Jiffy Lube Scam

I had the exact same problem with my pickup truck. Oil all over the engine compartment. Normally, there is a slight vacuum in the crankcase created when the PCV valve is open while the engine runs. It draws crankcase vapor into the carburetor for burning. If the PCV valve is stuck closed (not open), you'll lose this vacuum and pressure will build up in the crankcase. The only outlet for this pressure (and oil) is the dipstick tube. Another overlooked problem is the vacuum port on the carburetor that is plugged (my problem). This port has the vacuum line from the carb to the PCV valve. The crankcase vapors are not the cleanest air source and this port can get plugged. Check it. The result is the same - no vacuum to the crankcase. To be honest, I have never had a PCV valve stick closed. These are very reliable valves.

I had the exact same problem with my pickup truck. Oil all over the engine compartment. Normally, there is a slight vacuum in the crankcase created when the PCV valve is open while the engine runs. It draws crankcase vapor into the carburetor for burning. If the PCV valve is stuck closed (not open), you'll lose this vacuum and pressure will build up in the crankcase. The only outlet for this pressure (and oil) is the dipstick tube. Another overlooked problem is the vacuum port on the carburetor that is plugged (my problem). This port has the vacuum line from the carb to the PCV valve. The crankcase vapors are not the cleanest air source and this port can get plugged. Check it. The result is the same - no vacuum to the crankcase. To be honest, I have never had a PCV valve stick closed. These are very reliable valves.

I had the exact same problem with my pickup truck. Oil all over the engine compartment. Normally, there is a slight vacuum in the crankcase created when the PCV valve is open while the engine runs. It draws crankcase vapor into the carburetor for burning. If the PCV valve is stuck closed (not open), you'll lose this vacuum and pressure will build up in the crankcase. The only outlet for this pressure (and oil) is the dipstick tube. Another overlooked problem is the vacuum port on the carburetor that is plugged (my problem). This port has the vacuum line from the carb to the PCV valve. The crankcase vapors are not the cleanest air source and this port can get plugged. Check it. The result is the same - no vacuum to the crankcase. To be honest, I have never had a PCV valve stick closed. These are very reliable valves.

I had the exact same problem with my pickup truck. Oil all over the engine compartment. Normally, there is a slight vacuum in the crankcase created when the PCV valve is open while the engine runs. It draws crankcase vapor into the carburetor for burning. If the PCV valve is stuck closed (not open), you'll lose this vacuum and pressure will build up in the crankcase. The only outlet for this pressure (and oil) is the dipstick tube. Another overlooked problem is the vacuum port on the carburetor that is plugged (my problem). This port has the vacuum line from the carb to the PCV valve. The crankcase vapors are not the cleanest air source and this port can get plugged. Check it. The result is the same - no vacuum to the crankcase. To be honest, I have never had a PCV valve stick closed. These are very reliable valves.

To Mr. J.B. Stoner:

First of all, let me tell you, if you want to knock illegal's all pouring across the border, look no further than your own politicians who allow the felonious crimes of illegal immigrants entering the country to remain here.

I live in Hidalgo County in Texas which is right down by the Mexican border. Nobody cares about illegal immigration anymore. Look around you. Pat Buchanan was right. We lost the cultural war. The US Border Patrol can no longer do their jobs effectively thanks to US federal prosecutor Johnny Sutton who help try and convict two US Border Agents, Ramos and Campion, who are both doing federal time as a result of shooting some filthy brown animal importing narcotics illegally, called a drug dealer.

But let's not get carried away, shall we? Let's stick to the issue. Torrance is a suburban mostly white city with little or no "darkies," so your theory of having someone kill a spook, then set up a civil lawsuit in the name of making that filthy Armenian attorney Mark Garigos richer is lame.

I suggest that the lady in question go ahead with the death sentence and get to work on leaning hard against the pillow while it's held firmly against her mothers face. Why don't you keep your filthy nose out of it and let nature take it's course and let Torrance be safe from senile old ladies who can't tell the difference from a spare tire to the air filter.

Regards, from a true Texan.

Stanley,

Weslaco.

