Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

explorerx4 · August 2022

@snakeweasel,
As I wrote before, the Bronco got a batch of 2.7's instead of them going into F150's. There just happened to be some bed engines in the batch.

jmonroe1 · August 2022

ab348 said:
Ford having "catastrophic engine failures" on V6 Broncos. Odd that so far it seems limited to that model as they use the 2.7 on lots of pickups.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40718619/nhtsa-investigation-ford-bronco-v6

————————————————-
The article said, “Ford identified the root cause as the valve 'keepers' not holding the retainer in place allowing the valve spring to detach from the valve resulting in interference between the valve and piston”.

How can you screw up “valve keepers” other than to cheapen the steel they’re made of or the machining of them? Granted there are 2 of them used for every valve in every engine but they’re so small if they hit you in the face you’d barely wince. Any car manufacturer who cuts cost on these deserves the engine failures that result.

jmonroe

driver100 · August 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:
Still no resolution on the accident report saga. I went to the Bridge offices twice. The first time I couldn't even figure how to get into their parking lot. A bunch of "Do Not Enter" signs and no signage as to how to get to an entrance. There is a second bridge with another building (not the one where the accident happened) so I thought I'd swing by there but that location has no obvious signage about any offices at all. I went home, did some Googling and saw that the entrance I'd been looking for was a block away on a back dead-end street. Went back after lunch and at first couldn't get into the building as it is locked up tight, but eventually a buzzer opened the door for me. I got into a small area with a guard behind glass - all this place does is run speed traps and respond to incidents on the bridge but I guess they figure they can't be too careful these days. Explained why I was there and the guard tried sending me to the other bridge but I said the guy I spoke to said it could be done in either place and I figured this one would be best since it happened right outside the door I came in through. Turned out he had no idea so he took my contact info and said someone would call.
As a former government worker yourself couldn’t you give him the secret handshake or something to get better service? The last time I ran into that kind of bureaucratic inertia was when I tried to file for unemployment during the pandemic. 300 calls, dozens of emails and a letter to the commissioner before I got ahold of a person.

There were about 5 times in my life when I could have collected unemployment insurance. I only actually collected it the 5th time because if I entered an entrepreneurial program they would pay me for a full year. The other 4 times I found a job before I collected, it was easier to get a job than it was to try and figure out how to get unemployment insurance....and less depressing.

driver100 · August 2022

ab348 said:
Ford having "catastrophic engine failures" on V6 Broncos. Odd that so far it seems limited to that model as they use the 2.7 on lots of pickups.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40718619/nhtsa-investigation-ford-bronco-v6

Aren't all brand new engine failures "catastrophic". I mean, is there just a minor complete engine failure?

driver100 · August 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:
Still no resolution on the accident report saga. I went to the Bridge offices twice. The first time I couldn't even figure how to get into their parking lot. A bunch of "Do Not Enter" signs and no signage as to how to get to an entrance. There is a second bridge with another building (not the one where the accident happened) so I thought I'd swing by there but that location has no obvious signage about any offices at all. I went home, did some Googling and saw that the entrance I'd been looking for was a block away on a back dead-end street. Went back after lunch and at first couldn't get into the building as it is locked up tight, but eventually a buzzer opened the door for me. I got into a small area with a guard behind glass - all this place does is run speed traps and respond to incidents on the bridge but I guess they figure they can't be too careful these days. Explained why I was there and the guard tried sending me to the other bridge but I said the guy I spoke to said it could be done in either place and I figured this one would be best since it happened right outside the door I came in through. Turned out he had no idea so he took my contact info and said someone would call.
As a former government worker yourself couldn’t you give him the secret handshake or something to get better service? The last time I ran into that kind of bureaucratic inertia was when I tried to file for unemployment during the pandemic. 300 calls, dozens of emails and a letter to the commissioner before I got ahold of a person.

There were about 5 times in my life when I could have collected unemployment insurance. I only actually collected it the 5th time because if I applied I could enter an entrepreneur course and I could collect for one full year. The other times there was so much red tape I found it easier to just find another job......it was also less depressing.

driver100 · August 2022

This is from Dennis O'Sullivan's column in Driver.ca It reminded me a bit of a poster who did something similar;

QUESTION

I am hoping that you can assist me with a problem that I am having with my GM dealership. I purchased my vehicle in March 2021. The truck now has just over 36000 miles on it. The engine started to misfire about three weeks ago and it got progressively worse so I took it into the dealership. They, at that time, told me that the truck’s engine was still under warranty. I received a call two days later and they told me that they wanted to see invoices from where I had changed the oil. My problem is that I changed the oil myself so I do not have any invoices saying that the oil was changed either at a dealership or at a lube place. I cannot produce any invoices so I am told that the warranty is void. Nowhere in the owner’s manual does it say that you cannot change the oil yourself or that you have to show invoices of oil changes. It just tells you that the oil should be changed at regular intervals, which I have done. The dealer tells me that the camshaft is worn out on two lobes and it was because of dirty oil. I do a lot of driving on country gravel roads so that may account for the dirty oil. Anything that you could do to help would be appreciated.

Don

ANSWER

I called the dealership for you and it is not so much that you do not have any oil or oil filter invoices but it is the fact that the oil filter, that is still on the truck, appears to be the original oil filter. When they questioned you about the oil filter, you told them that you use fully synthetic oil, which does not require one to change the filter. I do not know from where you received that information but that is not correct. Synthetic oil is a better lubricator but it still gets dirty and needs a good filter to filter out unwanted particles. With 36000 miles on the odometer; no oil change invoices and what appears to be the original oil filter still on the truck, I do not know of any automotive manufacturer that would warranty a failed lubricated part in their vehicle. I am sorry but I cannot do anything for you.

