Miata Mailing List: May 1996, Message #174
sponsored by



     


   From: Bryan Eckert 
Subject: JIFFY LUBE SUCKS!
   Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 12:09:00 -0400

After reading the Horror Story column in the mailbox section of the tech issue, I must 
too say that Jiffy Lube bites!

I had my oil changed (which I normally do myself at home in ten minutes) at Jiffy 
Lube this winter because I didn't have the time to do it myself. NEVER AGAIN! The only 
thing good about the experience is I got the change for free!

In all I was there over 1/2 hour waiting for them to change the oil. (actually more...) 
The tech that was above the car took about five minutes to locate the oil filter. (I 
actually showed him where it was) Then he couldn't remove it, because none of his 
filter wrenches fit the filter.  I tried to explain to them that it is much easier to get at 
the filter from underneath the car, but of course I was ignored. (What, a guy that does 
his own work on a car and has changed the oil dozens of time.. hell he don't know what 
he's doin, I work for Jiffy Lube dammit!)

I could only sit in disbelief as I watched this grown (supposedly) intelligent man try 
to work the oil filter around all the wiring without spilling the oil out. He ended up 
dropping the filter, and the guy below removed it. I actually heard the above guy say 
"Wow, I guess it woulda been easier for you to remove the filter!" (Insert big eye roll 
here)

I left the shop with a dirty oil stained paper mat in the car. I quickly parked the car 
and opened the hood. There was oil in the engine compartment from where he had 
dropped the filter that had been haphazardly wiped up. And then I saw it... a big ugly 
orange Jiffy-Lube filter! One about ten times too big for the car!

Well I drove the car back around again and after arguing with the tech for about ten 
minutes about the filter and calling him names LOUDLY and creating quite a scene (I 
love doing that!) the manager of the place came over. I explained to him about the 
Mazda filter and why it must be used. The tech said I didn't give him a Mazda filter, and 
the filter they put on the car is the closest one they have.  I spotted my filter sitting 
unopened on top of the computer they have there in the shop.. to which I walked over, 
picked it up and said "What's this then, asshole?"

I then opened the hood and showed the manager the oil in my engine compartment from 
the guy dropping the oil filter. He quickly had the oil changed again, the Mazda filter 
installed and the oil cleaned up as best he could. (And that same tech wasn't allowed to 
touch my car.) And he had my money refunded and gave me a free car wash ticket. 
(There is a car wash on this J-L. Like I would run my baby thru plastic brushes!)

BUT.. the story doesn't end here! I got home and noticed something... When he had been 
changing my filter, the tech must have been leaning on the headlight door.. It was bent! 
Luckily I pulled on the door and it bent back into place. And lucky for that Jiffy Lube it 
was 30 miles from my house, or I would have driven back with the bent headlight door 
and caused another scene!  I drove back to that J-L recently (It's near my Mazda 
dealer) to see if that imbicile was still working there. He's not. I think he works at the 
Mazda dealer now :^O (but that's another thread altogether)

Jiffy Lube runs commercials on the radio around here. The "Jiffy Lube Guy" calls 
peoples car phones and gets in cars with them to plug J-L. If he ever gets in my car 
I'll punch him! Besides... they use Pennzoil! (ack!)
-- 

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
        \\____o<         \ A Wiseman once said... 
     The Gooseman         \     "If it aint a ragtop, it aint shit!"
 gooseman@access.digex.net \     That Wiseman drove a RED '94 A Miata :^) 
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-