Bulk vs. Bottled oil at places like Jiffy Lube

I am on the road often enough where I need to get my oil changed at
Jiffy Lube or other convenient type of oil change place. Is there any
quality or performance difference between the bulk oil they use or the
optional bottled oil (penzoil) that they offer for $10-$15 more?
I have heard many horror stories regarding Jiffy Lube, although I
guess I am lucky with 220K on my Honda Accord. Taking my car to the
dealer just for an oil change on the road seems ridiculous. Just
wondeingr what others look for in an oil-change place to insure
quality work (those who fear Jiffy Lube) when they can't do it
themselves.
Thanks

 

Around here the Honda dealers typically charge from 22.95 to 25.99 for
an oil change and generally get you out within an hour. I personally
have never been in a quick change place, but everyone I know who goes to
them always seem to end up with a bill of 40 or more. There is nothing
inherently wrong with bulk oil, so long as what's in the barrel is
what's supposed to be in it. I'm sure some dealerships use bulk, but
I'd feel more confident that it's what it is supposed to be - and you
get a Honda brand filter instead of ???.

 

The bulk oil is the same as what's in the bottles. I have actually
delivered the stuff into the tanks. The good Lube places will have all
the grades, i.e. 0-30, 5-30, 10-30, 10-40 or whatever. The bad places
just order 10-30 and put it in every car, but they are usually auto
shops, not lube places. In my opinion, they charge way too much anymore
for an oil change and many use the cheapest oil filters to boot.

If Pennzoil is the optional "upgrade" oil, then what crap is in the bulk
tank? I bet they are just milking the customer even more with that line.

dan

 

Don't ever take your car to Jiffy Lube. They've been busted by local
news for not changing oil filters.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

 

Dealerships are everywhere, and they know they need to compete with
those guys.

There is absolutely no NEED to get your oil changed at places like Jiffy
Lube. And frankly, it can wait another 500 miles until you get home.

 

Either the bulk stuff is all one grade--and cheap to boot--or else
they're charging $15 for the privilege of your being able to watch it
come out of the sealed, name-brand bottles.

My guess is the former.

 

The biggest variable is the local managers of the shops, as well as
the dealers, as well as other chains, as well as independent
mechanics. The secon biggest variable is the talent of whoever's doing
the work. You don't think the dealer is putting his best men on the
problem of oil changing, I hope. I've had lube chains screw up the
plug and/or the filter so bad that the dealer couldn't deal with it,
and I've had other chains manage to fix the screwed up plug and/or
filter that the dealer couldn't fix.

That said, I've gone back to my original idea, which is that it's bad
practice to let other people do this kind of stuff. I got one of those
valves that go into the plug to make it easier.

 

Your guess would be wrong. As someone who has actually worked at a JL
(needed money while in school and they were hiring) I can say that the
bulk is NOT all the same grade. Yes it is cheaper, because they are
OWNED by an oil company and the franchises get a discount off wholesale
prices as well. The normal stock is Shell 5W30, 10W30, 15W50 Rotella,
Dexron II and ATF. They also stock bulk synthetic in 5W30 and 10W30.

The reason the bottles are more money is real easy. Personal preference.
Some people don't like Shell oil and prefer Pennzoil. They are also
convinced that the bulk oil HAS to be garbage so they buy the Pennzoil,
thinking it is better.
Royal Dutch / Shell (SOPUS) owns Quaker State and Pennzoil.

 

They do in my case. Most dealers have a newbie doing it, but my
dealership simply has the regular mechanics do it.

I'm happy, because (a) my regular mechanic does it, and (b) he's putting
his practiced eye underneath the car as he does so. It all works out
very well.

 

pretty sure they also own iffy lube...

 

If JL stocks different grades of oil, why are they incapable of
understanding that VW engines don't like 10W30? I gave up on JL years
ago even though my cars weren't anything special simply because I got
sick of listening to the lifters clatter. This is not an issue specific
to one location either, I am stubborn and kept going back and insisting
on 10W40 or 15W50 and kept getting the wrong stuff. The convenience of
a quick, no-appointment oil change is nice, but ONLY IF THEY DO IT RIGHT!

The last straw was when they filled my windshield washer bottle with
water. In December. Right before I left to visit my family in PA for
Christmas. Never went back after that.

Basically, my advice is, if you care about your car, you will not go to
Jiffy Lube under any circumstances. I don't think I've ever had a GOOD
experience there; simply technicians trying to upsell me with overpriced
air filters ("your air filter is dirty" even though I know they didn't
check it as it's under the AFM/fuel distributor,) wiper blades, etc. and
pointing out that the oil pan gasket on my 240K mile beater is weeping a
little oil. I've also had to remind them to check the gear oil in the
transaxle, even though it's on their checklist (at one point in time, I
had a leaking output shaft seal that didn't go away with a new seal, and
I didn't have time to change out the transaxle for a couple months.)
The best I've had is a "not too bad" experience, but now that I have my
own garage I don't have any use for 'em. My FLAPS takes my drain oil,
too, and a DIY oil change with Rotella and a Wix filter costs less than
a JL oil change.

A good, trusted mechanic can't be beat, JL is for people who like
wasting money. If you're not going to do it yourself, suck it up, make
an appointment, wait a couple hours (or better yet, find one near work
and drop it off in the morning.)

nate

 

Yep, Which is why they stock bulk Shell oil and upgrade is Pennzoil.

 

Geez yeah; my rule is never do anything to the car when you can't
afford to have it fail the next day. If not while still on the
operating table. All these guys who "need to get a tune-up before we
go on vacation tomorrow", living on the edge.

 

My regular mechanic has his 13-year-old kid doing it this summer. The kid
is very good, too. I'd trust him over most of the dealer techs.
--scott

 

I'm convinced people are at their sharpest around that age, just
before the hormones kick in and fog your mind.

 

This is why I prefer to have a small shop do it, because a good tech
can sometimes spot stuff that he's not even looking for, e.g. "there's
some grease on the inside of your LF wheel, I checked it out and your
CV boot has a little tear in it, want me to go ahead and replace it
before it becomes a problem?"

Last time I had the corner guy look at my truck, he identified a
vacuum issue with my HVAC controls (which I knew about) and fixed it
for about $40 which was fine by me because it would have taken me
longer than a half hour to trace it out.

nate

 

This is why I prefer to have a small shop do it, because a good tech
can sometimes spot stuff that he's not even looking for, e.g. "there's
some grease on the inside of your LF wheel, I checked it out and your
CV boot has a little tear in it, want me to go ahead and replace it
before it becomes a problem?"[/QUOTE]

The exact thing happened to me several years ago, thanks to the
experienced eye of a long time regular tech.

 

My regular mechanic has his 13-year-old kid doing it this summer. The kid
is very good, too. I'd trust him over most of the dealer techs.[/QUOTE]

And there's no question his dad is keeping an eagle eye on things behind
his back.

 

And there's no question his dad is keeping an eagle eye on things behind
his back.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely, but the kid can do it as fast as I can at this point. Considering
maybe half of the stuff they get in the shop are cars with canister filters,
that's saying something.
--scott

 

i do it myself and save money. for the price to pay somebody to change your
oil i go to walmart buy a fram oil filter and a 5 quart bottle of castrol
syntec full synthetic oil and change it myself and i know it's done right.
and my oil stays cleaner longer than those shops that plug up the drain plug
before everything is even drained out. read your owners manual and get a
haynes repair manual and go at it.

-jeff

The exact thing happened to me several years ago, thanks to the
experienced eye of a long time regular tech.
[/QUOTE]