Using an oil change place? Beware

[Frank Mopar]

My daughter uses a local oil change place to have oil changes every 5,000 miles.

Skipping forward here, the company policy is that the don’t check the brake fluid.

What are your thoughts?

 

[famous bob]

My daughter uses a local oil change place to have oil changes every 5,000 miles.

Skipping forward here, the company policy is that the don’t check the brake fluid.

What are your thoughts?

My daughter used to use one in Owasso , Okla., they stripped the drain plug and put an expanding rubber piece of sh-- in it ad didn`t say anything. I found it when I started changing her oil again. I know it wasn`t that way when she got it, I gave/sold the truck to her to start with.

 

[jos51700]

Is there a 'common sense' forum we can move this too?

Edit: regarding the op; most people should never check the brake fluid anyway. They just add some "if it's low", never realizing that unless there's a leak that fluid isn't going anywhere (and if there's a leak you'll know it soon enough).

All the mouth breathers generally manage to do is make work for the sorry sob that goes to stab pads in next time, because they can't correlate low fluid level with pad wear.

 

[Bobzilla]

Some of those places stopped checking brake fluid levels after too many of them had to pay to replace all the brake system components with rubber in them, after one of their employees accidentally used engine oil or power steering fluid to top of the brake system.
If you've never seen what happens, it's quite impressive. The most obvious is the cover for the master cylinder swells up about twice it's normal size. Brake performance "suffers."

 

[Frank Mopar]

Is there a 'common sense' forum we can move this too?

Edit: regarding the op; most people should never check the brake fluid anyway. They just add some "if it's low", never realizing that unless there's a leak that fluid isn't going anywhere (and if there's a leak you'll know it soon enough).

All the mouth breathers generally manage to do is make work for the sorry sob that goes to stab pads in next time, because they can't correlate low fluid level with pad wear.

Disc brake cars dont have adjusters. They use brake fluid to compensate for wear. Its not unusual to add fluid.

 

[rustyswinger]

Disc brake cars dont have adjusters. They use brake fluid to compensate for wear. Its not unusual to add fluid.

If you have to add fluid because of brake wear.. It's time for new brake pads.

When I check my brake fluid it's to look for color change, contamination etc.

 

[Frank Mopar]

If you have to add fluid because of brake wear.. It's time for new brake pads.

When I check my brake fluid it's to look for color change, contamination etc.

Thats correct but when the car needs pads the fluid will be well past the minimum line.

 

[rustyswinger]

Thats correct but when the car needs pads the fluid will be well past the minimum line.

Well past the min line? I dunno that hasn' been my experience. I try not to let the pads run down to the rivets. Maybe if you really push the limits of brake linings .

 

[RedFish]

Disc brake cars dont have adjusters. They use brake fluid to compensate for wear. Its not unusual to add fluid.

It is wrong to add fluid periodically or as the calipers retain it. The reservoir capacity is adequate for the system by design. Even if the rotors are turned to their minimum thickness. Engineers at work. The minimum line doesn't suggest danger or air in the system. It says you need to inspect and/or service just like any other fluid measurement. Sure we add oil, washer fluid, etc... when measure shows the need. Brake systems aren't the same.
You might bleed the fluid at the caliper when pads are replaced and add equal amount to the reservoir, or just close the caliper pushing the fluid back to the reservoir. Keep the reservoir topped off, then push fluid back at pad replace causes overflow at the reservoir.

 

[jos51700]

You might bleed the fluid at the caliper when pads are replaced and add equal amount to the reservoir, or just close the caliper pushing the fluid back to the reservoir. Keep the reservoir topped off, then push fluid back at pad replace causes overflow at the reservoir.

He gets it.

Rotors at minimum thickness, pads ground down to backing, and ice cold fluid, the system should NOT run out of fluid.
I've seen em grind the backing until the pad spit out completely, and there was still fluid in the master.

And if you fill it when it's low with no leak, you have a mess when you push the pistons back to insert fresh pads.

If you've ever wondered why so many old cars have rust running down the firewall under the master, this is part of it.

 

[Frank Mopar]

Great feedback here but I’m not suprised being its a car guy/gal forum. Appreciate the comments.

I wonder what response would be on a, lets say, learn to cook forum. A place where no one understands cars and trusts the person they pay change the oil, check fluids, hopefully report inconsistancies to know the brake fluid is basically ignored.

 

[dgibby]

My daughter uses a local oil change place to have oil changes every 5,000 miles.

Skipping forward here, the company policy is that the don’t check the brake fluid.

What are your thoughts?

The both places we lease our company trucks from won’t add air to the tires because of the potential liability that it might have a leak and adding air is covering up the problem.

 

[Daves69]

You might ask them about it. For all you know, in this day and age of legal stuff, they may operate with a liability clause that prohibits any brake inspection or services.

