Did something dumb today

[BRIO]

I've always changed my own oil. Yester day though, I decided since I wasn't feeling good, that I would take the car to walmart since I also had to return a battery core and do some shopping. Two hours later I got my car back and the oil looked exactly the same color as it did when I brought it in. I told the manager and he said that their oil ( Castrol magnatec synblend) was a little darker than usual. Still my gut feeling told me otherwise.

I took the car home and drained the oil. You tell me if this could be oil with less than 10 miles on it from a brand new car that has had synthetic from the factory. It's not a diesel.

[lucian]

Welcome to Wallmart

[canuguzzi]

Ask the guy to open a fresh jug of the oil and look at it.

BTW Castrol magnatec is mineral oil not synthetic.

[Arizona Wayne]

I don't know what your fresh oil should look like but back in the `80s there was an oil with graphite in it and it was black from the git go.    Do you really think WalMart was sneaky enough to charge you for something it didn't do?

[Nic in Western NYS]

I don't know what your fresh oil should look like but back in the `80s there was an oil with graphite in it and it was black from the git go. 

Yes, ARCO Graphite Flat Tappet Formula...

[BRIO]

Was having issues with photobucket. Here is said brand new oil.

[BRIO]

Ask the guy to open a fresh jug of the oil and look at it.

BTW Castrol magnatec is mineral oil not synthetic.

The bottle said synthetic blend when I cross checked in the store. The color was normal
amber.

With Synthetic being a marketing ploy nowadays anyway, I'm not sure what the significance is with most base stock being group IV. What is synthetic blend? Mineral oil with a splash of slightly better mineral oil?
Whichever judge decided this to be the case must have been corrupt.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Was having issues with photobucket. Here is said brand new oil.

Certainly looks like old oil. What's it smell like?

[Gliderjohn]

Once, and only once I had Wally World service my Honda Accord. When I got home I noticed red fluid dripping from under the car. Turns out they had filled my P/S fluid to the very top, had only put two quarts of engine oil in the engine and my tire pressures were all different ranging from 15 to 50 pounds.
GlideJohn

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I barely trust walmart for batteries and laundry detergent... no way in hell I would let them touch any of my vehicles...

[Xlratr]

Maybe they did change the oil! Did you ask them to change it to fresh oil??? 

John

PS: That stuff in the bottle certainly doesn't look new.

[Anders Pedersen]

Over here, I've never heard of a supermarket that will change the oil for you, must be a 'Murican thing.

But I'm guessing that Walmart didn't spend hours waiting for all of the oil to drain, and if the oil filter wasn't changed there would be enough old oil left in the engine to discolor the new oil.

Did you ask to have the oil filter replaced, and do you know the difference in oil capacity with or without filter change?

[acogoff]

    Make sure you check the level of oil in your tranny- they may have put the oil in there! I've seen that happen twice in my lifetime to others.

[BRIO]

I'm gonna send it off to blackstone labs. If the oil is indeed old or contaminated that may be grounds for a lawsuit.

[BRIO]

Over here, I've never heard of a supermarket that will change the oil for you, must be a 'Murican thing.

But I'm guessing that Walmart didn't spend hours waiting for all of the oil to drain, and if the oil filter wasn't changed there would be enough old oil left in the engine to discolor the new oil.

Did you ask to have the oil filter replaced, and do you know the difference in oil capacity with or without filter change?

Oil filter was changed which leads me to believe they filled it up with some old crud.

[HDGoose]

Even recycled/reman oil is better than that!

[John Ulrich]

I'm gonna send it off to blackstone labs. If the oil is indeed old or contaminated that may be grounds for a lawsuit.

There you go!

I had a question on an overfilled condition on a factory provided oil change at a dealer.  The service manager went to the tape (everything is recorded) of the service taking place and verified how many quarts got poured in.  I've got 3 more "free" oil changes coming but will not use any.....back under the car for me so I know myself it's done my way!

