Oil drain plug issues

What are the odds this Goodyear place will only say a full pan replacement and won’t agree to the replacement option mentioned here…

I would accept a free oil pan. If I didn’t trust their mechanics I would ask for the oil pan and install it myself. You won’t be able to replace the oil pan yourself but you could sell it and just have a different shop repair the drain plug hole.

But this is speculation, you may only need a new drain plug.

3.4L has an aluminum oil pan.

I’d have the proper Timesert kit on hand when the oil drain plug is removed.

http://www.timesert.com/html/drainplug.html

Tester

Think about it from the point of view of the tech doing the oil change. They install the drain plug but don’t use a new washer b/c they don’t have one and don’t want to try to find something like it they have on hand. So they just re-install the old one and hope for the best. They fill the engine with oil, and notice there’s a leak forming at the drain plug. They’ve got a line of cars and their owners waiting for service. So no time to drain all the oil out. And they certainly don’t want to try to scrounge up a new washer and try to remove the plug, put on the new washer, and reinstall the plug with 6 quarts of oil above them waiting to drain on their heads, too messy. So the most obvious solution, tighten the drain plug even more.

“Think about it from the point of view of the tech doing the oil change.”

George…I think you just stated the reason that most “chain” oil change places have such a bad reputation in this country. In my opinion…do the job right the first time or make an instant career change.

Any mechanic or luber that knowingly compromises a customer’s car should be fired. Period.

I didn’t view Goodyear as a joint say like jiffy lube and such. I am also not sure how you could tighten it to the point of being unable to take it off at the next change.

Kids start off somewhere. Jiffy Lube and places like it are often the first place a youngster starts working the the auto repair business. Their next stop might be a place like a Goodyear shop. As they become more knowledgeable, they might advance to a car dealer or independent shop that wants someone with experience.

And if they are skilled with the sawzall, they might just earn a promotion :astonished:

Since Goodyear does heavier repairs than Jiffy Lube, they can mess up your car in many more ways. I use tire shops only for tires,muffler shops only for exhaust work and avoid All national chains for all repairs. Develop a good relationship with a good local shop. An honest mechanic can save you a lot of money by not doing unneeded work that someone else has told you you need. Don’t try to squeeze every last nickel out of him. No one supermarket is the cheapest on every single item and no mechanic will be either. Good work at a fair price is what you should try for.

Whether it is the Jiffy Lube oil change or the cheap hair cut place, I can’t help thinking the person doing the work is mostly thinking about their next job more than the job at hand.