Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Re: JiffyLube, extras
From:Stan Wilder
Date:Tue, 22 Jun 2004 03:08:07 -0500

They tried charging me for a grease job when there were not any fittings to
grease on a 83 Vanagon.
The really got to me on flushing my tranny since the tranny always holds 1.5
Quart of fluid, they flushed it and then my tranny failed from diluted 90 wt
tranny grease.
This world is enough to scare the hell outta' me.

Stan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Demarest" <tim.demarest@POBOX.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2004 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: JiffyLube, extras

> At 12:02 PM 6/21/2004 -0700, Fin Beven wrote:
> >My impression is that shops like this use the oil change as the
inducement
> >to get you into the shop, then "get you" with the extras.
>
>
> You are 100% correct, they *always* do the little dance of asking you out
> of the waiting room to tell you about some other service your car needs...
> it has happened every single time I've been in a Jiffy Lube, regardless of
> the vintage of the vehicle. If your car is fairly new, they like to try
and
> sell you windshield wipers, an older vehicle like a Vanagon gives them a
> field day.
>
> If you really want to know what your Vanagon needs, check the service
> intervals in your Bentley manual. I'm sure you will find a wide range of
> overdue service items (greasing the CVs, changing the brake fluid, stuff
> like that)... but Jiffy Lube would *not* be my choice for working on
> critical systems. Find yourself a good, independent mechanic (the guy who
> owns his own shop has *much* more incentive to do quality work than a
> chain-shop employee), who is willing and able to work on Vanagons. If you
> can't find a vanagon guy, at least find a guy who looks excited by the
idea
> of working on an unusual vehicle, rather than someone that seems
> pessimistic or unwilling.
>
> Don'y let the Jiffy-Losers do more than an oil change, and make sure you
> check the dipstick and the drain plug when they say they are done!
>
> Just my $.02...
>
> Tim