Hey Harry, if that IS your real name, you should be ashamed of yourself for telling that kind lady to MURDER her mother by putting a pillow over her face. That is so wrong on so many levels. First of all, the police in Torrance will spot the crime right off the bat. I happen to know Homicide Captain James Webb, and he is the smartest man in Torrance. I suggest that the lady in Torrance call the police one night and report a "suspicious Black man" loitering around her house. Then the next night, report a "suspicious Black man" following her home from work. On the 3rd night, she should take a sawed off shotgun and blow her mother's brains all over the bedroom. Then call 911 and say - "Look what that suspicious black man did to my mother, I called 2 nights in a row and you let him get away, I'm suing the Torrance Police for negligence", then she should pick up the phone and pretend to call Mark Garagos.

Trust me, the cops will go out and arrest the first Black man they find, even if they have to drive all the way up to Hawthorne to get one. This will totally put her in the clear. Jesus H Christ, with advice like that, it is no wonder that the Illegals are pouring over the border in the Rio Grande Valley.

You claim your mother-in-law is living in a limited fixed income. Therefore, one is to assume she is either elderly, or disabled, or both. Then you say you had to go rescue her from the mechanic who claims she didn't screw the oil dipstick in properly. Why didn't she know what a dipstick was? It's not the mechanic's job to instill basic common sense.

First of all, what is your mother doing operating a vehicle on our highways when she should be enjoying retirement life with her feet up watching soap operas on TV instead of being out there on the crowded freeways endangering the lives of the citizens of Torrance by driving around with a car she is not even familiar with?

Seeing that Southern California is way too overcrowded with too many vehicles on the road anyway, I have an idea. I can ease your pain. I say you should contribute to a safer environment by waiting until your mother-in-law goes to bed at night, then you should gently place a pillow over her face and lean down hard on it, thereby denying her oxygen. This will help put her out of her senile old memory and these suggestions also helps alleviate court costs in small claims courts.

Happy motoring.

Stanley,

Weslaco,

Texas.

the guy before me is right customers should know their vehicles better than they do and the should know at least a little bit of what they bring their cars to have anything done to it. that would be why we go over the service with the customer and go over manufactures recomendations for the vehicles.

i will admit the there is some jiffy lubes that are horrible but the one i work at in mass we do everything we charge you for and in the instance we cant or in case of a light that doesnt work we do not charge like this guy said before me there is some honest mechanics out there so do not judge all jiffy lubes just because a few do some messed up things and the remark of the warranty pollicy is on the back of the invoice receipt it lasts 3 monts or 3000 miles whichever comes first.

people do make mistakes its human nature we do and we do our best to correct them if we cant and you come to us then we will pay to have it reapired.

the guy before me is right customers should know their vehicles better than they do and the should know at least a little bit of what they bring their cars to have anything done to it. that would be why we go over the service with the customer and go over manufactures recomendations for the vehicles.

i will admit the there is some jiffy lubes that are horrible but the one i work at in mass we do everything we charge you for and in the instance we cant or in case of a light that doesnt work we do not charge like this guy said before me there is some honest mechanics out there so do not judge all jiffy lubes just because a few do some messed up things and the remark of the warranty pollicy is on the back of the invoice receipt it lasts 3 monts or 3000 miles whichever comes first.

people do make mistakes its human nature we do and we do our best to correct them if we cant and you come to us then we will pay to have it reapired.

the guy before me is right customers should know their vehicles better than they do and the should know at least a little bit of what they bring their cars to have anything done to it. that would be why we go over the service with the customer and go over manufactures recomendations for the vehicles.

i will admit the there is some jiffy lubes that are horrible but the one i work at in mass we do everything we charge you for and in the instance we cant or in case of a light that doesnt work we do not charge like this guy said before me there is some honest mechanics out there so do not judge all jiffy lubes just because a few do some messed up things and the remark of the warranty pollicy is on the back of the invoice receipt it lasts 3 monts or 3000 miles whichever comes first.

people do make mistakes its human nature we do and we do our best to correct them if we cant and you come to us then we will pay to have it reapired.

