Like all fast lube places, do your homework on your car and it’s needs before you go. I have been to the lube center a couple of times (basically I am getting too old and lazy to do my own oil changes) and they have suggested I have things done to my car that were just plain wrong. Some cars require a certain type of transmission fluid than what they offer, others require different service intervals than what they will tell you. They always say their ‘computer’ tells them this is right, but then I show them the owner’s manual and print outs of technical service bulletins and tell them to “just do the oil change”. I keep the bulletins in the car and the pages in my manual marked, because they keep offering the same wrong (and potentially harmful) services each time. Anybody that takes a Honda or other picky vehicle there needs to make sure that the service they are suggesting is right for your car. They always take the “no” with no argument and continue with what they were doing, so at least they don’t argue with you or try real hard to sell you more services.
BTW, they filled my windshield wiper fluid this winter with stuff that froze, that was pleasant. So as soon as I pull in there, I tell them “Just an oil change and nothing else”.
All of these places are the same with stuff like that. It is up to you to protect your vehicle.
Don’t even get me started on the oil change service at Walmart. The Lube Center is better than them any day. They also are polite and friendly.
I certainly have to agree with you, Barnyard; do your homework. My last experience with Lube Center was annoying, but amusing. The young man was very serious when he told me a particular hose was leaking, but couldn’t exactly show me why it wasn’t sticky or didn’t have a hole in it, and especially...that something was leaking out of it. For a cool $88, I could have that replaced though.
I can’t beat them up for trying. For non-car aficionados, they probably catch some significant issues for folks. Like you, I’ve adopted the “Please just change the oil in my car and that’s it” attitude and drive over to Bruce’s in Fawn Grove for any other repair issues.
So far so good, 3 oil changes and all is well. I appreciate that they ask if I would like my tires inflated to the manufacturer’s spec or the vehicle maker’s spec. As for Rapid Lube when it was there, I just had to stop going. The last straw was they left the oil cap off. I had errands to run that day in York as well as hit the grocery store. For some odd reason the wife and I decided to go to Giant first, then take the stuff home then head to York - the original plan was to do York first then hit Giant on the way home (Giant to home is all of 4 miles by 851). When we got home we noticed a message on the answering machine - it was Rapid Lube saying they forgot to put the oil cap back on. Now a mistake is a mistake and I understand all that but the smug comment when I got there was what was the last straw. To this day I remember the elder gentleman saying after telling him my plans and how it worked out for the best “good thing you did not go to York first” and I just looked at him and said “No, good thing for YOU that I did not” The look on his was priceless once what I said sunk in.
Perhaps the folks at Lube Center are a little too enthusiastic and regimented with their “oil cap off, oil cap on” and “filling wiper fluid now” announcements and a but much for the people just wanting new oil, but I think it serves a purpose.
I guess these quick oil change places are a necessity of this “instant gratification’ society we live in now. Used them all, had problems with them all at one time or another. Oh well.
They have told me if I want to bring in an air filter, rather than buy theirs, they will install it.
I also tell them “just an oil change”. I don’t like them opening up my tranny and brake system.
When I was first driving, most gas stations had attendants, now they’re almost all self-serve. I think it’s great that kids can work in a place like this and save me some time.
The lube center is excellent, I have 3 vehicles and they all go there. those guys know what their doing and sure they want to sell as much to you that they can, but what’s different about them is they actually give a damn about keeping you car in top condition, i had alot of major services done on my car one day, so i got to spend some time in there talking to the guys and watching them work, they are very professinal and knowledgable, they don’t try to pressure you into buying there stuff yhey are just trying to educate the average consumer that thinks all you have to do is put in gas and oil and go. yes people there are other fluids and parts that wear on your car and need to be replaced. as for all you people that think you belive a light that tells you when to change your oil, please refer to your owners manual and look up severe driving conditions intervals( which is what just about all of us drive in ) and look is says 3000 mi oil changes. keep up the good work Johnny & Chris and the rest of your guys. You Rock!
