Questionable Oil Change

Redtop

I just had my oil & filter changed at an independant service centre. The car is less than 2 years old. I was assured that Fully Synthethic Oil and Original Manufacturer's filter were used. After collecting the car, I drove 2.5 miles home. I checked the dipstick and was surprised to see that it was still quite black. I rang the mechanic and he told me that that's the colour of the "Special Oil" that he used. I went back to the garage and demanded to see the old filter and the new oil that they were supposed to use. I could not determine 100% if my filter was changed because it's an internal one inside a casing, but the fresh oil they showed me was light brown in colour and clear to the touch after I dipped my finger in it, so the story about the Black coloured Special New Oil made no sense. I asked them how my oil managed to go black after only 2.5miles of driving. No reasonable explanation was given and the atmosphere started to get very tense. I suspect that they did not fully flush out the old oil and possibly did not clean the filter casing, so some old oil was still left behind. It's hard to determine, how much new oil they put into it. I was charged 80 Euro for oil change + filter. Nothing else done. I'm kicking myself I did not look over their shoulder while they did the job and also for not dipping it before driving home. Considering Small Claims but not sure if it's worth it. Comments ? Thanks

Hal1

That's why I change the oil myself. The oil is usually light brown in colour after a change, in diesels it can go black fairly quick.

Voodoomelon

I drained my oil immediately after changing it once and it came out black. I wouldn't expect any garage to clean the filter housing either, you asked for an oil change and thats what you got.

However if their reaction wasn't too defensive, i'd question it myself. But based purely on the colour of the oil, you can't tell a lot.

El Guapo!

Every time an oil change is done the oil will generally be black fairly quickly. I dont think you have anything to worry about. Although "special black oil"?? Thats just takin the p1ss!!!!

tossy

"special black oil" tells my the are taking the p!ss out of you.

My oil will still be light golden brown in colour for a long time after changing,which i do myself.

colm_mcm

my guess is they didn't have the filter in stock and just re-used it?

mickdw

A properly flushed through petrol engine will keep its oil honey coloured for many many miles. Diesels do tend to go black fairly quickly. Judging by what the garage said, they were taking you for an idiot... special colour black oil!
Its quite possible that they did a reasonable job as oil will be black sometimes after oil changes due to the small amount of old oil trapped around the engine but it is equally possible that they did a crap job. It has been known for garages to maybe have got the wrong filter by mistake and just go ahead and do a quick oil drain without touching the filter.

colm_mcm

seems odd that they'd lie about the oil. not something you'd do if you were doing everything by the book.

Darragh29

Redtop wrote: »

I just had my oil & filter changed at an independant service centre. The car is less than 2 years old. I was assured that Fully Synthethic Oil and Original Manufacturer's filter were used. After collecting the car, I drove 2.5 miles home. I checked the dipstick and was surprised to see that it was still quite black. I rang the mechanic and he told me that that's the colour of the "Special Oil" that he used. I went back to the garage and demanded to see the old filter and the new oil that they were supposed to use. I could not determine 100% if my filter was changed because it's an internal one inside a casing, but the fresh oil they showed me was light brown in colour and clear to the touch after I dipped my finger in it, so the story about the Black coloured Special New Oil made no sense. I asked them how my oil managed to go black after only 2.5miles of driving. No reasonable explanation was given and the atmosphere started to get very tense. I suspect that they did not fully flush out the old oil and possibly did not clean the filter casing, so some old oil was still left behind. It's hard to determine, how much new oil they put into it. I was charged 80 Euro for oil change + filter. Nothing else done. I'm kicking myself I did not look over their shoulder while they did the job and also for not dipping it before driving home. Considering Small Claims but not sure if it's worth it. Comments ? Thanks

You sound like the customer from hell. Do you know anything about mechanics or engine technology??? If you did, you'd know that there is nothing at all unusual about your oil going black after an oil change. Get yourself a Haynes manual and do it yourself next time if you know as much as you claim to know about these things.

