# Oil change at Wal\*Mart? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 29, 2002, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-change-at-wal-mart/145524 "2002-12-29T18:42:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-change-at-wal-mart/145524/41 "2002-12-31T23:31:26Z")
_Er, Gary T? The guy was old enough to be my dad (40-50ish)._ Illustrating that when you assume, you make an… My mistake. I’ve been in the auto repair business for nearly 30 years, and I know that kind of crap happens, but I still shake my head in disbelief and disgust when I hear about such incidents. There’s plenty of opportunity to make a good, honest living by fixing cars properly and ethically. I’m sorry that happened to you. ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-change-at-wal-mart/145524/42 "2003-01-01T15:44:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by montana cricket \* > \*\*I used to do my own oil changes before my husband and I upgraded vehicles and now it’s too hard to get to the filter to change it. > > However…We had the oil changed at Wal-Mart and I noticed a puddle that afternoon at work. Sure enough, oil. They hadn’t tightened the drain plug well enough and it was leaking. Now we either take it to the dealer (roughly the same price and if they screw up and we blow the engine, they’ll PAY!), or some other competent auto mechanic…I paid enough for the vehicle to want it done RIGHT! \*\* This happened to me, but not at Wal-Mart. I had my oil changed just before setting out on a 700 mile trip. About halfway there, I stopped for gas, went to the restroom, and noticed a big puddle of oil under my car when I returned. They had not re-installed the gasket on the crankcase plug. My engine could easily have been ruined ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-change-at-wal-mart/145524/43 "2003-01-01T16:29:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Angel of the Lord \* > \*\*No kidding. Last time I went to Jiffy Lube, the guy tried to convince me that I was out of antifreeze and out of coolant. Like, by saying, “You’re out of antifreeze. You’re also out of coolant. We can replace both of those for you for 5.00 each.” To which he got a glare and a “thankyouverymuch, now give me my damn care back and have a nice life.” > > Hey, just 'cause I’m a chick doesn’t mean I’m car clueless. \*\* Yep - I did break down and go to a Jiffy Lube, oh, sometime this summer (maybe late May?). The reason I went there was because I knew Walmart tended to back up badly, I had several places I had to be at set times that day, and the day before I had checked my oil level, realized it was fine but the oil was dirty, and that it was also time for a change - it’d been about 5,000 miles, with no “severe condition” driving. They told me I had no oil in my car and that I needed this special flush thing. They didn’t get why I burst out laughing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-change-at-wal-mart/145524.md?page=2)