mcourt83

Hi,

After another poor service experience at my local Acura dealership (see Dealer's Lot), I started thinking, in general, about whether to simply trust that a particular service is actually performed -- or play detective.

If you drop your car off for service, are there any tricks to verify that a service was actually performed? For example:

* Was my oil changed?

* Were my tires rotated? Balanced?

* And so on?

Thanks,

Mike

Lung Fu Mo Shi

Yes. I don't trust anyone.

But I've had experiences where the oil cap wasn't tightened properly, etc. I just give it a once over to make sure nothing was missed.

duugk

In God we trust, everyone else we check on, just to keep them honest.

If I have the time, I actually watch them do the service, not only to ensure it is done but to learn new tricks in auto care.

dom

You can easily tell if the oils been changed by simply looking at it afterward. If your having your tires rotated mark them before you bring it in. I did that once and found that were properly rotated.

My big dilemma is coming this weekend. I'm going for an oil change and bringing my own 4.4L of Mobil 1 as the dealer does'nt carry it. I wonder if there going to actually put in my Mobil or if the Mechanic is going to keep it for himself and put in the Castrol Synthec that they stock? How can I be sure?

Jab31169

just tell them you want the empty bottles back...hopefully that will maybe secure that it hopefully got put in your engine

miner

Not too long ago I had my dealer change the oil in my Prelude. The car was brought out to me when it was 'finished' . Started it up and it just did not sound right, my service advisor had me pop the hood. The tech forgot to replace the oil cap - the juice was everywhere under the hood. My advisor went ballistic on the tech - had him steam clean the engine compartment. Got 5 free changes too. Hate to think what would have happened if my wifey was the one who took the car in for service.

rb1

Regarding your tires, you could put discreet chalk marks on them if the wheels are clean (or discreet marks in the brake dust on your wheels if they aren't clean which is what I do ).

A scratch on your oil filter is a good way to prove that they changed it, too.

GRAYTSX

A few weeks ago my husband brought his CL to the dealer for an oil change. Upon inspecting the tires they noticed nails in 2 of the tires so they repaired them.
So they ended up scratching the rims when they removed the tires, and the kicker is-they didn't bolt down one of the rims back on all the way. He drove home on the expressway that night and luckily nothing happened.
The dealer ended up re-clearcoating the rims. I hope the mechanic got hell for that one, but I see he still works there.

dom

I don't think I'll feel comfortable asking for it. What would my reason for wanting it back be? It may seem as though I don't trust them which is the case, but I don't want them to know that.

larchmont

Right. Bad percentage play. Maybe good to watch out about it, but IMO that's not a good way.

Jab31169

So you dont trust them but you dont want them to know? Is this like the whole spitting in the burger thing here? If I dont trust someone they will know it. Plus if you are that worried about it why not change the oil yourself?

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Why not do your own oil change and tire rotation? It's really not that hard if you have the basic tools. That way you know it will be done right.

A friend of mine takes his Integra to the dealer for all types of service since day one. However, the last time he went in for an oil change, the dealer told him the car needs a new oil pan because the oil drain hole thread was stripped and won't hold the drain plug anymore. He had to pay for the oil pan. Now, if you think about it, why would the drain hole get stripped if a new crush washer was installed and the drain bolt was properly tighten with a torque wrench? I perform all the maintenance for my cars and always use a torque wrench to make sure bolts are tighten to factory spec. Why can't the dealers to the same? After all, that's what the spec are for in the factory manual, right?

When I had my company car, I took it to those fast lube places for oil changes due to the service contract we had. I watched them drain the oil into the container and they didn't even wait for all the oil to completely drained out before installing the drain plug back on (without a new washer!). I simply don't trust dealers or any fast lube places for that matter...

mcourt83

This boy struggles with self-serve gas, let alone changing his own oil or (gasp!) rotating his own tires.

I'm curious -- if your friend has taken his car in for service since day one and can document that, couldn't he argue that it's up to the dealershop to pay for the oil pan since it's clearly them who stripped the thread???

Mike

JTso

iTrader: (2)

I asked him the very same question! He said since he has such good relationship with the dealer or the service advisor (at least that's what he thinks) and still wants to take the car back for future services, he didn't want to make a scene. I tell ya, you can only get walked on if you laid down.

dom

I did my last oil change myself and I don't need a tire rotation (I have snows) but there are 2 reason's I'm bringing the car to the dealer this time.

1- I live in Toronto and its damn cold outside. I have a garage but I can't get under the car and close the door at the same time. And since I don't feel like freezing, dealer it is.

2- I have to have to have other warranty related issues looked at. Grinding seat and a severe shake when the car is in drive. So since I'm already going there.

sauceman

The severe shake when the car is in drive could be an axle going away.

DEVO

It could also be a simple matter of snow in the rim causing the shake. Essentially an unbalanced wheel.

dom

No we've talked about this before in other threads. And it was happening way before it statred snowing. Its a vibration when I'm stopped at a light and in Drive. There are no problems when the car is in Park/Neutral. Its not realted to the climate control or AC either. Its just a vibration that driving me nuts.

