iowagary

Ok... I'd like to compare service experiences with you guys. I go to a dealer I really like - the sales guys there are nice and smart and I don't want to knock it, but something has been bothering me so I just thought I'd mention it.

The car manual says 5W-30 oil, and 32/29 for the tires, right? I might be slightly off on the tire pressure, but it's something like that. Anyway, the car came to me with 10W-30 oil. I hate it when places do that and it seems to me that your local Jiffylube usually does it to save money and not have to think about things. I expected the dealer to get it right. So anyway, the other day I go in for my first oil change. I didn't say anything about it as I was in the waiting room, but they changed the oil and again used 10W-30. I looked at my little reciept and it said something about checking the tire pressure (which I had checked and was set correctly) and setting it to 33 all around. I checked the next morning and sure enough, that's what they did. First off, they did it on a hot tire, so I don't know what business they have messing with the pressure, and second off, if the DEALER can't get the pressure right, they've got no business servicing the cars. What do you guys think? This isn't rocket science.

RanmaP

Do you want 5 star service... how about breakfast?

You can't expect 110%.... they check your presure... thats the bottom line. Hot or cold... you think they are going to wait 15-30 mins before they check it? Too hot and wait till it cools... too cold, you think they going to cover it with a blanket?

No comment on the oil though... as you never know. If the receipt is correct then they are using 10W-30... if not then how can you tell? 5W-30 smells different? Visually how do you notice the difference between a 10W and a 5W?

Service people do things in a rush most of the time... basically its not thier car. Thats why I don't trust them... your better off doing it by yourself.

If you don't know how... then learn. Checking tire pressure and oil, air, filter change should bare basic you should know.

iowagary

Look - the dealer is a ripoff. I go there for 3 oil changes because they're free. I didn't say I wanted anything except the same crap I'd expect from the gas station around the corner. I know they use 10W30 because they put the sticker on the window that says 10W30 on it. Kudos for putting on a sticker with actual info, but how hard is it to follow the darn manual? As for the tires, I really care about my car (I know most people don't) so this sort of stuff bugs me. My tires were correctly inflated. If they're that close, why would they put any air in them at all? I actually saw them doing that part and they just used the gauge on the compressor hose anyway - I'm not debating the relative accuracy of those gauges even, but what I'm saying is that they weren't "checking and correcting if wrong", they were filling the tires and assuming they were low.

I know how to check my oil, air, etc. I'm not a moron. I can't change my oil myself because my apartment won't let me. I hate taking it to these places - I really wish that at least the dealer could do it right.

RanmaP

Understood... I understand how you feel... 3 free oil changes why not right?

Even so... I'm still going in and get a oil filter and get the hell out of there, if not... I'm going to stand there and watch them.

Every scenerio is different as I have 2 friends that work in the serivce dept. so I'm can only hope they take good care of my car.

So... maybe to can go make friends with some dude in there.

iowagary

Totally - I know the sales guys, but I guess I'm going to have to get to know some mechanics or something. I actually watched them do the second half of the service. It was freezing out and I was standing there staring at them in the garage so I think they knew it was mine, but next time I'll be even more sure.

Cybergypsy

you buy a toyota , you get toyota sevice, buy a quality car and you get quality service...and yes breakfast too!

George

In Seattle, you won't notice any difference between 10W30 and 5W30. If you were in Butte, I'd be concerned, but Seattle has a mild climate.

Dealers use whatever oil is cheapest when bought in bulk. 10W30 is usable in a wide range of vehicles, while 5W30 is only usable in newer vehicles.

What surprises me is that they didn't just use 10W30 and put 5W30 on the paperwork. If they had done that, you wouldn't even know about it!

Keep in mind that oil changes are pretty much done by the guys lowest on the totem pole in the service department. A month ago they were probably on the wash rack, so I wouldn't expect too much from them.

George

iowagary

I know that 10W30 will probably be ok, but it is not inconcievable that in Seattle (especially driving up to the mountains and leaving your car in a cold ski resort parking lot) we would needed the added cold temperature viscosity in the 5W30. To me it seems like lazyness and cheapness. The funny thing was, it wasn't like they just pumped in 4 quarts from a big drum - I saw them bring it out in individual 1 qt. bottles.

I agree that they could have just written 5w30 and I would have never been the wiser, but just the same, that 's kinda like fraud, so I don't think that would be worth it to them.

Stefan_TC

BTW,
What about synth vs. natural oil?
I have alsways been a big fan of synth oils, either MOBIL one of super-duper Euro stuff like lubro-molly synth (German). My previous rides were 2 generations of Saabs, always with turbo (2.3L) and AFAIK on a turbo equipped car using THE RIGHT oil is even MORE important that on a naturaly aspirated car and still everybody recommends synth oils....

So, anyone experimented with a synth oil? Why does the manual say only "genuine oil"? Any thought on this?

Thanks

Stefan
Brooklyn

iowagary

We've gone all over this one too. The long and short is that almost nobody can prove to you any real need for synthetics in the tC, but you definitely don't have to use Toyota's oil. I'll be running Mobile 1 after my first three changes, but I know you really don't need to. If you are going to use a real synthetic, Mobile 1 is one of the only that actually can be proven to be better than the others.

George

Well, I just switched to Mobil 1 and so far my teeth are whiter, my dandruff is cured, and my wife is one *happy* customer, if you catch my drift...

Seriously, the effects of using synthetic oil are small, and only perceptable in the long term, if at all. You aren't going to put in synthetic oil and see an additional 5MPG 10HP. Keep careful track of your mileage and you might see a difference. I have 15,000 miles of data on conventional oil and it will be interesting to see what the next 15,000 miles brings.

Synthetic oil is perfectly acceptable to Toyota, as long as the bottle has the markings specified in the owners' manual.

You can't go too far wrong by switching to synthetic oil, but don't expect miracles!

George

Stefan_TC

Glad to hear that
Again, glad to hear that. I was not expecting miracles, like I said I drove cars on synthetic before. My only concern was that Toyota does not put synth in their cars in the factory and the manual does not even mention them and instead insists on using only "genuine engine oils" whatever that means...
Well, maybe I am expecting miracles since I know how synth oil affects the engine long term... Even the boiling point/flash point advantage makes a lot of difference, not to mention molecular size and the phenomenon of bonding with metal...
Again, like with any other oil the key is to change it although, at least theoretically synth does not have to be changed that often...
On my previous car even the brake and steering fluids were synthetic and AFAIK synthetics beat natural hands down in tests.
I am hoping I can take my SAAB experience to Toyotas..

Cheers,
Stefan

Scott17