Oh no, you had your oil changed at a quick lube center
By: Mark | Posted: 09th April 2007
Changing your engine oil on a regular basis is a part of life. The convenience of a quick oil change service center is hard to beat. Just keep in mind that the service center makes its money on volume and may rush the repair in order to increase their profits. Making a few quick checks after the oil change service is completed, will assure that your service was done properly.
Sometimes when oil change mechanic is performing your oil change service. He may get distracted and forget to tighten the oil filter all the way. Also a common mistake is for the oil change technician to forget to remove the old oil filter O-ring gasket that can sometimes get stuck to the oil filter housing.
If this happens when he screws on the new oil filter there will be two O-ring gaskets. In between the oil filter and the housing sealing surface. In this scenario, the oil filter may not leak right away. But there is a good chance that it will start leaking soon.
All you have to do is poke your head under the vehicle and visually inspect the oil filter and make sure that no oil is dripping off of it. If you do not know where your oil filter is, you can ask your quick oil change service mechanic to point the filter out to you. After you know where the filter is every once in a while, you can poke your head under and look for oil dripping off the filter. You can also keep an eye on the ground underneath your vehicle to see if any oil puddles occur.
Also check the tire pressure on all four tires? This again was supposed to be included in your oil change service. But it is important enough to double check to make sure that your tires are properly inflated. Under inflated tires can reduce fuel economy drastically and can be considered a safety concern.
The federal government has considered this so important that it has mandated that all new vehicles come with a tire pressure monitor system. Chances are your next vehicle will warn you when your tires are under inflated. But if your car does not have this system. It's a good idea to purchase a tire pressure gauge and keep an eye on your pressure. The tire specification can be found usually on the doorjamb of the vehicle on the driver side or also in the owner's manual. Under the tire section.
Don't forget to check that all the fluid levels in the engine compartment have been filled to the proper level. Again, the quick lube center may rush to complete the operation and may skip filling vital fluids. A few things you should check are the windshield washer fluid level, coolant level in reservoir (never open when hot), power steering fluid level, transmission fluid level and brake fluid level.
Instructions for checking these separate fluid levels are included in your vehicles owners’ manual. If you should find that the fluid levels are not to their proper level. I am going to recommend that you return to the quick oil change center and have them fill the fluids for you. The first reason for this is that you paid for a complete service and you should receive a complete service. The second reason for this is you want to make sure that the correct fluids are being installed. The third reason for this is that the fluids will cost you money if you do it on your own and you already paid for this service.
Mark R. Gittelman is an auto repair expert with 24 years in the automotive business. Mark is also an ASE certified master technician and provides a website filled with free information about the automotive world. Visit his DIY auto scan tool page to see why every car owner should have one. Or visit his homepage to view answers on popular car questions
About the Author
Occupation: Mechanic answering car questions
Mark R Gittelman has more than 23 years experience in the auto repair field. He holds 16 ASE certifications and is a Master Technician in cars and heavy-duty trucks. Visit his car questions website for more valuable do it yourself auto repair help. Or learn more about how to reset the check engine light in any car or truck.
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Tags: good chance, profits, gasket, tire pressure, fuel economy, tires, new vehicles, inflated tires, screws, federal government, engine oil, new oil, puddles, safety concern