Hello,

I hope this doesn't post twice. When I hit submit the first time, my computer shut all my windows.

Anyway, This is extremely frustrating. My daughter'* father told her to get her oil changed at Jiffy Lube, but did not warn her of all the upsells and such. So when they tell her what she needs...She is thinking "Well, if that'* what I need, do it" She (nor I) knows what kind of oil is best for her model, but I know better when it comes to wipers and filters and such. She is a college student out on her own. She went in for an oil change and left paying $85!!

My questions: For her model, is standard oil ok and what type? We live in Utah, and she lives at about 5500 ft and does alot of highway driving (3 hrs. to come home) OR is a synthetic blend or pure synthetic better?

What color coolant should she be using? Red or Green?

Has anyone heard of Auto Tex (or Tech?) Wiper Blades? Quality? Prices? Does she need these or are wipers from K-Mart OK??

I cannot remember if I cleared up the trim thing or not. All I remember is that the car does not have it marked on the car, but rather the VIN number, and I just don't remember what it was, I think SE...sorry = (

Thanks Everyone!

Joelle

Hey Joelle,

That sounds like an expensive oil change, what all was done or replaced? I put in a good synthetic 5W30 and a good filter, generally mobile 1 for me, and it costs around $35 doing it myself. An oil change is definitely not worth $50 in labor.

The only thing that we really need to know is the year which you said is 2001, and whether or not it is supercharged. Supercharged engines get put under more stress and therefor warrant using better oil. If it is an SE which is non supercharged, you should be fine with standard 10w30. Your oil cap should tell you what oil is recommended though.

The coolant color doesn't really matter, what matters is not mixing them. DO NOT MIX THEM. It most likely has red Dex Cool, and if so, you should continue to put that in.

The wiper blades are personal preference, I like my Bosch (and similar) high end wipers because I think they clean the window better and last longer. If it is for your daughters car, these would probably be a good idea. If the wipers you have are still in tact though and doing what they are supposed to, there is reason to replace them.

OK...Jiffy Lube Basic Service $35.99 Oil used QS (Quaker State I would guess) 10W30 High Mileage Oil Up Charge $14.99, Anti-Freeze $6.99 (for the Red One), I have to check and see if it is really red - How can I do that? And $23.99 for Wiper Blades...One of her wipers was broke.

Thanks!

I personally worked at a Jiffy Lube for just over a year here in Illinois, and I can say, that the $40~$50 it costs to have them do an oil change with a semi-synthetic is a great price for someone who isnt under their hood checking everything themselves. The high mileage is not necessary at all, and the semi-synth is a much better oil. They check and top off (mostly for the base price) almost any fluid the car may need, antifreeze is the exception. They set all the air pressures in the tires, plus vacuum it out for you.

Things like tire rotations and the extra stuff is where they really hit you, wiper are normally marked up 175%~225% and the same goes for any lights that they replace.

I would say its a safe bet compared to a local shops $19.95, because Jiffy will pay for anything they screw up. Plus your normally in and out in less than 15 mins, compared to 15 mins just to get your stuff together and to jack the car up if you DIY it.

So how would I know if they used 10W30 Conventional Oil or a Synthetic? According to their prices35.99 is Conventional up to 5 QTs $3.99 extra qts, $49.99 is Blend $5.50 for extra, and Full Syn is $64.99 with $9.00 extra QTs....What in the heck is the $14.99 UpCharge?

Take the invoice and go in to talk to them. Start with the assumption they aren't trying to screw you and ask them to explain why it was so much. If after the explanation it looks like they upsold you daughter to an unreasonable amount, I bet they will issue you a partial refund or a credit. Small business' are hurting these days, and will usually bend over backwards to make you a satisfied customer.

Be polite and professional. If after all that you think they are screwing you, don't go there again and tell everyone you know.

They normally put a reminder sticker in your window, that will sometimes say what oil was used. Otherwise your receipt should say. What does your receipt say the charges were for?

The reason I came here was to be sure I had my facts straight before I said anything. I was pretty wound up about it. The sad thing is that I have to send the 19 yr old to go handle it herself, and she would probably rather not bother. The receipt only said QS10W30 and the sticker says the same. I wanted to be sure that it was just conventional oil used. And that her car would only use the 5qts. She said the receipt seems to state upcharge because it was High Mileage Oil, but that is not a catagory. So she will have to ask, and probably have me on the phone with her when she goes down to ask. ugh.

QS10W30 is probably Quaker State 10W30 oil. Her car should only take 4.5 Quarts.

There is an upcharge for the High Mileage oil that Quaker State has that Jiffy Lube recommends for cars with over 75,000 miles. Its a full conventional oil and not worth the upcharge at all, a semi-synth is much better and cheaper