Just went there on sat and they were wonderful. they had a great deal of respect and did not treat me differant because I was a women. they gave my kids coloring books and crayons, and a lollie pop they loved that and the fact that i didn’t have to get them all out of car seats and run in to the waiting room was wonderful. and for me who knows nothing about changing my own oil it was worth the extra money and I didn’t waste money on gas running to York to the dealer. I will go back again.
The Lube Center was sued in California for several Millions for making repairs not needed for customers! I was there once and will never let them touch even my weed eater!!! My Oil pressure dropped to next to nothing while coming in 851, as I crawled under the car, I found the oil filter leaking very badly!! Found out the cause was the the oil filter gasket not being there! They rush so much and they don’t notice little important things like that! Also I needed 15 things that my car didn’t need at all, It only has 30K miles!!! And I have my PA State Vehicle Insepction License, nothing that they told me needed replaced was true!!!!
Wow - that sucks. I’m sorry that happened. That really hasn’t been my experience at all with the Lube Center. We have 5 cars and take them all there. They have never rushed through anything (since the NEW ownership). I’ve only ever seen a professional team at work. Yes, they do tell you that you need this or that, but like someone else said - do your homework and know your car. Anywhere you go, you are pushed to buy more than you need. Common sense and keeping informed of your vehicle’s maintenance help tremendously.
Hey Lawnboy, do your research, califonia lube center has nothing to do with the one in shrewsbury it’s a private company with stores in maryland and pa ONLY, they do an outstanding job, and sure they may make mistakes every now and then ( who doesn’t) they will make it right, I’ve seen it will my own eyes. but you can read all the praises and complaints you want on forums like this one but ultimitly the only way to know is to try them. don’t worry guys i’ll always bring you my buissness,and as many others as i can
Yup, I’m dredging up an old subject. Here’s why. A few months ago our car was due for an oil change and we were about to schedule an appointment with our favorite local mechanic. (I won’t mention his name but he is the most honest mechanic I have ever found.) We got a call late on a Friday night that a family friend had suddenly passed away in New York and we decided we would drive up the next day. I took the car to The Lube Center first thing in the morning because I didn’t want to make that trip on the old oil. Since then we have put less than 5000 miles on the car. The recommended service interval is 7500 miles. We took the car in today for some other work and told our mechanic to go ahead and change the oil while it was there. He just called and wanted to know why we waited so long between oil changes. He said the oil and filter were filthy. In his opinion, there is no way the oil or the filter were changed less than 5000 miles ago. He said the filter housing on this particular car is difficult to remove and most likely they just didn’t do it.
I have complete faith in anything this man says, so I believe what he is telling me. I wanted to post this here and let everyone else make what they want of it. I will be making one, final stop at the Lube Center on my way home.
the lube center is great lets say you have a toyota camry, your oil change out the door is $34.44 if your address is right in the computer you get 5$ off your oil change plus the discount card they punch everytime you come in so you get your oil changed and 15 pt inspection for $29.44 and your discount card gets punched(equal to 3$) thats $26.44 your paying do the math
I did the math.
I can still do it for half the cost, in half the time, and not have to drive anywhere to do it. If you know what you’re doing you don’t make a mess. Air tools are not necessary for oil changes and quite often aluminum wheels are destroyed by garages overtorquing lug nuts by using impact wrenches (air tools)...and they always do it right after you tell them not to, one more reason I do my own work. Yeah, an oil change is not a huge deal, but I can gaurantee you my tools have paid for themselves several times over by doing my own work. ex - replaced the intake gasket in my wife’s car for a cost of about $45 in parts but it would have cost $800 or more at any garage. Is that worth $750 to me? You bet. I took my daily-driver to the dealer a couple months ago due to a recall and the work was free - I got what I paid for, they left all the old parts under the hood and slammed it shut on top of them. I just don’t trust these little chain shops, you don’t know who they hire or the work they do, something that should be as simple as an oil change can be catastrophic if done improperly. I’m not taking that chance.
I do change the oil in my truck. But changing the oil in our car is a royal pain so I prefer to let someone deal with it. I will just make sure it is someone I trust from now on.