 

[ramenth]

My daughter uses a local oil change place to have oil changes every 5,000 miles.

Skipping forward here, the company policy is that the don’t check the brake fluid.

What are your thoughts?

Check? Yes.

Fill? No.

There are only two reasons a master should be low. A leak or the brakes worn out. If they fill it might as unplug the brake warning light for all the good it will do to warn the driver of a brake issue.

 

[Frank Mopar]

Check? Yes.

Fill? No.

There are only two reasons a master should be low. A leak or the brakes worn out. If they fill it might as unplug the brake warning light for all the good it will do to warn the driver of a brake issue.

There ya go. Check it and report the finding. Not much to ask

 

[ramenth]

There ya go. Check it and report the finding. Not much to ask

Exactly. Check it and let the driver/owner know to get it someone reputable to actually do a brake inspection.

When I worked at Midas we made a ton of money on brakes from the quick oil change place across the street. They'd let the customer know that the master was low and refer them to us.

When we'd get backed up with "real" work we'd refer the maintenance customer to them. And they honored our price on oil changes when we did.

 

[Dartswinger70]

I saw an idiot once drain the transmission and double fill the engine on a Subaru. sent it down the road.

 

[GeorgeH]

Most shops are not going to touch something without a written authorization, and most of these quick lube shops have employees with little to no training. 9 out 10 people would file a suit if they run into the back of somebody leaving the parking lot. The bigger question is if you really want "that guy" tampering with the brake system on your daughters ride.

I helped someone out in front of the body shop putting water in their car, 3 weeks later I got a notice to appear.

 

[GStewart]

Some of those places stopped checking brake fluid levels after too many of them had to pay to replace all the brake system components with rubber in them, after one of their employees accidentally used engine oil or power steering fluid to top of the brake system.
If you've never seen what happens, it's quite impressive. The most obvious is the cover for the master cylinder swells up about twice it's normal size. Brake performance "suffers."

Worked 22 years Chrysler/Jeep tech, get the owners wife's 2008 Grand Cherokee demo, less than 300 miles on it master cylinder cap seal swelled to twice its original size. Winds up she poured washer fluid in the master because she was out of washer fluid and "that cap was the closest to the windshield" lol, very expensive mistake.

 

[GeorgeH]

Worked 22 years Chrysler/Jeep tech, get the owners wife's 2008 Grand Cherokee demo, less than 300 miles on it master cylinder cap seal swelled to twice its original size. Winds up she poured washer fluid in the master because she was out of washer fluid and "that cap was the closest to the windshield" lol, very expensive mistake.

LOL

 

[harrisonm]

I know a lady whose granddaughter is living with, and just had a baby with, a LOSER! What a shame too, because she is a beautiful, smart young lady, and he has dirty hair down past his shoulders, scraggly facial hair and a real mean attitude. He was desperate for a job and Jiffy Lube hired him. If that is the quality of their employees, I would say that's a problem. It may cost more, but go to a dealer.

 

[pishta]

Teach her to do it. Remember "Drivers Ed"? They taught you all that stuff and our teacher even had us change a tire on our "on the road" driving practice! We all stood around and each of us (4 in the car plus teacher) got 1 lug nut to loosen, and one to tighten. We took vuolunteers to see who would heft that nasty tire in and out of the trunk. My wife took her Breeze to Jiffy lube ( I was at work...;-) and not 3 miles down the road the CEL came on. Turns out her fuel tank seem ruptured and was a warranty repair. WTF did Jiffy lube do? Her Toyota plug got cross threaded too.

 

[Ddaddy]

Most modern brake fluid is PEG based and it is not recommended to open the cap since it allows moisture in that can contaminate the fluid. It’s also why most modern brake reservoirs are semi-opaque plastic so you can see the level without removing the cap. Checking the fluid level requires little more than just looking at it.

It also doesn’t matter how much brake pad wear you have since the reservoir has more that enough volume to compensate for the small difference in fluid across the range of the pistons.

 

[daliant]

Worked 22 years Chrysler/Jeep tech, get the owners wife's 2008 Grand Cherokee demo, less than 300 miles on it master cylinder cap seal swelled to twice its original size. Winds up she poured washer fluid in the master because she was out of washer fluid and "that cap was the closest to the windshield" lol, very expensive mistake.

The problem with "American" cars is they've all adopted the European way of putting symbols on fluid caps instead of having them say what kind of fluid goes where.
And the 300 plus page owners manual usually isn't much help either because you have to weed through all the "cover your ***" lawyer BS to hopefully find the info you're looking for.

 

[inkjunkie]

Thats correct but when the car needs pads the fluid will be well past the minimum line.

Hmmm....guess both of our daily drivers did not get THIS memo. My D-max pads were all down to a few thousand miles left, master cylinder was still well above the minimum line. Our Explorer was the same when I last did the brakes on it.....just saying....