I should know better...

[basslover1]

I've been in a bit of a time crunch lately and needed an oil change, so I figured hey hit up that Valvoline place, they're usually pretty good about it.

Everything seemed fine, until I parked my car in the driveway overnight, and wouldn't you know there's a basketball sized puddle of oil in the driveway.

So I get down under the car and see where it's coming from, oh looky there right from the drain plug. Yep, they under tightened the plug by about 1.25 turns, leading to a slow but very noticeable leak. Not to mention they over filled it by about 1/2 quart.

I'll be calling them up tomorrow to let them hear it, because that's seriously the only fucking thing they have to do is change oil, why must they fuck that up?

Yes, I should know better...

 

[jpeyton]

Go to your local dealership instead.

My Honda dealer charges $20 for oil changes, and their service employees are better trained than the monkeys at your typical quick-lube chain.

Dealers can usually squeeze you in same day for an oil change if you're in a hurry. Mine did.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

At least they didn't put the drain plug back with an air wrench.

 

[basslover1]

Go to your local dealership instead.

My Honda dealer charges $20 for oil changes, and their service employees are better trained than the monkeys at your typical quick-lube chain.

Dealers can usually squeeze you in same day for an oil change if you're in a hurry. Mine did.

I would, but VW dealers aren't known for being quick or cheap. Besides, the nearest one is about 15 miles out of my way, which isn't bad but I don't generally head that direction in town.

 

[phucheneh]

They probably also pulled the crush washer off your drainplug and didn't replace it. That's the quick-lube solution to 'it needs a new washer.' Make sure that gets replaced every time, or your leak might end up being accompanied by destroyed threads in the oil pan.

 

[Howard]

They probably also pulled the crush washer off your drainplug and didn't replace it. That's the quick-lube solution to 'it needs a new washer.' Make sure that gets replaced every time, or your leak might end up being accompanied by destroyed threads in the oil pan.

Thank god newer cars have built-in rubber gaskets on the drain plugs.

 

[Insomniator]

Go to your local dealership instead.

My Honda dealer charges $20 for oil changes, and their service employees are better trained than the monkeys at your typical quick-lube chain.

Dealers can usually squeeze you in same day for an oil change if you're in a hurry. Mine did.

?! My mini dealer charges $69 and thats a 'special' For a mere $40 more you can upgrade to the check all fluids package lol.

I guess the oil they put in does cost $10 a quart...

 

[phucheneh]

Thank god newer cars have built-in rubber gaskets on the drain plugs.

Some makes have used that for a long time, some makes still use washers. I can't remember if it's GM or Ford that likes to use the plug with built-in rubber. Maybe both?

Most your Euro and Japanese cars have the washers. Personally, I think it's better because the rubber doesn't really prevent over-tightening. The washers will usually distort once you start cranking on them...ideally, most people have enough sense to stop tightening when that happens.

There are also some that are 100% meant to be disposable, and should never be used more than once (the regular thick ones, you can sometimes use a few times). Nissan does this with their copper washers; they're made of a really thin material that's designed to crush (example).

 

[Howard]

Most your Euro and Japanese cars have the washers. Personally, I think it's better because the rubber doesn't really prevent over-tightening. The washers will usually distort once you start cranking on them...ideally, most people have enough sense to stop tightening when that happens.

Yes, but with the soft gasket, the drain plug only needs to be tight enough so that it doesn't fall out during driving. YMMV

 

[phucheneh]

I was referring to the guys getting paid $8 an hour to change your oil. They tend to err on the side of 'torque the living shit out of it.' A visible indicator that they're overtightening helps...sometimes...

The big problem is having no gasket at all; once the head of the plug is tight up against the pan, additional tightening just starts ripping the threads out...no 'buffer' to absorb a little abuse.

 

[brainhulk]

i use a torque wrench on all my drain plugs. the quickie lube places don't use a torque wrench?

 

[phucheneh]

I've never worked at a Jiffy Lube-type place, but I've done a chain, a commerical, and multiple dealer shops. Never seen a torque wrench on a drain plug. Ever.

To be fair it's not an 'easily torqued' part...you'd need a new washer every time and a very sensitive torque wrench to be accurate. But when low-paid teenagers and the like are tightening the plugs, they don't exactly tend to have the best feel for it, and tend to just tighten it as much as they can for worry of it falling out. Your drainplug torque basically depends on how long a ratchet he was given.

 

[BUTCH1]

At least they didn't put the drain plug back with an air wrench.

My local Chevy dealer did, while it was in warranty I took it there for oul changes, once it was a full quart over, I had to bring it back, the first time I did my own I had to put the car on jackstands and use a breaker bar to get it loose, damm I was pissed..

 

[jpeyton]

A lot of times, dealers will also offer service "packs", where you can buy 4 oil changes for $75.

Or if you're like me, and want a high quality synthetic oil backed by a high quality filter, you'll buy the parts yourself at Walmart or Autozone and pay the dealer for a "service only" oil change. I've been putting Mobil 1 in my car since the 7k mile mark (I'm at 78k now) and using a new PureOne or Bosch filter with every oil change.