[Wayne Orwig]

But I'm guessing that Walmart didn't spend hours waiting for all of the oil to drain, and if the oil filter wasn't changed there would be enough old oil left in the engine to discolor the new oil.

Drain?

A lot of those places don't drain the oil. They use a hose and a pump to suck some of the oil out the dipstick tube. So yes, they leave old oil behind. A LOT, if not done right. But then their logic is somewhat sound in that they can't have a person under a car draining boiling hot oil over their head all day long.

I taught my daughter to change her own oil long ago. One time she thought she would be lazy, and went to a shop to have it changed. When back home we notice oil dripping, and found the drain plug half way out. She (and I) are back to doing her oil changes

[Anders Pedersen]

If that's the way they operate, I'd go there only once. Still, it's taking the piss on the majority of customers who most likely don't know any better.

[pat80flh]

The Walmarts around here put blue sealing wax on the drain plug when they're done.

[MGPilot]

Personally, I'd drop it as a lesson learned.

I think you have a "chain of evidence" issue as there's no way to prove that what you sent for analysis came from your car--or even what's in your car came from Walmart.

Even if you got everything in place and took them to small claims court, they could still say that at most, it was just an oversight by a tech who got interrupted, offer you a free oil change, and it would simply be let go.

The most you might do is complain to a state consumer protection agency.  They tally those things and then will take action when they can.  Doesn't cost you any thing.  Could also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

[LowRyter]

Reminds me of the time I had the oil changed and had them put wiper blades on it.  I noticed that the wipers were just canted slightly up and out of position from normal.  I hit the wiper switch to bring them to bottom position and there was a crack in my windshield. 

So I go back to Walmart and try to get a resolution.  They tell me they have everything on video and will get back to me.  Their answer was that they never changed the wiper blades in the first place despite charging me.  I had to complain to District management to get payment for the windshield. 

After that time I've heard many stories of folks that paid for oil changes but all the Walmart did was park the car in back lot and put a charge on it.  Stupid me, I never check the oil after I have it changed.  No telling how many times it's happened. 

[nc43bsa]

WalMart's current business philosophy seems to be that there are so many customers out there they can get 2 new ones for every 1 they piss off.

BTW, I do shop at WM occasionally, but only late at night.  Those "People of WalMart" scare me.   

[biking sailor]

My son brought home a 5W20 Castrol oil in a 5 quart container that was gold in color.  I remember noticing the new oil was quite a bit darker than I was used to seeing.   Just saying...

I would think just looking at the oil plug and filter area of the motor will tell you whether things were changed or not.  There will be signs.

[pikipiki]

I heard that in Seoul South Korea they have this place where you book your Kia in and at allotted time you just drive in there over an inspection pit and a helpful chap wheels up a trolley with instruction sheet, appropriate tools and consumables. You drain your own oil out, change your own air filter and if a bolts too tight there's another helpful chap on hand to help with that too.
At end of the day you do you own service with non of the hassle of tidying garage, looking for tools, ordering parts, disposing of used engine oil, you even get a stamp in in service book and no doubt honoured about your mechanical skills and what a pleasure it is to drive the Kia. I used to consider them crap cars, I'm walming to them now.

[HDGoose]

Uh , we are pretty good , but even experts like us can't do any psychic stuff 

  Dusty

Psychotic, yes. 

[rodekyll]

Drain?

A lot of those places don't drain the oil. They use a hose and a pump to suck some of the oil out the dipstick tube. [snip]

How is that even possible? 

[Arizona Wayne]

I'll bet WM does more oil changes than any other company nationwide.  If they were as bad as you guys suggest they would be out of business by now.    Once in awhile they change my oil,filter if I'm on a trip.  Never had an issue with them.    Otherwise I do my own oil changes with their products. 

[jabberwocky]

Walmart is a horrible place. I can't figure out why people go there in the first place.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Walmart is a horrible place. I can't figure out why people go there in the first place.

Cheep. (Guzzi content)