucks.

I've been doing my own since I owned a car.  Sorry, oil is the lifeblood of an engine, I've heard too many stories about those oil change places.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

I have been thinking about changing my own oil, it's been some time since I have done that , but it is easy to acess my filter etc. QUESTION: Is it true if I buy the oil from Wal mart, then put the old oil into the containers the new oil came I can bring it back to WalMart and by law they have to dispose of it? If not how do you dispose it safely?

[burleytog]

I don't know about Wal Mart, but pretty much every auto parts store (Advance, AutoZone, NAPA, etc) will take used oil.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Oh, and just do the oil changes yourself, it's much easier, save a few bucks, but also, you can trust yourself over any mechanic.

I don't know about that ..... although it's not hard I find it to be a pain.  I used to do it in high school because it was "manly".  Now I take it to a family owned business that my family has been taking cars to for 3 generations now.  $15 .... a great deal IMO (and every 8th one is free)

[squid]

Oh, and just do the oil changes yourself, it's much easier, save a few bucks, but also, you can trust yourself over any mechanic.

I don't know about that ..... although it's not hard I find it to be a pain. I used to do it in high school because it was "manly". Now I take it to a family owned business that my family has been taking cars to for 3 generations now.  $15 .... a great deal IMO (and every 8th one is free)

I like this idea better....lol.

Ok,

They somehow over tightened and stripped my Thingamabob, that connects to my whatchamajig, that connects up to my block.  

Ok...now ya know why I don't change my own oil.....lol.

It is however gonna cost me just under $300.   If the threads on my whatchamajig are stripped....gonna be more.

[Bass Smacker]

It sounds like they stripped the threads on the oil filter. Make them pay for it all of it. Contact there customer service department. In California when something ike this happends the shop ends up paying for all of it including a rentle car. its there falt make them pay

[llPa1nll]

I have been thinking about changing my own oil, it's been some time since I have done that , but it is easy to acess my filter etc. QUESTION: Is it true if I buy the oil from Wal mart, then put the old oil into the containers the new oil came I can bring it back to WalMart and by law they have to dispose of it? If not how do you dispose it safely?

Hahaha Muddy you reminded me of a good story. My Ex GirlFriend's Dad bought a gallon of oil from the local Walmart up here. He got it home and to his amazement, he saw that someone had used the oil.  They filled the container backup with their used oil and returned it and it found itself on their shelves for sale. He was pretty upset that he had to deal with this. He then returned the oil and was Fuming angry to find out that Walmart would not return it or grant him a refund on it. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard that story.

[llPa1nll]

Oh, and just do the oil changes yourself, it's much easier, save a few bucks, but also, you can trust yourself over any mechanic.

I don't know about that ..... although it's not hard I find it to be a pain.  I used to do it in high school because it was "manly".  Now I take it to a family owned business that my family has been taking cars to for 3 generations now.  $15 .... a great deal IMO (and every 8th one is free)

I like this idea better....lol.

Ok,

They somehow over tightened and stripped my Thingamabob, that connects to my whatchamajig, that connects up to my block.  

Ok...now ya know why I don't change my own oil.....lol.

It is however gonna cost me just under $300.   If the threads on my whatchamajig are stripped....gonna be more.

Like previously posted it sounds like they stripped the threads on the Oil filter shaft. I have a hard time with them making you pay for the repairs. I would contact them and their customer service dept and raise some hell. I just hope you saved your receipt from your last oil change cause right now thats about your only proof. That my friend to you is now like a winning scratch ticket. No way would I let them make me pay for something that they were at fault about. Hope things work out for you and keep us posted on the outcome.

[ejtaylor822]

I use to do mine myself.  Then when life got to busy I stated taking them to the local "quicky" lube.  They stripped out the pan on my old pride and joy T-bird.  Think I would have learned but didn't.  Kept taking them back anyway.  One morning after a change I noticed a fresh big pool under my Explorer.  Figuring they just didn't tighten up the plug, I got under to do it myself, but, the plug actually wiggled in my hand!?  Took it back and the guy said "oh, yeah the pit bull probably grabbed the wrong one."  What? I was confused until he showed me down inside the pit where the oil is drained.  Along both walls about half way up was a metal railing.  Sitting on these rails were literally hundreds of drain plugs.  My jaw almost dropped.  After that I have sworn off of them.  I only go to the dealers now.  Its a few dollars more but is worth it IMHO.  Plus, they let me know if there are recalls, warranty work, and other maintenance that is needed.  I will not go back to the quicky places.