oil change

Boy.  I have had enough really bad experiences to want to avoid those places like the plague.  While I won't go into telling you about the stripped, rounded off drain plug on the 911 oil tank, or about the stripped 8mm bolts in the aluminum crankcase, I will tell you WHY to avoid those places.

After retiring from banking, I bought a Matco Tool truck, and sold tools to (mostly) professional mechanics in shops in Kent and Auburn.  I also had several quick lube places - some of which I eventually quit stopping at.  Most of these shops pay their help very little, so you end up getting the low end of the skill scale, including high school kids, (usually) recovering drug addicts and other folk who can't land a job elsewhere.  They have very little training (torque?) and a limited supply of low quality tools (torque wrench?).  To top it off, the shops usually don't return a bunch to their owners, who - when faced with a large repair bill to fix stripped out aluminum 911 engine cases or replace a $500 dry sump oil tank - close the doors and abandon the business.

Here's the scenario I predict.  Mini goes into the service bay, you into the waiting room.  Pretty soon, a kid comes in and says - how do you open the "hood".  You show him, and go back to the waiting room.  The kid, without most sockets, including a 36mm shorty, removes your oil filter cap with vise grips or water pump pliers.  Pretty soon, the kid comes in and talks to the manager.  The manager looks at his computer, then comes to you and says - we don't have your filter in stock.  We can get one here in three hours.

Four hours later, the filter arrives.  Less the oil sealing ring.  No big, the old one is found in the garbage can, and only has a little nick in it.  So they wipe off the old oil sweep and shove it onto the filter cover - just stretched a little bit...  Fortunately, they can't put the filter on backwards (wanna bet?), and screw on the cap, being very careful to make sure that the stretched sealing ring all gets inside somehow.  Whew!

Now, where did that drain plug go - the one with that rubber thingy they split when they tightened the thing to get the drain plug off to drain the oil.  There it is - don't need that rubber thingy - just snug it down a little harder with your 1/2" wrench.  Oops, it slipped a bit.  Oh well...

4 quarts or 5 quarts?  4 should be enough.  No?  OK, add another.  Oops - overfull!  Oh well, it will leak out soon enough.

OK, now on to the other stuff (didn't think to do this while the car was sidelined for the filter).  Check the tires (sidewall says 40lbs max).  Cool - check.  Washer fluid.  Can't find the bottle, so must be good.  Check.  Wiper blades - needs new ones.  PS fluid - ugh - can't get the cap off - where are those pliers.  Hmmm.  Must be good.  Check.  Brake Fluid - check.  All this other stuff - heck the guy washes his car, it must be good.  Check, check, check, check.  Great.  Done.  Time to get the car out.  Into the drivers seat, start the car, back up and CLANG!  WHAT WAS THAT!!??!!  Shut car off, open hood (we're an expert on this now).  Dang!  There's those pliers.  Only a little dent in an inconspicuous place.  Shoot.  Get the car OUTTA HERE!

After you pay your bill and head for your car, you glance up and see a tool truck sales guy, standing in the door of his truck looking at you, shaking his head...  You think he's a Ford guy, wondering why you would drive something so little...  Uh-huh.

Go find a mechanic who has a full set of tools, some training, some investment in his shop, and who pays the tool truck guy.  He'll do the right job.  PM me if you need more convincing.

Pat

Great advice or one could just learn how to change the oil themselves, here is a good link:

http://www.tech-esq.com/MINI/MINIOilChange.htm

or

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5 3561&postcount=1

 

 

Edited by kulmini - July/10/07 at 2:47pm

I didn't mean to paint a bad picture of ALL quick-lube stores, but when you drive by you see pimples or the crack addict rash, keep on going, QUICK!

There are a number of shops who work on BMWs, and should be OK for the oil change.  Pricier than the q-lube places, but...  Call Car Tender - they are up on pill hill by the Ferrari store.  I'm sure you'll agree that they care about what they are doing.  They've hunted down obscure parts for me, and tho sometimes slow, understand your feelings for your car. 

Another option is to come over some time and have me show you how simple it is with the right tools.  Easy, too.

Pat

The tech-esq.com URL is now:

http://www.tech-esq.com/Site/Home_files/Oil_Change.html

Aww, man!  Now we know how you put 16,000 miles on in 3 months!  Pat