That is what I call "False Economizing". Thinking you can save money by not letting the "Guy" do it.

graphicguy · August 2022

PUnch…..kind of….not for me, but I assisted. Have mentioned in the past, one of my sisters loves Jags. She had a 2013 XF. She totaled it (she’s fine). Long story, but she hit a CVS drug store while she was leaving the prescription drive through. Yes, that will be holiday fodder for many years to come.

Anyway, like @laurasdada, she’s a die hard Jag lover. She finally got the insurance check.

New cars are hard to come by, as we all know. New Jags that she may like, are even harder to come by. SUVs are off the table for her.

So, this entire week we’ve been searching. Found this gem Thursday. 2017….One owner, Jag certified, all records complete, 38,000 miles. I drove it before I showed it to her. Strong runner, well kept. But, we MUST get rid of the aftermarket tint. She picked it up last night.

graphicguy · August 2022

tjc78 · August 2022

@graphicguy
Nice car!

qbrozen · August 2022

I’ve always loved those. Never drove one, though.

explorerx4 · August 2022

Cue laurasdada!

sda · August 2022

If the aftermarket tint is not bubbling, scratched or peeling, i.e. in good shape, it may be worth keeping. It does help keep the interior cooler and does add an element of privacy. Sweet Jag.

kyfdx · August 2022

@graphicguy

Wow!

driver100 · August 2022

@graphicguy
Beautiful! I love the interior especially.

oldfarmer50 · August 2022

driver100 said:
This is from Dennis O'Sullivan's column in Driver.ca It reminded me a bit of a poster who did something similar;

QUESTION

I am hoping that you can assist me with a problem that I am having with my GM dealership. I purchased my vehicle in March 2021. The truck now has just over 36000 miles on it. The engine started to misfire about three weeks ago and it got progressively worse so I took it into the dealership. They, at that time, told me that the truck’s engine was still under warranty. I received a call two days later and they told me that they wanted to see invoices from where I had changed the oil. My problem is that I changed the oil myself so I do not have any invoices saying that the oil was changed either at a dealership or at a lube place. I cannot produce any invoices so I am told that the warranty is void. Nowhere in the owner’s manual does it say that you cannot change the oil yourself or that you have to show invoices of oil changes. It just tells you that the oil should be changed at regular intervals, which I have done. The dealer tells me that the camshaft is worn out on two lobes and it was because of dirty oil. I do a lot of driving on country gravel roads so that may account for the dirty oil. Anything that you could do to help would be appreciated.

Don

ANSWER

I called the dealership for you and it is not so much that you do not have any oil or oil filter invoices but it is the fact that the oil filter, that is still on the truck, appears to be the original oil filter. When they questioned you about the oil filter, you told them that you use fully synthetic oil, which does not require one to change the filter. I do not know from where you received that information but that is not correct. Synthetic oil is a better lubricator but it still gets dirty and needs a good filter to filter out unwanted particles. With 36000 miles on the odometer; no oil change invoices and what appears to be the original oil filter still on the truck, I do not know of any automotive manufacturer that would warranty a failed lubricated part in their vehicle. I am sorry but I cannot do anything for you.

That is what I call "False Economizing". Thinking you can save money by not letting the "Guy" do it.

I agree that the owner screwed up in his belief of never having to change the filter. Where the heck do these myths come from? For any car or truck worth any money I always save receipts even if I do the work myself.

If that guy followed Edmunds he would have learned from the experience of one of out posters that you have to keep proper records.

That said, I bet that truck had the GM cylinder deactivation system which is known to chew up camshafts. The damage would have happened sooner or later, the poor maintenance just caused it to happen sooner.

henryn · August 2022

While I normally prefer to do my own oil changes, when I have a new car or truck under warranty I make a point of taking it to the dealer for oil changes. The price at the dealership for an oil change is usually not that bad, and I check their work afterwards (no leaks, the oil looks clean, and at the right mark on the dipstick).

explorerx4 · August 2022

There have many AFM failures at just a few thousand miles.

driver100 · August 2022

@oldfarmer50

....how could the guy possibly think you shouldn't change the oil filter?

It may even be more important to change it if using synthetic oil....who knows - it may take more contaminates out.

laurasdada · August 2022

GG and Sis, thanks for keeping the flame alive!
Love the XJ, big beast, though. Will put a much bigger dent in CVS...

Pace with grace.

mjfloyd1 · August 2022

@sda said:

If the aftermarket tint is not bubbling, scratched or peeling, i.e. in good shape, it may be worth keeping. It does help keep the interior cooler and does add an element of privacy. Sweet Jag.

It does look nice.

I’d ditch the window tint since she already ran into a CVS presumably with untinted windows. Any extra visibility should be a good thing…🤣😂

Could also switch to a ceramic very light tint that would still help with heat.

laurasdada · August 2022

Heading to the Cape, wifey wants to shop for tchotchkes to "tie the living room together." And, even though we've combined two households worth of furniture, and bought new couch and loveseat, now we need a new living room chair to better match the room. Current comfy, gray swivel chair, which matches the rug... Well, we need a new rug to match the new chair to be bought. And, of course, as we all know, pillows are a MUST as pillows truly tie a room together.
If I had a $ for every pillow she has already, I'd have a new Boxster...

tjc78 · August 2022

Between two homes we could cushion the fall from a Hummer dropped off the Empire State Building.

ab348 · August 2022

Man, given the wife stories some of you like to tell on here I feel like I’ve dodged more than a few bullets in my life.

sda · August 2022

ab348 said:
Man, given the wife stories some of you like to tell on here I feel like I’ve dodged more than a few bullets in my life.

