Tim...

You are so right about "the dance"

I did watch as they used Castrol 20W50 oil, and they told me that they would be using a Penzoil filter.  I looked through the engine compartment and saw that the new filter is yellow, but I didn't crawl under the van to confirm brand.

Again, thanks

Fin.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tim Demarest 
  To: Fin Beven ; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
  Sent: Monday, June 21, 2004 12:32 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