the guy before me is right customers should know their vehicles better than they do and the should know at least a little bit of what they bring their cars to have anything done to it. that would be why we go over the service with the customer and go over manufactures recomendations for the vehicles.

i will admit the there is some jiffy lubes that are horrible but the one i work at in mass we do everything we charge you for and in the instance we cant or in case of a light that doesnt work we do not charge like this guy said before me there is some honest mechanics out there so do not judge all jiffy lubes just because a few do some messed up things and the remark of the warranty pollicy is on the back of the invoice receipt it lasts 3 monts or 3000 miles whichever comes first.

people do make mistakes its human nature we do and we do our best to correct them if we cant and you come to us then we will pay to have it reapired.

As a Master ASE cretified machanic for over twenty years, the biggest thing that surprised me is how unfamiliar customers are with their own vehicles. Regular maintainance such as oil and filter changes are very simple and straight forward most of the time. Just read your owner's manual.

Most national chains have been targeted by the media at one time or another. I find it funny how you never hear about any of the good ones. Everyone always wants to hear dirt. How many stores does Jiffy Lube have nationally? Given that the company is run by humans, and humans make mistakes, nobody will be perfect.

There is no excuse though for blantent dishonesty. Any employee that takes place in this kind of practice should be terminated and prosecuted.

There are mechanics who are honest in the world, and this sort of thing only serves to hurt those who are out to make an honest dollar.

As a former technician for this company and a few others like it I can assure you that these things do happen, part of the standard procedure is flagging of a dipstick prior to final check. occasionally though very rare the final check may actually be overlooked. even the very best technicians can and will make errors.

The backfire theory may be valid but the car would have had to have been running poorly to have backfired hard enough to cause enough pressure to blow the dipstick out, and even then most backfires occure at part throttle or more thereby releasing the pressure through the intake manifold itself.

I agree that the car should have been inspected by Jiffy Lube first as long as that would have been in the best convenience of the owner, sometimes this is not possible or practical, and even then Jiffy Lube is not able to make this kind of repair, and cannot legally require you to take it to any specific shop, as this is a legal claim.

I would also take the word of any major ASE shop over any lube shop. It is rare that a lube shop has employees that are competent in complete internal cumbustion engine theory and diagnosis/repair. most of these employees are paid only slightly more than minimum wage.

I myself can make a reasonable suggestion to anyone using quick lube services, although you cannot for safety reasons be in the shop while the service is performed you can usually be nearby, and at least watch them, most of the time even listen. then after the service you can ask questions, even go over the service with them, take interest in your investment, be involved, ask them to show you the dipstick (oil level)

Also what exacly is the recommended interval for checking the oil? it certainly is not daily, these days the manufacturers may even suggest as long as a month or even more.

And just for mention. I hav a car with a dipstick that goes very low in the block on the driver side. In very hard turns to the right (autocross race car) I have seen the result of a bit of dribble out of the dipstick area so the dipstick probably is a bit loose, and I have a pretty wild camshaft that causes many a backfire through the carburetor if you stomp on it at low rpms when really cold, this car has no pcv valve just a really small hose 1/16" inner diameter to the carb base as a vent (called a "metered orifice pcv system")and I have never had my dipstick blow out ever.

Check out this video/news report: 5 out of 9 Jiffy lubes: http://www.nbc4.tv/video/9152183/detail.html

This is obviously not a case of one bad egg/apple. This is about a rotten tree, and greed. There needs to be a class action.

It's a result, not a cause of the problem.
I've seen this happen before and it's due to a fouled PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve. It gets stuck open, a cough or backfire from the engine creates pressure in the crankcase instead of vacuum and it blows the oil out of the crankcase all over the engine. The oil comes out through the dipstick tube and other places, dislodging the dipstick upwards in the process.
The oil changers didn't leave it protruding, the engine problem caused it to protrude. Just an
accident.

You're mistaken in pursuing negligence here.