You did

snakeweasel · August 2022

@laurasdada said:
Heading to the Cape, wifey wants to shop for tchotchkes to "tie the living room together." And, even though we've combined two households worth of furniture, and bought new couch and loveseat, now we need a new living room chair to better match the room. Current comfy, gray swivel chair, which matches the rug... Well, we need a new rug to match the new chair to be bought. And, of course, as we all know, pillows are a MUST as pillows truly tie a room together.
If I had a $ for every pillow she has already, I'd have a new Boxster...

Don't get me started on pillows. Can't find the couch or the bed due to all the pillows. Pillows on the kitchen table chairs and not to mention all the pillows for the patio furniture that I have to store away every fall and haul out every spring. Oh and did I mention the pillow she has to have in the car?

When my wife passes away I'll open a pillow store.

snakeweasel · August 2022

@graphicguy said:
PUnch…..kind of….not for me, but I assisted. Have mentioned in the past, one of my sisters loves Jags. She had a 2013 XF. She totaled it (she’s fine). Long story, but she hit a CVS drug store while she was leaving the prescription drive through. Yes, that will be holiday fodder for many years to come.

It's not your sister's fault it was CVS' fault. If they didn't put a store there she wouldn't have hit it.

There you go your first round for the fodder.

explorerx4 · August 2022

After just over a week, I finally found my yard tool batteries and case of favorite drill bits.
I remember them being in a brown tub.
Moving some stuff in the garage around, I spot a brown tub.
I say to myself, that stuff was in a brown tub just like that.
There was a box of bike rack and cargo box stuff sitting in the tub.
Hmmm, that box doesn't look like it goes to the bottom of the tub, maybe I should check to see if there is anything underneath it.
DOH! There it all was, several hundred dollars worth of stuff.

carnaught · August 2022

Opening things when you’ve moved is like Christmas.

jmonroe1 · August 2022

class="Quote" rel="driver100">This is from Dennis O'Sullivan's column in Driver.ca It reminded me a bit of a poster who did something similar;

QUESTION

I am hoping that you can assist me with a problem that I am having with my GM dealership. I purchased my vehicle in March 2021. The truck now has just over 36000 miles on it. The engine started to misfire about three weeks ago and it got progressively worse so I took it into the dealership. They, at that time, told me that the truck’s engine was still under warranty. I received a call two days later and they told me that they wanted to see invoices from where I had changed the oil. My problem is that I changed the oil myself so I do not have any invoices saying that the oil was changed either at a dealership or at a lube place. I cannot produce any invoices so I am told that the warranty is void. Nowhere in the owner’s manual does it say that you cannot change the oil yourself or that you have to show invoices of oil changes. It just tells you that the oil should be changed at regular intervals, which I have done. The dealer tells me that the camshaft is worn out on two lobes and it was because of dirty oil. I do a lot of driving on country gravel roads so that may account for the dirty oil. Anything that you could do to help would be appreciated.

Don

ANSWER

I called the dealership for you and it is not so much that you do not have any oil or oil filter invoices but it is the fact that the oil filter, that is still on the truck, appears to be the original oil filter. When they questioned you about the oil filter, you told them that you use fully synthetic oil, which does not require one to change the filter. I do not know from where you received that information but that is not correct. Synthetic oil is a better lubricator but it still gets dirty and needs a good filter to filter out unwanted particles. With 36000 miles on the odometer; no oil change invoices and what appears to be the original oil filter still on the truck, I do not know of any automotive manufacturer that would warranty a failed lubricated part in their vehicle. I am sorry but I cannot do anything for you.

That is what I call "False Economizing". Thinking you can save money by not letting the "Guy" do it.
———————————————

Warning long post coming up. Scroll now if you want to.

Since this seems to be your favorite subject let me TRY to explain it to you. Hopefully, for the last time.

I DID NOT, repeat, I DID NOT do my own oil changes to save a buck. I did them and other repairs because I wanted the work done right.

This is what happened to me when I took my first Genny for its first oil change:

I took the afternoon off to get a follow up check after my first cataract surgery. After that I thought this would be a good time to get the Genny it’s first oil change. I bought it in March of ‘09 and now it’s close to the end of July of ‘09. I was going to Myrtle Beach the first week of August. So this was the perfect time to do it. I go to the dealer unannounced but they’re busy. So the best they can do is squeeze me in at the end of the day. I can’t wait that long (it’s about 2 PM) and Mrs. j just happens to be working that day. So being picked up is not going to work. The SA told me that I could go to their lube center about 3 miles away. He was pretty sure they could take me right away if he called them. I told him to call. As I’m walking out, the thought came to me that since the Genny was a newly introduced car they might not have the filter. So I go back to the desk and he calls them again. Sure enough, the lube center doesn’t have the filter so I got one at the dealership and took it with me.

When I got to the lube center they were ready for me but before he writes me up I tell him I want to watch the oil change being done. Plus, I just wanted to nose around under the car while I was there since the car was new and I’d never climbed under it before. He promptly told me because of insurance reasons I couldn’t do that. I thanked him, picked up my filter that I put on the counter and was about to leave to do the oil change myself when I got home. All of a sudden he’ll now let me watch. After what transpired, I should have done it myself.

As I’m walking down into the pit the kid tells me I can’t come down there. I told him the guy at the desk said it was OK but he could check if he wanted to. He didn’t want to so I continued on my way to the bottom of the pit. To make conversation I asked the kid how many oil changes he’s done on a Genesis since it was a new car. In a bothersome tone he said, “ENOUGH”. I took that as a blow-off answer but how could I argue?