Iron Chef

Domn I'm in the same boat as you. I'm going in for my first oil change and having them put on winter tires. I too am bringing in Mobil 1 and I want to make sure the tech uses it vs. putting in the castrol synthetic blend and keeping my oil. With winter rolling around it is important for me to have the fully synthetic oil for those cold morning starts. I'm debating with myself if I will ask for the empty bottles back.

Iron Chef

I've heard Bill Gardner from Motoring TV suggest that people ask for worn out car parts when the mechanic has replaced them with new ones. I imagine people do ask from time to time so it shouldn't be completely out of left field, though maybe less at dealerships.

It should be a dealer's or any repair shop's policy that stuff like that is returned so the customer isn't made to feel like they are the bad guy just for wanting to make sure that stuff they brought in is used.

Anyone have good ideas for a bogus story that I can use that will allow me to ask for the bottles back without making me look distrusting?

majormojo

A small independent repair shop I used to frequent about 10 years ago was really good about that. Their SOP was to have the old parts out on a work bench when the car was picked up and the mechanic would go over what was replaced and why. Then I had the choice of taking them with me or having the shop discard them. They also did the same for my wife without assuming she was an idiot when it came to cars. Class act.
"My kids need them for a school project".

RSLand

The various horror stories related here are the reason I never take my cars to the dealer or independent shops for maintenance. I remember as a kid watching my dad change his own oil until he had me properly trained to do it as part of my chores. The one time he took it to the local gas station for the change, we found a large puddle of oil under the car the next morning. The oil plug had not been properly tightened.

I have a set of Rhino ramps and I do the maintenance myself. I actually enjoy it. I will take my car in to the dealer only if there is a TSB or an issue covered under warranty. Here is an example of what has already happened with my dealer. I had the dealer add a cassette deck to the disc player before taking delivery of my TSX (I like to listen to books on tape during my long commute). The following morning, I discovered that the trim around the shifter was broken. It looked like the tech had pryed it off and broke it during the cassette install, then tried to make it look like it was okay. I returned the car the following week to have the piece replaced, and was told that the entire console would be replaced and would have to be ordered. The dealer is over an hour away. I returned the following week and left the car for the day only to be told that the replacement part had been damaged during shipping and I would have to make my third trip when the new part came in. A week later, the dealer still has not contacted me. I will spend over six hours driving, not to mention the time spent sitting in the dealer waiting room, the gas and extra miles on the odometer just because of a techician screwup. The only good part is that they have washed and vacuumed the car each time. Even if they throw in some free oil changes for my inconvenience (which has not been offered), I will not be going back there. It just isn't worth my time.

I keep a journal in each of my vehicles from the day I take delivery. In the journal I record every gallon of gas, each oil change, tire rotation etc. I buy only factory parts, and I keep dated receipts for the oil, filters, and other parts purchased in a file on the car as well as the original brochure and dealer sticker. I also keep records of any dealer transactions including the aforementioned documented screwups. If I have a warranty issue in the future that requires arbitration, I will hopefully have enough documentation and credibility to get a ruling in my favor. Thus far, that has never been necessary. My cars look and run like new even after 100,000 miles.

I have always sold my cars to private parties. The buyers are always impressed with the documentation that the journal provides. It shows them that I have kept the car well maintained and that the all-important oil changes have been performed on or before the required interval. On three occasions, buyers have taken the cars for vehicle inspections prior to buying and found them to be in excellent condition. Using Mobil 1 also shows the potential buyer that I am not cutting corners with the lubrication.

Obviously, if a get check engine light, I will have to take it in. That has only happened once, and it was because I had not tighted the gas cap tight enough. I just disconnected the battery, and the light reset after the cap was tightened.

Next garage project: I am adding a supercharger to my 2002 V-6 Tundra. I am thinking about a dealer install, but I may do it myself. It doesn't look too difficult, and there are lots of pictures on the net of people doing it. We'll see.

zircon

domm: I had my mechanic across from work do an M1 oil change for me Friday. He is totally honest, and, in fact, when I told him my jug of M1 should have 200ml left (according to book, the car take 4.2L of oil with a new filter, while the Walmart jug is 4.4L), he later told me that it took the whole 4.4 to bring it to the full level. Sure enough, I checked it and it was full but not overfull. So, get those jugs at Walmart not Can. Tire (they sell 4L).

If you know your mechanic, you should be able to do this without concern. Plus you still get a receipt with the mileage marked.

jackspat2

When I take the car in for oil/fluid changes, I watch them do it. I take it to the local EZ Lube (chain in the South Bay). But as far as changing the oil myself, I know how to do that and rotate tires and all that bs. It's just that I don't want to do it. By the time I buy the oil and oil filter, then spend the time doing, it's worth the 20 bucks I spend to have it changed. Plus they check the trans, brakes, fluids for me and keep a record of what I did last time I was there. I've never had a problem. I knew one of the guys there once and he gave me a 20 percent discount. :bubbarubb