Johnboy Mac

My advise is to get it done again (obviously by someone else).

Seth Brundle

Was this a scheduled service?
What kind of car?

Tipsy Mac

Any petrol car I have changed the oil on has retained the fresh oil look for a couple of hundred miles. He either used cheap ass oil or didn't change it at all properly.

Darragh29

I'd nearly put money on it's a Passat Diesel.

talkFIAT.net

€80??? you can get the best oil for €40 and an oil filter for under €10..do it yourself!!!! You can pick oil up for €20! It is really a 5 min job! I would expect the oil to be relatively clean even after 2.5 miles. There will always be some oil in the system after draining but I would doubt very much there would be enough to change the colour of the oil that significantly! After checking the dipstick did you feel the oil? The feel of old used oil is very different to that of rand new oil!

It's not something that can really be proved at this late stage. But if you weren't satisfied with the service than there must be some recourse!

Nonoperational

Very very unlikely they didnt change it to be honest.

Bobo78

Every time I do the oil change in my car, oil tends to stay honey color for another 1500 miles defo.

Lucifer

I would doubt a garage would try get away without changing the oil and filter. I wouldnt think it would be worth the hassle of possible comeback on this. But maybe thats just me and the place I work, there are some cowboys out there.

If your car is a diesel I would expect the oil to be black already as although you have only travelled 2.5km, after doing a service it would need to be driven to check for any faults. I would always test drive a car after doing any work to it, usually around 5km but sometimes more or less depending on the work carried out. If it is a petrol, the oil will usually stay golden for longer but it is possible that it could be black by now, It depends how black it is now and the texture.

The mechanic saying he used a black oil could be a misunderstanding, some of the oils used today, especially dpf oils for some diesels can be quite dark from new, so maybe this is what he was saying to the OP

Let us know what car and engine, petrol or diesel it is.

Mayshine

I would have though this to be pretty simple to figure out

Ask the mechanic for the brand of oil that he used, buy a litre of it and compare and see if it is really black - if it is you can use if for topups if not you may have a case

dp639

Redtop wrote: »

I just had my oil & filter changed at an independant service centre. The car is less than 2 years old. I was assured that Fully Synthethic Oil and Original Manufacturer's filter were used. After collecting the car, I drove 2.5 miles home. I checked the dipstick and was surprised to see that it was still quite black. I rang the mechanic and he told me that that's the colour of the "Special Oil" that he used. I went back to the garage and demanded to see the old filter and the new oil that they were supposed to use. I could not determine 100% if my filter was changed because it's an internal one inside a casing, but the fresh oil they showed me was light brown in colour and clear to the touch after I dipped my finger in it, so the story about the Black coloured Special New Oil made no sense. I asked them how my oil managed to go black after only 2.5miles of driving. No reasonable explanation was given and the atmosphere started to get very tense. I suspect that they did not fully flush out the old oil and possibly did not clean the filter casing, so some old oil was still left behind. It's hard to determine, how much new oil they put into it. I was charged 80 Euro for oil change + filter. Nothing else done. I'm kicking myself I did not look over their shoulder while they did the job and also for not dipping it before driving home. Considering Small Claims but not sure if it's worth it. Comments ? Thanks

It might have made more sense to post your question up here (or other forum) before returning to the garage complaining about something you are not entirely sure is an issue or not.

bonham23

80.00- seems very cheap for an oil and filter change with fully synthetic oil. I paid 80 for 6 litres of castrol edge from a motor factors last weekend. and that was with a discount. this depends on the oil capacity of your engine of course. what type of car is it?

leitrim lad

i have said it before and i will say it again,

they probably showed you a dummy filter, and didnt change the oil probably just topped it up if eventhat,

its a quick way of garages to make a handy buck and i have been shot down before for revealing their secrets and i will probably be told now by some hero here aswell that im wrong,

well sorry lads im not i have seen it first hand,

and my advise to you my friend is buy your self the basic tools for about €50 they will last you for life, and on top of that your filter is between €6-€10 and your oil is berween €35-€65 from cheap to deer oil

and have you ever noticed that if you wait in the garage while they do the "job" they either cut you with dirty looks or try their best to get you away out the door for an hour or 2.

lucky for me i come from a mechanical background so i know all the tricks and how to avoid them

Anan1

The OP appears to have disappeared without ever telling us whether his/her car is diesel or petrol.