He now tries to remove the screws holding the access panels on but he doesn’t have the right socket. So much for ENOUGH. Strike 1.

He returns with the right socket and removes all the panel screws. Gets a wrench and removes the oil drain plug. The oil barely stops draining and he’s about to reinstall the drain plug. I told him I wanted more oil to drain before the plug is put back in and he should take the filter out and let it drain while he’s doing that (that’s the way I was taught but I guess he had a different teacher or forgot about his training). Strike 2.

He reluctantly starts to change the filter, like I suggested. However, he grabs a band style filter wrench with teeth, that is pretty long, and because of that he can’t get it on because of the angle. But that doesn’t discourage him and of course it slips off but not before he put some pretty good gouges in the heavy duty plastic filter housing. I get a little closer and I can see a large hex cast into the bottom of the filter housing and it is very accessible. I said, “there, it looks like the housing is design to be removed with a socket wrench”. He gets a little closer too and says, “yeah, I guess”. Guess what? He doesn’t have that socket either. He climbs out of the pit again to get it. Comes back with it and believe it or not, I didn’t have to remind him to reinstall the drain plug. That surprised the hell out of me. It’s a damn good thing the filter housing was over designed or there’s no telling what would have happened other than having some gouges in it that weren’t there when the car was built. He screwed up enough with this step to earn another strike. Strike 3. This kid should be out of the game but I still need the oil installed. Oh well.

OK, we’re now out of the pit and he removes the oil filler cap. He goes over and grabs the overhead hose marked 10W-30 and starts toward my car. I said, “WHOA”. He’s clearly annoyed with me by now and says, “what now”? I told him the car is designed for 5W-20 just like the cap says and I want synthetic not standard oil”. He goes to the car looks at the cap and says “OH, but it doesn’t say anything about synthetic”. I told him to look at the work order. He does and says, “OH, OK.” He comes back with the right oil but he only has 5 quarts. My car takes 6.8 quarts. I didn’t say anything about this yet, wanted to have some fun, I guess. He pours in the 5 quarts, closes the hood and proceeds to get into my car. I asked him what he was doing and he said, “I’m going to get you out of here, finally”. I warned him not to start my car because it needs more oil. He asked, “how much more”. I told him to read the manual that was in the glove box. He said he had another way to find out and proceeds to get more oil. He comes back with 2 more quarts of oil then asks, “how am I supposed to put in 0.8 quarts of oil ?” Being the wise guy that I am and not liking blow-off answers, I said, “just like you did it on the other Genesis oil changes you’ve done”. I then showed him how to do it by putting some in, checking the dipstick and adding more as needed. Is it legal to give someone more than 3 Strikes?

I got the message that my post is too long. I’ll post the rest in the next post.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · August 2022

Continued.

If you think I’m the only one who has gotten a dud to do an oil change on his car you’re kidding yourself. Until you watch your Benz dealer doing oil changes, or any work on your car, you have absolutely NO IDEA how they do it. You’re just trusting that they know what they’re doing.

And people wonder why I check all 20 lug nuts when my wheels have been removed after having state inspections done or any work that required the removal of the wheels.

END

jmonroe

laurasdada · August 2022

What a lovely day for a convertible. Which, I have not.

Went over the Sagamore bridge for lunch in Sandwich (MA) on the Cape Cod canal; shopping in the village (yes, pillows...) and then on to Mashpee Commons to shop some more. No pillows were purchased, but she saw a mirror at Pottery Barn and now is obsessing over a wooden whale at a local pop up store. She bought the mirror, but from Wayfair and at 1/3 the price. Good girl! Wonder if she'll go back to Mashpee tomorrow for the whale (it's sales tax-free weekend in MA, so if she's gonna go whaling, I encourage this weekend!).

And, surprise, I parked at a Tesla L2 charger and in what I believe to be about 90 minutes of shopping, got a full tank of neutrons! Didn't know Tesla made L2 with the J-1772 connector. Thanks, Elon!

And, as I posted elsewhere, saw a Range Rover Evoque convertible.

driver100 · August 2022

My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.

oldfarmer50 · August 2022

jmonroe1 said:
class="Quote" rel="driver100">This is from Dennis O'Sullivan's column in Driver.ca It reminded me a bit of a poster who did something similar;

QUESTION

I am hoping that you can assist me with a problem that I am having with my GM dealership. I purchased my vehicle in March 2021. The truck now has just over 36000 miles on it. The engine started to misfire about three weeks ago and it got progressively worse so I took it into the dealership. They, at that time, told me that the truck’s engine was still under warranty. I received a call two days later and they told me that they wanted to see invoices from where I had changed the oil. My problem is that I changed the oil myself so I do not have any invoices saying that the oil was changed either at a dealership or at a lube place. I cannot produce any invoices so I am told that the warranty is void. Nowhere in the owner’s manual does it say that you cannot change the oil yourself or that you have to show invoices of oil changes. It just tells you that the oil should be changed at regular intervals, which I have done. The dealer tells me that the camshaft is worn out on two lobes and it was because of dirty oil. I do a lot of driving on country gravel roads so that may account for the dirty oil. Anything that you could do to help would be appreciated.

Don

ANSWER

I called the dealership for you and it is not so much that you do not have any oil or oil filter invoices but it is the fact that the oil filter, that is still on the truck, appears to be the original oil filter. When they questioned you about the oil filter, you told them that you use fully synthetic oil, which does not require one to change the filter. I do not know from where you received that information but that is not correct. Synthetic oil is a better lubricator but it still gets dirty and needs a good filter to filter out unwanted particles. With 36000 miles on the odometer; no oil change invoices and what appears to be the original oil filter still on the truck, I do not know of any automotive manufacturer that would warranty a failed lubricated part in their vehicle. I am sorry but I cannot do anything for you.

