Oil Change Antics

[Catman]

So I went to a place for a quick oil change today.  Seems like all these places are focused on selling you as much as possible.  Today the guy walks in to show me how dirty my tranny fluid is and he has a drop on a piece of white paper.  I became suspicious immediately.  He asked if I wanted it changed for $99.  I told him no.  As I was driving away I realized my Mazda has a sealed transmission and doesn't call for fluid changes but I guess they know better than the manufacturer because he tells me I am supposed to change it every 40K. I know people do it but I started to wonder where the guy got the fluid from since there is no dip stick.

[hotrodalex]

What color was it?

My mom got her oil changed at the Mazda dealership yesterday - dude stripped the bolt hole on the oil pan. So she's driving an Altima loaner until they replace it.

[CJ]

Bastard. 

[Onslaught]

What color was it?

The mechanic or the oil? 

[Catman]

What color was it?

My mom got her oil changed at the Mazda dealership yesterday - dude stripped the bolt hole on the oil pan. So she's driving an Altima loaner until they replace it.

More pink than anything else.  Looked decent.  Of course he claimed it was really dirty.

[Rupert]

A friend of mine said his oil change place called him to "remind" him that his oil was due for a change. It was 3000 miles from the last, and his car is a 2011.

[Byteme]

wonder where the guy got the fluid from since there is no dip stick.

The dipstick was the guy trying to sell you a transmission fluid change.   

[Catman]

Haha

[Madman]

The whole "Sealed For Life" fluids scam is the biggest lie ever sold to the automotive consumer.

Still, there's no way in hell I'd let any of these quickie-lube monkeys anywhere near my transmission!

[sparkplug]

your car needs it's  muffler bearing and blinker fluid replaced.

[280Z Turbo]

A lot of places don't make any profit on oil changes.

The profit comes in looking for trouble while your car is on the lift.

[GoCougs]

The whole "Sealed For Life" fluids scam is the biggest lie ever sold to the automotive consumer.

Still, there's no way in hell I'd let any of these quickie-lube monkeys anywhere near my transmission!

Why is it a scam? Lifetime fluids result in lower costs for the consumer and better overall packaging and design of whatever (tranny, t-case, diff, etc.).

[GoCougs]

So I went to a place for a quick oil change today.  Seems like all these places are focused on selling you as much as possible.  Today the guy walks in to show me how dirty my tranny fluid is and he has a drop on a piece of white paper.  I became suspicious immediately.  He asked if I wanted it changed for $99.  I told him no.  As I was driving away I realized my Mazda has a sealed transmission and doesn't call for fluid changes but I guess they know better than the manufacturer because he tells me I am supposed to change it every 40K. I know people do it but I started to wonder where the guy got the fluid from since there is no dip stick.

Total scam. Just think how many people fall for it...

[FoMoJo]

So I went to a place for a quick oil change today.  Seems like all these places are focused on selling you as much as possible.  Today the guy walks in to show me how dirty my tranny fluid is and he has a drop on a piece of white paper.  I became suspicious immediately.  He asked if I wanted it changed for $99.  I told him no.  As I was driving away I realized my Mazda has a sealed transmission and doesn't call for fluid changes but I guess they know better than the manufacturer because he tells me I am supposed to change it every 40K. I know people do it but I started to wonder where the guy got the fluid from since there is no dip stick.

What does your owner's manual say about changing transmission fluid? 

[Madman]

Why is it a scam? Lifetime fluids result in lower costs for the consumer and better overall packaging and design of whatever (tranny, t-case, diff, etc.).

If you really believe running old, dirty lubricant doesn't have a detrimental effect on the longevity of a transmission's service life then you're even more clueless than I thought you were.

[MrH]

If you really believe running old, dirty lubricant doesn't have a detrimental effect on the longevity of a transmission's service life then you're even more clueless than I thought you were.

[280Z Turbo]

They make lubricants that last longer than they used to, but I'm unclear on what "lifetime" is. 7 years? 10 years? 20 years? 50 years?

[GoCougs]

If you really believe running old, dirty lubricant doesn't have a detrimental effect on the longevity of a transmission's service life then you're even more clueless than I thought you were.

How does lubricant get "old" and "dirty" inside a transmission? Where does the dirt come from?

[hotrodalex]

How does lubricant get "old" and "dirty" inside a transmission? Where does the dirt come from?

If you drive fast the transmission gets hot and starts sweating and it makes the oil dirty and stinky.

[Madman]

Jesus Fucking Christ, the level of willful ignorance on this forum is beyond belief! 

[FlatBlackCaddy]

How does lubricant get "old" and "dirty" inside a transmission? Where does the dirt come from?

I hope that this is some sort of joke...

[FlatBlackCaddy]

They make lubricants that last longer than they used to, but I'm unclear on what "lifetime" is. 7 years? 10 years? 20 years? 50 years?

Warranty period? Even though most of these lifetime fluid items are wear items and aren't covered.

Probably just long enough so they don't fail on the original purchaser, giving them the impression that they have saved money and will buy another new vehicle from "       " manufacturer.

It's just another twist on planned obsolescence. I think it's a joke. However if I bought a new car every 4 years I could really give a rats ass if its driving around out there eating up bearings and gears. That's the other(poorer) guys problem. I'm sure that's why this is going over so well.

[FoMoJo]

How does lubricant get "old" and "dirty" inside a transmission? Where does the dirt come from?

Clutch pack abrasive materials.  It does wear.  As well the fluid breaks down over time.

[GoCougs]

Warranty period? Even though most of these lifetime fluid items are wear items and aren't covered.

Probably just long enough so they don't fail on the original purchaser, giving them the impression that they have saved money and will buy another new vehicle from "       " manufacturer.

It's just another twist on planned obsolescence. I think it's a joke. However if I bought a new car every 4 years I could really give a rats ass if its driving around out there eating up bearings and gears. That's the other(poorer) guys problem. I'm sure that's why this is going over so well.

And I hope THIS is some sort of joke .

[2o6]

Jesus Fucking Christ, the level of willful ignorance on this forum is beyond belief! 

The trans failures on both cars I bought were due to user error, not design.



One was a broken reverse gear. The other has a hole in the trans case. One car is approaching 200k.



Shouldn't the concern with trans fluid be lost viscosity, not dirt? If it's a sealed system it shouldn't get "dirty" unless it becomes un sealed for some reason.

[GoCougs]

Clutch pack abrasive materials.  It does wear.  As well the fluid breaks down over time.

If things are working correctly, no, not really. If the clutch packs (or anything else) wear to any meaningful degree the transmission has effectively already failed and a fluid change isn't going to help.

Sure logically speaking nothing lasts forever but AT fluid and radiator coolant, etc., can be designed (along with the AT and radiator, etc.) to last the life of the car (200,000 miles and 15 years?).

[GoCougs]

Jesus Fucking Christ, the level of willful ignorance on this forum is beyond belief! 

So why don't you enlighten us with your education, knowledge and experience on this subject? Conspiracy theories ("planned obsolescence" and "scam") do not count.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

So you disagree with the premise that oil's break down over time due to heat and pressure?


And to think, everyone at all these big billion dollar companies have had it wrong for all these years.

[Rupert]

I just want to know what exactly "lifetime" means.

[Soup DeVille]

I just want to know what exactly "lifetime" means.

Well, when the fluid gets dirty and breaks down enough, so does the rest of the transmission, and the lifetime is over.

Ideally, this happens just after the warranty expires.