2011 Toyota Camry LE 2.5L L4. No Trans Dipstick. Took it to Jiffy Lube just to check if trans fluid is dirty. They wouldnt even touch it. WTF? How am I supposed to know if trans fluid is good?
1 Like
This is the way things have been going for some time now
Not just Toyota, by the way
You get the transmission fluid up to a specified temperature, then follow a procedure . . . varies based on manufacturer . . . to check the fluid level
1 Like
You dodged a bullet there…I wouldn’t take my car to Iffy Lube to get air put into my tires…your local independent mechanic will know the proper procedure that @db4690 to check your transmission fluid level/condition
8 Likes
Yeah. I dont trust them… they seem shady
2 Likes
It’s been that way since at lest 2005. Just change tranny fluid every 50k miles and you should be all set. And do NOT let Jiffy Lube change your fluid. Find a good independent or transmission specialist to change the fluid and make sure they use the right fluid that meets the Toyota WS spec. Only a couple out there.
4 Likes
… and inept.
Asking one of the barely-trained kids at Jiffy Lube to check your trans fluid is the automotive equivalent of asking the cashier at CVS or Walgreens to diagnose your health. Just the thought of allowing someone who received little or no training, and who is not a mechanic, to go anywhere near my transmission sends chills down my spine.
4 Likes
My mind raced to a different image involving rubber gloves… 
6 Likes
Some are, just like any business, including car dealerships and independent garages. With JL, it’s more that the oil jockeys have not learned their trade yet. This is often the first job a mechanic gets, and they still have a lot to learn. Unfortunately, they learn on your car. You might call that inept, but I’d call it uneducated.
5 Likes
I call it poor management. They should not allow to that person to work on any vehicle unsupervised until they are properly trained. Most of the time these places will show them the extreme basics and then let them go on their own and hope things work out. To properly train them means time and money. And they’re unwilling to commit either.
1 Like
As the saying goes, “Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence”. Of course, I would never let a place like Jiffy Lube touch my car, but I don’t think they’re thieves or con artists–just incompetent. Plus, I prefer to DIY oil changes, transmission fluid changes, etc. to know that I’m using the correct fluids and good quality filters.
1 Like
Quick lube places can’t afford much training before putting the employee on the oil change line. It seems to me that the foreman would follow after the crew and make sure the job is done right, rather than thoroughly train the to work independently.
2 Likes
Can’t afford, or simply don’t want to pay for training? I struggle to believe that the franchisees who operate these shops cannot afford to properly train the employees, but I certainly believe that they choose to keep costs down by not investing much into their staff.
4 Likes
You will have to take it to the dealer , they have special dipsticks they can use. Most still have the tubes that are filled with a plug . If you can find an indy that is familiar with how to check it use them .
1 Like
HUH? With these new transmissions you really don’t need to check. Just change every 50k miles or so and you’re good. Still if you want to check it then there are procedures. and no need to take to dealer. Do a google search.
Most built since 2012 do NOT have a transmission dipstick.
There are youtube videos and forum write ups on how to change the automatic trans fluid on your Camry. Either have to DIY or have a reputable shop do it. This is one scenario that you might be better off at the dealership.
You have to check the fluid level at a specified temperature
A scanner will tell you that . . . and there is also a somewhat complicated procedure which doesn’t require a scanner but isn’t written in the owner’s manual. You need access to professional service manuals and procedures, though
And you also have to figure out a way to get the new fluid into the transmission
They are franchises, and depend on the owner to determine business practices. I used to get my oil changed at a local JL, and they did invest in employee training. The shop had a wall full of training certificates. I never had problems. They were limited. They used universal trans fluid, so I wouldn’t let them touch that. My new cars use fully synthetic oil, and the JL cost is way too high. They priced themselves out of the market, poor service had nothing to do with I.
Where I live an entrepreneur set up his own quick oil Shane place and had a training program. They only performed lube-oil-filter changes. Checked and filled your tires, checked function of your lights and turn signals, period. They informed you of any problems but did not even carry replacement bulbs.
Then he retired and sold his shops to a quick lube franchise company, everything changed, offering all sorts of bogus services.
Didnt say they had dipsticks, i said a lot of them still have the tubes where the dipstick went , some do not like the ZF 8 speeds . I think the newer transmissions have made the simple process of checking your fluid a lot harder than it needs to be and you cant easily check the fluid without an extensive process and they expect you to believe the fluid if for life fluid . Then if you can find anyone to do it it is like $700 -800 to do it when it use to be $200 or less .
Bull. Find another mechanic. A fluid change with these systems are no more then a $200. If someone is charging you $700+ then you’re getting ripped off.
1 Like