That is what I call "False Economizing". Thinking you can save money by not letting the "Guy" do it.

———————————————

Warning long post coming up. Scroll now if you want to.

Since this seems to be your favorite subject let me TRY to explain it to you. Hopefully, for the last time.

I DID NOT, repeat, I DID NOT do my own oil changes to save a buck. I did them and other repairs because I wanted the work done right.

This is what happened to me when I took my first Genny for its first oil change:

I took the afternoon off to get a follow up check after my first cataract surgery. After that I thought this would be a good time to get the Genny it’s first oil change. I bought it in March of ‘09 and now it’s close to the end of July of ‘09. I was going to Myrtle Beach the first week of August. So this was the perfect time to do it. I go to the dealer unannounced but they’re busy. So the best they can do is squeeze me in at the end of the day. I can’t wait that long (it’s about 2 PM) and Mrs. j just happens to be working that day. So being picked up is not going to work. The SA told me that I could go to their lube center about 3 miles away. He was pretty sure they could take me right away if he called them. I told him to call. As I’m walking out, the thought came to me that since the Genny was a newly introduced car they might not have the filter. So I go back to the desk and he calls them again. Sure enough, the lube center doesn’t have the filter so I got one at the dealership and took it with me.

When I got to the lube center they were ready for me but before he writes me up I tell him I want to watch the oil change being done. Plus, I just wanted to nose around under the car while I was there since the car was new and I’d never climbed under it before. He promptly told me because of insurance reasons I couldn’t do that. I thanked him, picked up my filter that I put on the counter and was about to leave to do the oil change myself when I got home. All of a sudden he’ll now let me watch. After what transpired, I should have done it myself.

As I’m walking down into the pit the kid tells me I can’t come down there. I told him the guy at the desk said it was OK but he could check if he wanted to. He didn’t want to so I continued on my way to the bottom of the pit. To make conversation I asked the kid how many oil changes he’s done on a Genesis since it was a new car. In a bothersome tone he said, “ENOUGH”. I took that as a blow-off answer but how could I argue?

He now tries to remove the screws holding the access panels on but he doesn’t have the right socket. So much for ENOUGH. Strike 1.

He returns with the right socket and removes all the panel screws. Gets a wrench and removes the oil drain plug. The oil barely stops draining and he’s about to reinstall the drain plug. I told him I wanted more oil to drain before the plug is put back in and he should take the filter out and let it drain while he’s doing that (that’s the way I was taught but I guess he had a different teacher or forgot about his training). Strike 2.

He reluctantly starts to change the filter, like I suggested. However, he grabs a band style filter wrench with teeth, that is pretty long, and because of that he can’t get it on because of the angle. But that doesn’t discourage him and of course it slips off but not before he put some pretty good gouges in the heavy duty plastic filter housing. I get a little closer and I can see a large hex cast into the bottom of the filter housing and it is very accessible. I said, “there, it looks like the housing is design to be removed with a socket wrench”. He gets a little closer too and says, “yeah, I guess”. Guess what? He doesn’t have that socket either. He climbs out of the pit again to get it. Comes back with it and believe it or not, I didn’t have to remind him to reinstall the drain plug. That surprised the hell out of me. It’s a damn good thing the filter housing was over designed or there’s no telling what would have happened other than having some gouges in it that weren’t there when the car was built. He screwed up enough with this step to earn another strike. Strike 3. This kid should be out of the game but I still need the oil installed. Oh well.

OK, we’re now out of the pit and he removes the oil filler cap. He goes over and grabs the overhead hose marked 10W-30 and starts toward my car. I said, “WHOA”. He’s clearly annoyed with me by now and says, “what now”? I told him the car is designed for 5W-20 just like the cap says and I want synthetic not standard oil”. He goes to the car looks at the cap and says “OH, but it doesn’t say anything about synthetic”. I told him to look at the work order. He does and says, “OH, OK.” He comes back with the right oil but he only has 5 quarts. My car takes 6.8 quarts. I didn’t say anything about this yet, wanted to have some fun, I guess. He pours in the 5 quarts, closes the hood and proceeds to get into my car. I asked him what he was doing and he said, “I’m going to get you out of here, finally”. I warned him not to start my car because it needs more oil. He asked, “how much more”. I told him to read the manual that was in the glove box. He said he had another way to find out and proceeds to get more oil. He comes back with 2 more quarts of oil then asks, “how am I supposed to put in 0.8 quarts of oil ?” Being the wise guy that I am and not liking blow-off answers, I said, “just like you did it on the other Genesis oil changes you’ve done”. I then showed him how to do it by putting some in, checking the dipstick and adding more as needed. Is it legal to give someone more than 3 Strikes?

I got the message that my post is too long. I’ll post the rest in the next post.

jmonroe

And you wondered why the kid wanted you out of there? 😤 I will admit, however, that your words of wisdom stuck with me. When I did a fast oil change on my son’s car at the Quicky Lube I checked the dipstick and the drain plug when I got home.

jmonroe1 · August 2022

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.

————————————————-
I don’t buy what you’re selling. The dealer I go to touts all the training his techs have to. They have a wall plastered with training plaques.

