Automotive Tools Club

Can You Trust Those Quick Oil Change Places?

June 17th, 2011 | Tags: air filter, air filtration, Amazon results, Another time, better off, certified repair shop, fast oil change

A lot of people have no idea or haven't got any time to change the oil on their car so they take it to those quick oil change shops. However are you able to really rely on these places to change your oil? In this article, I am going to concentrate on why it's not a great idea to go to these places and why you should find a regular mechanic instead.

You're probably aware that your vehicle owners manual will give you a break down on what things need to be done after so many miles of driving. There are normally scheduled things like air filtration system or oil changes. But did you really go through the vehicle's owner's manual? I know for certain that your motor oil does not really need to be changed every 3000 miles such as these quick oil change places will tell you. In fact if you look in your book you may find that you just have to change your oil every 6,000 or even 7,000 miles. So, as you think about it, these fast oil change places are lying to you so they can take your money.

If you look at the owner's manual, you'll also see the moment you should get the air filters changed. For my vehicle, it is suggested that the air filters get switched out every two years or when it is clogged up. In my situation, the air filter really looked okay after four years but I opted to change it anyway just in case. And yet, whenever I would pay a visit to these quick oil change places, they'd tell me I would need a new air filter. At one point I went out and swapped out my air filter and 6 months later I went to an oil change place and they told me I needed a new air filter. The air filter was slightly discolored so they insisted it was starting to clog. When I told them it was installed about 6 months ago, they told me that I could probably still use it for another 6 months before it need to be replaced.

What I don't understand about that is that at first this individual told me it needed to be changed. Then their story changed when I revealed that it wasn't that old. This just shows how dishonest and evil these folks are.

Another time, one of these shops replaced my transmission fluid. It seems like they will tell you that your transmission fluid must be changed everytime you visit. This one time I allowed the crooks to do it. Three months later, when I went back to get an oil change, they tried to tell me the transmission fluid was dirty and needed to be changed again. That was the very last time I ever patronized any of those places.

I have since come across an honest mechanic and I don't bring my cars any place else anymore. One thing you should consider is that the staff of the oil change places don't have to go to school to tell you what you need to have done to your car. For this reason you are better off selecting a certified repair shop.