It is Jiffy Lube policy and clearly stated on the back of each invoice that should a problem occur the vehicle must be brought back to the shop first to address a potential warranty. Customers should thoroughly read these invoices. The way the managemnt handled this was wrong and we cannot fault Jiffy Lube as a whole for one bad egg.
I am a GM for Jiffy Lube in Kansas City and assure you we take our customer service very seriously and each one of our managers goes above and beyond the call of duty.
The comments made by the former manager are bogus. You cannot take the word of a disgruntled former employee. He was probably terminated to begin with.

It is Jiffy Lube policy and clearly stated on the back of each invoice that should a problem occur the vehicle must be brought back to the shop first to address a potential warranty. Customers should thoroughly read these invoices. The way the managemnt handled this was wrong and we cannot fault Jiffy Lube as a whole for one bad egg.
I am a GM for Jiffy Lube in Kansas City and assure you we take our customer service very seriously and each one of our managers goes above and beyond the call of duty.
The comments made by the former manager are bogus. You cannot take the word of a disgruntled former employee. He was probably terminated to begin with.

It is Jiffy Lube policy and clearly stated on the back of each invoice that should a problem occur the vehicle must be brought back to the shop first to address a potential warranty. Customers should thoroughly read these invoices. The way the managemnt handled this was wrong and we cannot fault Jiffy Lube as a whole for one bad egg.
I am a GM for Jiffy Lube in Kansas City and assure you we take our customer service very seriously and each one of our managers goes above and beyond the call of duty.
The comments made by the former manager are bogus. You cannot take the word of a disgruntled former employee. He was probably terminated to begin with.

It is Jiffy Lube policy and clearly stated on the back of each invoice that should a problem occur the vehicle must be brought back to the shop first to address a potential warranty. Customers should thoroughly read these invoices. The way the managemnt handled this was wrong and we cannot fault Jiffy Lube as a whole for one bad egg.
I am a GM for Jiffy Lube in Kansas City and assure you we take our customer service very seriously and each one of our managers goes above and beyond the call of duty.
The comments made by the former manager are bogus. You cannot take the word of a disgruntled former employee. He was probably terminated to begin with.

The time frame is not listed between the time of the last oil change and the alt failure. However per your owners manual your supposed to check the oil in your car often

From what I gather here the only time the dipstick gets pulled out is when the oil is changed.

If you had followed the service procedures like you should then the misplaced dipstick would have been found and no problems would have occurred.

Jiffy-Lube may have left the dipstick out but in my opinion the main fault here is your lack of following the recommended service procedures

as a former store manager,i have witnessed many instances where the company policies and procedures involving damage claims were fraudulent,having my job and reputation threatened,demoted,and finally resigning from the most horrible place to work in my entire career.told to keep quiet about drug abuse and sexual activity by district managers and other employees, stealing from customer vehichles, refusing customers service based on race, damaging cars and leaving the customer to believe it was one of those things ,do not shop here do not work here their greed for a dollar may cost you plenty

as a former store manager,i have witnessed many instances where the company policies and procedures involving damage claims were fraudulent,having my job and reputation threatened,demoted,and finally resigning from the most horrible place to work in my entire career.told to keep quiet about drug abuse and sexual activity by district managers and other employees, stealing from customer vehichles, refusing customers service based on race, damaging cars and leaving the customer to believe it was one of those things ,do not shop here do not work here their greed for a dollar may cost you plenty

as a former store manager,i have witnessed many instances where the company policies and procedures involving damage claims were fraudulent,having my job and reputation threatened,demoted,and finally resigning from the most horrible place to work in my entire career.told to keep quiet about drug abuse and sexual activity by district managers and other employees, stealing from customer vehichles, refusing customers service based on race, damaging cars and leaving the customer to believe it was one of those things ,do not shop here do not work here their greed for a dollar may cost you plenty

as a former store manager,i have witnessed many instances where the company policies and procedures involving damage claims were fraudulent,having my job and reputation threatened,demoted,and finally resigning from the most horrible place to work in my entire career.told to keep quiet about drug abuse and sexual activity by district managers and other employees, stealing from customer vehichles, refusing customers service based on race, damaging cars and leaving the customer to believe it was one of those things ,do not shop here do not work here their greed for a dollar may cost you plenty