If you checked for a proper oil change how would you do that? From what I’ve heard from you about your mechanical prowess, your in trouble. Talk is cheap and doers do.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · August 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:
class="Quote" rel="driver100">This is from Dennis O'Sullivan's column in Driver.ca It reminded me a bit of a poster who did something similar;

QUESTION

I am hoping that you can assist me with a problem that I am having with my GM dealership. I purchased my vehicle in March 2021. The truck now has just over 36000 miles on it. The engine started to misfire about three weeks ago and it got progressively worse so I took it into the dealership. They, at that time, told me that the truck’s engine was still under warranty. I received a call two days later and they told me that they wanted to see invoices from where I had changed the oil. My problem is that I changed the oil myself so I do not have any invoices saying that the oil was changed either at a dealership or at a lube place. I cannot produce any invoices so I am told that the warranty is void. Nowhere in the owner’s manual does it say that you cannot change the oil yourself or that you have to show invoices of oil changes. It just tells you that the oil should be changed at regular intervals, which I have done. The dealer tells me that the camshaft is worn out on two lobes and it was because of dirty oil. I do a lot of driving on country gravel roads so that may account for the dirty oil. Anything that you could do to help would be appreciated.

Don

ANSWER

I called the dealership for you and it is not so much that you do not have any oil or oil filter invoices but it is the fact that the oil filter, that is still on the truck, appears to be the original oil filter. When they questioned you about the oil filter, you told them that you use fully synthetic oil, which does not require one to change the filter. I do not know from where you received that information but that is not correct. Synthetic oil is a better lubricator but it still gets dirty and needs a good filter to filter out unwanted particles. With 36000 miles on the odometer; no oil change invoices and what appears to be the original oil filter still on the truck, I do not know of any automotive manufacturer that would warranty a failed lubricated part in their vehicle. I am sorry but I cannot do anything for you.

That is what I call "False Economizing". Thinking you can save money by not letting the "Guy" do it.
———————————————

Warning long post coming up. Scroll now if you want to.

Since this seems to be your favorite subject let me TRY to explain it to you. Hopefully, for the last time.

I DID NOT, repeat, I DID NOT do my own oil changes to save a buck. I did them and other repairs because I wanted the work done right.

This is what happened to me when I took my first Genny for its first oil change:

I took the afternoon off to get a follow up check after my first cataract surgery. After that I thought this would be a good time to get the Genny it’s first oil change. I bought it in March of ‘09 and now it’s close to the end of July of ‘09. I was going to Myrtle Beach the first week of August. So this was the perfect time to do it. I go to the dealer unannounced but they’re busy. So the best they can do is squeeze me in at the end of the day. I can’t wait that long (it’s about 2 PM) and Mrs. j just happens to be working that day. So being picked up is not going to work. The SA told me that I could go to their lube center about 3 miles away. He was pretty sure they could take me right away if he called them. I told him to call. As I’m walking out, the thought came to me that since the Genny was a newly introduced car they might not have the filter. So I go back to the desk and he calls them again. Sure enough, the lube center doesn’t have the filter so I got one at the dealership and took it with me.

When I got to the lube center they were ready for me but before he writes me up I tell him I want to watch the oil change being done. Plus, I just wanted to nose around under the car while I was there since the car was new and I’d never climbed under it before. He promptly told me because of insurance reasons I couldn’t do that. I thanked him, picked up my filter that I put on the counter and was about to leave to do the oil change myself when I got home. All of a sudden he’ll now let me watch. After what transpired, I should have done it myself.

As I’m walking down into the pit the kid tells me I can’t come down there. I told him the guy at the desk said it was OK but he could check if he wanted to. He didn’t want to so I continued on my way to the bottom of the pit. To make conversation I asked the kid how many oil changes he’s done on a Genesis since it was a new car. In a bothersome tone he said, “ENOUGH”. I took that as a blow-off answer but how could I argue?

He now tries to remove the screws holding the access panels on but he doesn’t have the right socket. So much for ENOUGH. Strike 1.

He returns with the right socket and removes all the panel screws. Gets a wrench and removes the oil drain plug. The oil barely stops draining and he’s about to reinstall the drain plug. I told him I wanted more oil to drain before the plug is put back in and he should take the filter out and let it drain while he’s doing that (that’s the way I was taught but I guess he had a different teacher or forgot about his training). Strike 2.

He reluctantly starts to change the filter, like I suggested. However, he grabs a band style filter wrench with teeth, that is pretty long, and because of that he can’t get it on because of the angle. But that doesn’t discourage him and of course it slips off but not before he put some pretty good gouges in the heavy duty plastic filter housing. I get a little closer and I can see a large hex cast into the bottom of the filter housing and it is very accessible. I said, “there, it looks like the housing is design to be removed with a socket wrench”. He gets a little closer too and says, “yeah, I guess”. Guess what? He doesn’t have that socket either. He climbs out of the pit again to get it. Comes back with it and believe it or not, I didn’t have to remind him to reinstall the drain plug. That surprised the hell out of me. It’s a damn good thing the filter housing was over designed or there’s no telling what would have happened other than having some gouges in it that weren’t there when the car was built. He screwed up enough with this step to earn another strike. Strike 3. This kid should be out of the game but I still need the oil installed. Oh well.

OK, we’re now out of the pit and he removes the oil filler cap. He goes over and grabs the overhead hose marked 10W-30 and starts toward my car. I said, “WHOA”. He’s clearly annoyed with me by now and says, “what now”? I told him the car is designed for 5W-20 just like the cap says and I want synthetic not standard oil”. He goes to the car looks at the cap and says “OH, but it doesn’t say anything about synthetic”. I told him to look at the work order. He does and says, “OH, OK.” He comes back with the right oil but he only has 5 quarts. My car takes 6.8 quarts. I didn’t say anything about this yet, wanted to have some fun, I guess. He pours in the 5 quarts, closes the hood and proceeds to get into my car. I asked him what he was doing and he said, “I’m going to get you out of here, finally”. I warned him not to start my car because it needs more oil. He asked, “how much more”. I told him to read the manual that was in the glove box. He said he had another way to find out and proceeds to get more oil. He comes back with 2 more quarts of oil then asks, “how am I supposed to put in 0.8 quarts of oil ?” Being the wise guy that I am and not liking blow-off answers, I said, “just like you did it on the other Genesis oil changes you’ve done”. I then showed him how to do it by putting some in, checking the dipstick and adding more as needed. Is it legal to give someone more than 3 Strikes?