Plug

I'd say its a desial and they did replace the oil.
The reason oil in desials change black instantly is because they is more carbon from desial and it tends to stick. carbon is what causes oil to go black.

Anan1

Plug wrote: »

I'd say its a desial and they did replace the oil.
The reason oil in desials change black instantly is because they is more carbon from desial and it tends to stick. carbon is what causes oil to go black.

I'm guessing the same thing, although we'll never know if the OP doesn't tell us...

Darragh29

leitrim lad wrote: »

i have said it before and i will say it again,

they probably showed you a dummy filter, and didnt change the oil probably just topped it up if eventhat,

its a quick way of garages to make a handy buck and i have been shot down before for revealing their secrets and i will probably be told now by some hero here aswell that im wrong,

well sorry lads im not i have seen it first hand,

and my advise to you my friend is buy your self the basic tools for about €50 they will last you for life, and on top of that your filter is between €6-€10 and your oil is berween €35-€65 from cheap to deer oil

and have you ever noticed that if you wait in the garage while they do the "job" they either cut you with dirty looks or try their best to get you away out the door for an hour or 2.

lucky for me i come from a mechanical background so i know all the tricks and how to avoid them

Here we go again with the conspiracy theories. There is no evidence whatsoever that the OP was scammed. As for supervising your mechanic, nobody likes working with someone leaning over their shoulder, it would also be negligent to allow a customer stand in your workshop supervising you, if the customer slipped or otherwise injured themselved, you'd be looking at the business end of a high court action trying to get damages out of you. I used to sh*t myself when I had an indy garage when I had a stubborn customer who insisted on standing over me. And the only reason was because if they slipped or otherwise met harm, I'd be out of business over it.

I don't know why people don't just shop around until they find that they are dealing with someone they can trust. No matter what I was buying, if I didn't trust the person selling me the product or service, I wouldn't do business with them.

landcruiserfj62

Yeah, Leitrim Lad knows his stuff...stick a "dummy filter" and some "Deer" oil in her and you'll be grand :pac:

leitrim lad

told ya the hereos were coming,

well darragh,

when you run a fleet of machinery,lorries,jeeps,cars and vans as big as mine for long enough you will cop on to what advantage garages take of their customers,

and when you have replaced as many engines ,that were still under warranty and were ment to have been service by the reputable dealers, on the button each time, as i have then you will take note of my conspiracy theories, i actually closed one dealership a few years ago when i took them to court over a lorry i bought new, left it in 3 months old for a service , warranty work, and i could prove that they didnt even tip the cab on it let alone, carry out the work they were ment to

there is the odd faithful garage out there but the majority of them are crooks , like car/lorry/machinery dealers

badinfleunce

My advice is go to a garage that you get a recomendation for. Its the same oule thing here in Ireland. If you get a referal from somebody or a mate and tell the mechanic that such a one sent ye then you stand a better chance of getting the job done.
I guess it was a diesel by the sounds of it. I cant imagine a garage not changing your oil.............. whatever about the filter. I use this guy www.mechanicdublin.com. Hes based in Malahide. I find him very reasonable and willing to get the job done.