 

[Vetterin]

One of the problems with dealerships is that the "technician" that usually will do an oil change is the guy they hired from the Valvoline place. I remember when I bought my 2000 Contour SVT I was given free oil changes for life. I had that car for 8 years (almost 90,000 miles) and NEVER took it back to the dealer. I live by the motto that as long as I can do my own work...I know it's done right!

 

[Vdubchaos]

Over the years, one lesson I have learned is that I'm the only one that can do the job up to my standards.

Also, never EVER take your place to ANY "quick lube" place......that's the worst possible thing you can do to your car.

 

[slag]

i use a torque wrench on all my drain plugs. the quickie lube places don't use a torque wrench?

I never use a torque wrench on the oil plugs and rarely replace the washer because it simply doesn't need it. i've been doing this for over 20 years now and if I can't tell the correct tightness of my oil plug by feel, then there's something wrong. I don't have oil leaks either.
1980 subaru brat
1978 subaru brat
1992 explorer
1994 explorer
1996 maxima
2003 maxima
1996 maxima
2000 infiniti
2000 vw jetta
1997 F150


Still, nothing wrong with doing it the "right" way with a torque wrench.

 

[mvbighead]

One of the problems with dealerships is that the "technician" that usually will do an oil change is the guy they hired from the Valvoline place. I remember when I bought my 2000 Contour SVT I was given free oil changes for life. I had that car for 8 years (almost 90,000 miles) and NEVER took it back to the dealer. I live by the motto that as long as I can do my own work...I know it's done right!

You do realize that some people gain experience and move onward and upward, right? Some technicians start out in that type of a setting, and when they move on, they have that much more experience than the guy who replaced him at the quick lube place.

Not saying that they're good, but they've got experience.

 

[Baked]

The people who insists on doing work themselves and that everybody else should do the same fail to realize one thing, not everybody has the knowledge, patience and tools to perform the task.

I did my own oil change for the first time, ever last week. The task itself was easy because I have the right tools. But I still had to go buy a oil filter wrench adapter and socket piece for my ratchet, a funnel and oil pan, plus the engine oil and oil filter. I doubt even one of my friends have all those tools.

Same thing with changing car battery. I made a thread about it a few months back. It's quick and easy for me, but the friend whom I helped was freaking the fuck out because she's so used to going to a car mechanic who does everything for her and giving her advice that, when I suggested an alternative and cheaper option, she didn't believe me until I went ahead and did the job and assure her that everything's cool. Fucking people... this is why I don't do shit for people anymore.

With that said, I will be doing all my regular maintenance from now on, because I enjoy doing those things myself. I'll leave the tire rotation up to Costco since I bought the tires from them and they come with life time free rotation.

 

[Zargon]

Go to your local dealership instead.

My Honda dealer charges $20 for oil changes, and their service employees are better trained than the monkeys at your typical quick-lube chain.

Dealers can usually squeeze you in same day for an oil change if you're in a hurry. Mine did.

last time my dealer did my oil change they put the drain plug on so tight it broke my socket when I went to do the next one(t25 socket)

they changed it again for free.....

 

[jagec]

But when low-paid teenagers and the like are tightening the plugs, they don't exactly tend to have the best feel for it, and tend to just tighten it as much as they can for worry of it falling out. Your drainplug torque basically depends on how long a ratchet he was given.

True, or you get what probably happened in the OP's case, where one low-paid teenager put the plug back in by hand, the other low-paid teenager saw that the plug was in and refilled the car, and they both assumed the other guy must have tightened it since the car was now being driven out of the bay by a third low-paid teenager.

 

[NutBucket]

Thank god newer cars have built-in rubber gaskets on the drain plugs.

In my experience Japanese cars tend to use crush washers. That said, the first time I changed the oil on a used WRX I bought, there was no washer left to speak of. All that was left was some metal I had to scrape off the drain plug.

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[dtgoodwin]

Thank god newer cars have built-in rubber gaskets on the drain plugs.

Yeah, they still manage to wreck those. I had to use a breaker bar, seriously, to get the plug out of a new to me vehicle I just bought. Got to take a trip to the dealer to buy a new plug because the gasket was in pieces. Fortunately the pan threads are okay.

 

[phucheneh]

In my experience Japanese cars tend to use crush washers. That said, the first time I changed the oil on a used WRX I bought, there was no washer left to speak of. All that was left was some metal I had to scrape off the drain plug.

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They probably use the squishy washers (very technical term...it's not one solid chunk, basically) like Nissan. Those things are usually like tinfoil after one or two oil changes. Best way to get it off easily- pry part of it up with a pocket screwdriver. If it doesn't break while doing that, snip the lifted part with a pair of dykes. Then just kind of peel it off.

 

[NutBucket]

Exactly right. It's a two-layer deal that crushes upon tightening. I still replace the solid washers Honda and Toyota use. Overkill? Maybe a little but it's such a minor cost might as well.

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