I got the message that my post is too long. I’ll post the rest in the next post.

jmonroe

And you wondered why the kid wanted you out of there? 😤 I will admit, however, that your words of wisdom stuck with me. When I did a fast oil change on my son’s car at the Quicky Lube I checked the dipstick and the drain plug when I got home.
————————————————-
In my opinion, when you get home it could be too late. My across the street neighbor did that a few years ago and found he was down almost 3 quarts. The dealer wanted him to come back right away but he refused and demanded they send a tow truck. They did and he rode back with the car. Turns out the nitwit didn’t remove the old filter gasket. Said he thought it came off with the old filter. That’s an almost full proof way to have a leak. No excuse for not being sure.

Fast forward to this past January when I took the Genny in for the ABS recall notice. While it was there I had them do an oil change. This time one of their experienced techs did it since he’s the one that had to do the recall work.

When the car was parked outside before I even started it as I was in the process of removing the dip stick, the SA comes running out asking if I had a problem. I told him I was just checking a few things in their driveway before I got home and had more time to check a few more things. He just smiled and said, “OK, now I remember. You like to check things”.

jmonroe

graphicguy · August 2022

laurasdada said:
GG and Sis, thanks for keeping the flame alive!
Love the XJ, big beast, though. Will put a much bigger dent in CVS...

Pace with grace.

Yeah…it ain’t small. Surprising how quick it is being it such a big car. Can’t recall an interior that is anywhere as swanky that I’ve even driven, either. It’s perfect for her. Big, fast, comfy.

roadburner · August 2022

@jmonroe1 said:
Continued.

If you think I’m the only one who has gotten a dud to do an oil change on his car you’re kidding yourself. Until you watch your Benz dealer doing oil changes, or any work on your car, you have absolutely NO IDEA how they do it. You’re just trusting that they know what they’re doing.

And people wonder why I check all 20 lug nuts when my wheels have been removed after having state inspections done or any work that required the removal of the wheels.

END

jmonroe

But I thought “the guy” ALWAYS knew more than the vehicle owner.
I’m SHOCKED!!! At least he didn't write the oil capacity on the engine cover with a Sharpie- that happened to a poor soul who brought his Stinger to a Kia dealer for "professional service."
And I’ve mentioned the oil change I performed on a older friend’s E83 X3; the previous “technician” had screwed up in almost every possible way.

roadburner · August 2022

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.
————————————————-
I don’t buy what you’re selling. The dealer I go to touts all the training his techs have to. They have a wall plastered with training plaques.

If you checked for a proper oil change how would you do that? From what I’ve heard from you about your mechanical prowess, your in trouble. Talk is cheap and doers do.

jmonroe

Top notch service:
The fiendishly complex oil filler cap
Smoke(ATF?) and mirrors

snakeweasel · August 2022

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.

Hate to tell you how many professionals with top notch training and certifications to go with it that know jack about what they are doing.

oldfarmer50 · August 2022

roadburner said:

@jmonroe1 said:

Continued.

If you think I’m the only one who has gotten a dud to do an oil change on his car you’re kidding yourself. Until you watch your Benz dealer doing oil changes, or any work on your car, you have absolutely NO IDEA how they do it. You’re just trusting that they know what they’re doing.

And people wonder why I check all 20 lug nuts when my wheels have been removed after having state inspections done or any work that required the removal of the wheels.

END

jmonroe

But I thought “the guy” ALWAYS knew more than the vehicle owner.

I’m SHOCKED!!! At least he didn't write the oil capacity on the engine cover with a Sharpie- that happened to a poor soul who brought his Stinger to a Kia dealer for "professional service."

And I’ve mentioned the oil change I performed on a older friend’s E83 X3; the previous “technician” had screwed up in almost every possible way.

Writing the oil capacity might not be a bad idea. My cars range from 4.2 qt. To 8 qt. To be honest, I had to look it up myself.

jmonroe1 · August 2022

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.
————————————————-
I don’t buy what you’re selling. The dealer I go to touts all the training his techs have to. They have a wall plastered with training plaques.

If you checked for a proper oil change how would you do that? From what I’ve heard from you about your mechanical prowess, your in trouble. Talk is cheap and doers do.

jmonroe
Top notch service:
The fiendishly complex oil filler cap
Smoke(ATF?) and mirrors

————————————————
Damn, I guess I’m not the only one who’s gotten a nitwit to do an oil change on their car at a dealership. Who woulda guessed that was possible at a Benz dealership too? I guess our poster buddy will claim, “not in Canada”. Yeah, right.

I was born at night (really, I was) but not last night.

Let the spin begin. I know it’s coming.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 · August 2022

jmonroe1 said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.
————————————————-
I don’t buy what you’re selling. The dealer I go to touts all the training his techs have to. They have a wall plastered with training plaques.

If you checked for a proper oil change how would you do that? From what I’ve heard from you about your mechanical prowess, your in trouble. Talk is cheap and doers do.

jmonroe
Top notch service:
The fiendishly complex oil filler cap
Smoke(ATF?) and mirrors
————————————————
Damn, I guess I’m not the only one who’s gotten a nitwit to do an oil change on their car at a dealership. Who woulda guessed that was possible at a Benz dealership too? I guess our poster buddy will claim, “not in Canada”. Yeah, right.

I was born at night (really, I was) but not last night.

Let the spin begin. I know it’s coming.

jmonroe

I’m taking my cars to jmonroe quicky lube from now on.

jmonroe1 · August 2022

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

roadburner said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.
————————————————-
I don’t buy what you’re selling. The dealer I go to touts all the training his techs have to. They have a wall plastered with training plaques.

If you checked for a proper oil change how would you do that? From what I’ve heard from you about your mechanical prowess, your in trouble. Talk is cheap and doers do.

jmonroe
Top notch service:
The fiendishly complex oil filler cap
Smoke(ATF?) and mirrors
————————————————
Damn, I guess I’m not the only one who’s gotten a nitwit to do an oil change on their car at a dealership. Who woulda guessed that was possible at a Benz dealership too? I guess our poster buddy will claim, “not in Canada”. Yeah, right.

I was born at night (really, I was) but not last night.

Let the spin begin. I know it’s coming.

jmonroe
I’m taking my cars to jmonroe quicky lube from now on.

————————————————-
You’re welcome anytime but it won’t be quick. I’m never in a hurry and I double check myself as I do something. I’d hate like hell to find a mistake later. So far so good.

I have to think a lot of mistakes at dealerships and service places are the result of being in a hurry because the boss says something like, “come on, let’s get that car out of here. I’ve got 3 cars waiting to get in here before quitting time”.

jmonroe

tjc78 · August 2022

@jmonroe
I have to say that I’m sure that dealers/oil change places/independent garages all make mistakes. I do however, think it’s not the norm.

I haven’t done my own oil change since the late 90s when I had my 79 Continental. Luckily (touch wood) I’ve never had an issues with dealers or the independent garage I used. Did they use the right oil? Well I’d never know, but didn’t have any engines blow up either.

sda · August 2022

My daughter drives the 06 TL as her car. It doesn’t have a back up camera, blind spot monitoring and other recent safety nannies. I drive the car about every other week to get gas, perhaps have it washed, to check oil, tire pressure, etc. I find that I rely more on the back up camera, blind spot monitoring than I thought as I immediately notice its absence in the TL. I am hoping that her having learned to drive without has made her a more observant, proactive and safer driver.

roadburner · August 2022

I know a lot of dealer and indie shops are short staffed- and that inevitably affects the quality of service. My dealer has been excellent overall but I’ve had a couple of “be backs” in the past two years- both involving the correct oil. I only caught them because I checked the part numbers on my receipts.

oldfarmer50 · August 2022

tjc78 said:
@jmonroe

I have to say that I’m sure that dealers/oil change places/independent garages all make mistakes. I do however, think it’s not the norm.

I haven’t done my own oil change since the late 90s when I had my 79 Continental. Luckily (touch wood) I’ve never had an issues with dealers or the independent garage I used. Did they use the right oil? Well I’d never know, but didn’t have any engines blow up either.

For the last 50 years I got all my oil changes at the same trusted indie shop. Never had to check. Now that they closed I’ll have to double check everything until I can trust a new place.

Sandman6472 · August 2022

Finally have a handicapped license plate & a placard as I'm not always in my vehicle. Take it to work now as it comes in handy when I stop for lunch some times. But understand about folks abusing those parking spaces. The other night at dinner, a car was parked in a handicap space with no placard or plate, folks just sitting there. I did give them "the look" as I walked by with my cane and both immediately looked away as I thought they would. Totally annoying when folks do this particularly as I was having a bad day and my limp was more pronounced than normal...I was hurting real badly & parking closer to the front door would've been helpful. But just attribute it folks being so selfish today with no care for others, figure what goes around in life will come around I guess! Trust me, I'd give so much for not having to use my cane to get around, to not dealing with chronic pain 24/7, healthy folks really are very lucky!

driver100 · August 2022

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.
————————————————-
I don’t buy what you’re selling. The dealer I go to touts all the training his techs have to. They have a wall plastered with training plaques.

If you checked for a proper oil change how would you do that? From what I’ve heard from you about your mechanical prowess, your in trouble. Talk is cheap and doers do.

jmonroe

I haven't had any problems after my oil changes. I'm not OCD about these things. If I went to Iffy Lube I might keep an eye on the red light.
I see the Flying Monkeys are adding their "Likes". That's funny, that means they are jealous.

driver100 · August 2022

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:
My MB dealer has mechanics that get top notch training. And, if they make a mistake, MB should cover it.
You have to trust someone at some point. Mistakes can happen, I really haven't heard of an MB dealer blowing an oil change, or any work really.
Now if I got my oil changed at Iffy Lube, then I would try to check it over before going very far.
Hate to tell you how many professionals with top notch training and certifications to go with it that know jack about what they are doing.

I think the odds are with me at the dealership. I don't think they would keep a mechanic who can't do an oil change.
It seems some people think they are genius's because they can do an oil change. Anyone could do it if they learned...watched Youtube, or tried it. I get no satisfaction doing something like changing oil when I could be playing tennis, or pickleball, or reading the newspaper or a book, or meeting friends. Big deal, you could probably teach a monkey how to do an oil change.
I have never had a problem with any oil change I have had performed in almost 60 years, why would I want to check on the job done...I would have wasted hours of my life. If something goes wrong the dealer will pay for it..........it doesn't make sense to re-check everything unless you are OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).
If you enjoy doing oil changes then knock yourself out, I have better things to do.

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