Darragh29

leitrim lad wrote: »

told ya the hereos were coming,

well darragh,

when you run a fleet of machinery,lorries,jeeps,cars and vans as big as mine for long enough you will cop on to what advantage garages take of their customers,

and when you have replaced as many engines ,that were still under warranty and were ment to have been service by the reputable dealers, on the button each time, as i have then you will take note of my conspiracy theories, i actually closed one dealership a few years ago when i took them to court over a lorry i bought new, left it in 3 months old for a service , warranty work, and i could prove that they didnt even tip the cab on it let alone, carry out the work they were ment to

there is the odd faithful garage out there but the majority of them are crooks , like car/lorry/machinery dealers

I'm nobody's hero! I know loads of people in the trade and I don't know any personally that would charge for work and then not do it. Your reputation is everything.

bushy...

landcruiserfj62 wrote: »

Yeah, Leitrim Lad knows his stuff...stick a "dummy filter" and some "Deer" oil in her and you'll be grand :pac:

If you're going to make such a w**erish post , have a look at your own home page in your sig:

Xhttp://www.myspace.com/paulfarrellmusic

" s been my pleasure to collaborate with Dashaun of Writers Mentality on several potentially great hits. Several of theese tracks are being cut right now by some major artists out there, so watch this space peolpe!! "

Johnboy Mac

Darragh29 wrote: »

Here we go again with the conspiracy theories. There is no evidence whatsoever that the OP was scammed. As for supervising your mechanic, nobody likes working with someone leaning over their shoulder, it would also be negligent to allow a customer stand in your workshop supervising you, if the customer slipped or otherwise injured themselved, you'd be looking at the business end of a high court action trying to get damages out of you. I used to sh*t myself when I had an indy garage when I had a stubborn customer who insisted on standing over me. And the only reason was because if they slipped or otherwise met harm, I'd be out of business over it.

I don't know why people don't just shop around until they find that they are dealing with someone they can trust. No matter what I was buying, if I didn't trust the person selling me the product or service, I wouldn't do business with them.

There's something wrong when a garage informs the customer that they used a 'special black oil'. Either they are being smart arsed with the customer, did'nt carry out the oil & filter change or both. Which ever one it is, the customer is right to have concerns would you not think? The concern is also compounded by the fact there is so many horror stories about customer service from garages with some justification as per the media, forums like this etc.

Darragh29

Johnboy Mac wrote: »

There's something wrong when a garage informs the customer that they used a 'special black oil'. Either they are being smart arsed with the customer, did'nt carry out the oil & filter change or both. Which ever one it is, the customer is right to have concerns would you not think? The concern is also compounded by the fact there is so many horror stories about customer service from garages with some justification as per the media, forums like this etc.

Yeah the "special black oil" excuse is a bit weird. I think concerns are grand but the OP in this case sounded fairly combative with the garage. I'd be taken aback if I did this job for someone and then had someone accusing me of basically robbing them....

Again, the answer here is to deploy technology to bolt on transparency for the customer. I had thought of putting webcams in my garage that customers could log onto through my website to prove that the work being charged for was actually being done, but before I got the chance to try that out, I had such a pain in my arse with the whole business I just threw the towel in with it and moved on to something less messy!

Redtop

The car was a 2007 Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 Diesel.

The reason I went to this tyre depot/garage at all is that I had a 50 Euro voucher for the place and originally went in there to use the voucher against a set of tyres I needed. Even though there were no exceptions mentioned on the voucher, they refused to honour the voucher for the tyres and said that they would only take it against a service or oil change. After a lot of haggling, I reluctantly agreed and brought my wife's car in for it's oil change. If anyone was "combative" it was the garage owner. I just wanted a simple answer to a simple question and instead of answering my question, I got the run-around and a lot of aggressive finger pointing. Lesson Learned. I would have been better off tearing up the voucher and not stepping into the place.

gofaster_s13

leitrim lad wrote: »

i actually closed one dealership a few years ago when i took them to court over a lorry i bought new, left it in 3 months old for a service , warranty work, and i could prove that they didnt even tip the cab on it let alone, carry out the work they were ment to

there is the odd faithful garage out there but the majority of them are crooks , like car/lorry/machinery dealers

Which dealership was this ??

unkel

Redtop wrote: »

The car was a 2007 Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 Diesel.

If only you would have told us that in your original post! :rolleyes: