I took my truck to Walmart for an oil change yesterday. If at all possible, I try to watch while my truck is serviced. Everything was going great until the woman that was checking my battery, fluid levels, etc, got to the power steering pump. She removed the cap and proceeded to filling it with power steering fluid. She never looked at the level marks before or after filling it.

When I got home I removed the cap to check the fluid level, and it was at the very top. I am surprised I didn't blow out any seals. There was of course, no room for the fluid to expand any more!! I had to use a suction bulb to get the level down to it's proper mark!!

Bottom line: ALWAYS recheck everything after having your truck serviced at Walmart, or any place else.

I don't have the place or proper equipment to do this myself, so I am at the mercy of others....

 

Better bottom line - never take your truck to Walmart for any kind of service.

 

You don't have an oil pan and a few sockets? The trucks sit high enough you don't even need to jack them up to get under. I change my oil in about 15-20 min. Much less time than it takes to drive to a shop, wait for service, then finally get the service done, drive back, and then have to recheck everything anyway because they don't know what they are doing. I see no sense in paying someone for routine maintenance.

 

I used to do all my routine maintenance and a lot more, but I am now 62 years old, a bad back, and a touch of arthritis, heheh!

In my younger days I did it all.... but no more, rather pay someone to do it....

 

How much does an oil change cost these days? For thirty bucks you can get a nice oil pan, (I like round black one that has a spout I pour these into large containers and take to the recycle center), a filter wrench and probably the oil and filter! The next time you are only out the price of the oil and filter.

If you don't have waste oil container, go to Taco Bell and get a vegetable oil container from the trash. These have screw on lids and are GREAT. Or you can use milk jugs or kitty litter containers.

 

I think his answer pretty much sums it all up.

I'd recommend some place like Midas, Meineke, or Jiffy Lube. Barring that, look around on the forum and see if anyone lives close to you that is mechanically inclined?

 

NO JIFFY LUBE!! or walmart, lol. Best place to take it is somewhere like Valvoline instant oil change, or, hate to say it, even the stealership.

 

I don't know that I've ever heard much good about Jiffy Lube.

I'd look for a local shop. Like I used to work at a local garage that did pretty much everything and we actually did a good job on oil changes for the most part. Or if we didn't we made it right. Like I accidentally had 2 filter gaskets on as the old one didn't come off. We called the lady right after she had left and made it right for her. Not saying nowhere will make mistakes but try to atleast find an honest place.

 

Walmart SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! I have vowed that i will never shop for parts or supplies for my truck at walmart, and i definitly will not let them even touch my truck. As far as other places go, i would be willing to go there, but unfortunately i had a bad experience and decided that i shouldjust do everything myself. But if i ever had to take my truck somewhere, i would pick a small shop over widely known franchise places any day.

 

there's always going to be a few bad shops that give the entire company a bad name. i've worked for jiffy lube before and now work for walmart's tire & lube express. if you want it done right, do it yourself, otherwise you'll always be at the mercy of someone who gets paid slightly over min. wage to do a job they don't like.

that being said, we have a very low accident/damage claim rate in our shop, right at .06% of total cars. that's9 cars a yearout of 15,000 that havedamage or something goes wrong. and usually itis just a wear & tear item that has finally worn out, like lugnuts or studs on older vehicles or an oil drain plug that's missing some threads, very rarely is it something like a total engine failure due to someone not doing their job.

even at that extremely low percentage, i do all my own work at home, even if i need tire work done...i'll leave the truck on jackstands at home & bring the tires/wheels in by themselves.


my $.02