# Dont trust the dealership



## Gator (Jul 14, 2013)

Just scheduled my first oil change . Asked if they had the dexos 2 oil. They assured me they did. So I hung up and called right back to the parts and was told they would have to order it. So I see a lot of wrong oil changes going on.


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## Dragonsys (May 27, 2013)

just because Parts says it has to be ordered, does not mean the Service Department doesn't have it on hand. Parts will tell you if they have it on hand for the customer to buy, not if they have it on hand for Dealer use.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I see a lot of wrong oil changes happening as well.


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## steveg241 (Jul 18, 2013)

I actually called the dealer today to set up an oil change. I asked them if I could get synthetic instead of the AC Delco synthetic blend. I was told they have Mobil 1, and they have put it into two Cruze Diesels so far. Problem is that it isn't the correct oil. It needs to be Mobil 1 ESP for the low SAPs content. This is going to royally piss off people when the oil the dealer recommended clogs up their DPF. I'm going to purchase the oil myself and ensure the dealer puts it during the free maintenance. After that I will do it myself.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

HI Gator please let me know if you need me to call your dealership to clarify anything or to assist you when you go in for your next service.

Jackie
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

THe problem here is that the vast majority of buyers of this vehicle won't be on this forum or even think twice about asking the dealer what oil to use.


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## Dragonsys (May 27, 2013)

steveg241 said:


> I actually called the dealer today to set up an oil change. I asked them if I could get synthetic instead of the AC Delco synthetic blend. I was told they have Mobil 1, and they have put it into two Cruze Diesels so far. Problem is that it isn't the correct oil. It needs to be Mobil 1 ESP for the low SAPs content. This is going to royally piss off people when the oil the dealer recommended clogs up their DPF. I'm going to purchase the oil myself and ensure the dealer puts it during the free maintenance. After that I will do it myself.


If you are going to buy the oil, why take it to the dealer for the change at all? Just for the free labor?


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## steveg241 (Jul 18, 2013)

Yes. If they're going to have it on the lift to rotate the tires and drain the fuel filter of water, might as well have them do it for free. Honestly, I'd rather not change it myself, but if I can't trust the dealer I will have to.


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## Gator (Jul 14, 2013)

Even if the dealer puts in the right oil, how many owners will be going to the mega giant oil change houses like jiffy lube walmart and just put in regular oil.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I was at my dealer today and they have the Dexos2 oil on the top shelf completely separated from the Dexos1 oil on the bottom shelf. 

Also the caps on the bottles are different colours.


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## GE Axiom (Mar 12, 2013)

Here's my thing though, if we go to the dealer and the do the oil changes giving use service records and documentation stating they did the servicing... Wouldn't that then leave the liability on the dealership not us? If something were to go wrong due to the service or type of oil being used that would then be an issue tied back to them?


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

GE Axiom said:


> Here's my thing though, if we go to the dealer and the do the oil changes giving use service records and documentation stating they did the servicing... Wouldn't that then leave the liability on the dealership not us? If something were to go wrong due to the service or type of oil being used that would then be an issue tied back to them?


Pretty much only reason I been going to dealer with my own oil. They put in customer request box "Fill with customer supplied Mobil 1". I let them deal with it for the reason I already had a bottle of soap break open in the trunk, don't want that to happen with the used oil in transport to advanced to recycle it. Already had that fun clean up when I stuffed the EJ257 in the trunk up side down of another car. I ended up saing F the oem mat and replaced with a wal mart area rug.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

GE Axiom said:


> Here's my thing though, if we go to the dealer and the do the oil changes giving use service records and documentation stating they did the servicing... Wouldn't that then leave the liability on the dealership not us? If something were to go wrong due to the service or type of oil being used that would then be an issue tied back to them?


If the dealer does all the service in the specified intervals and the components fail, there should be no question as to warranty replacement for the 100K miles. It's probably going to be an expensive lesson years down the line when all the DPFs need to be replaced under warranty and the dealers eventuall realize "Oh, yeah, we should have been using this other oil".


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

Tomko said:


> I was at my dealer today and they have the Dexos2 oil on the top shelf completely separated from the Dexos1 oil on the bottom shelf.
> 
> Also the caps on the bottles are different colours.


Every stealership is different, while they do run on the same guidelines, let's just say a lot of things can be done under the table. After all it is a business, and when there is money involved, they will want to keep every penny. If you want to make sure they use Dexos, take it to a private mechanic, or do it yourself, and that way you can sure it is done. I will never trust my dealership on anything unless it is on paper and i can hold them against that little paper .


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## steveg241 (Jul 18, 2013)

Legally no one can force you to use the dealer to keep your warranty. If you document the oil purchased and that is Dexos2 or equivalent, meaning ACEA C3 compliant, and that you document you had it done at the specified interval by yourself or some other shop, your warranty should be intact.


Volkswagen is a different company, but when the Jetta I have was new, I did none of the services at the dealer. When something went wrong at 40,000 miles (at the time is was a 4 year/50,000 miles warranty) and the car was running rough, they asked to see maintenance records. I kept every receipt and showed it to them for oil changes every 5,000 miles using Castrol synthetic oil that met the VW oil specs and they accepted it. This included several oil changes that I did myself. I just kept the Autozone receipt for the oil and filter and took a picture of the dash showing the receipt and mileage. 

Yes, I'm a bit particular about this stuff, but if you keep good records there shouldn't be an issue.


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## Scott M. (Apr 23, 2013)

I asked for an empty bottle of oil to verify it was Dexos 2. The dealer complied without hassle. Thats my recommendation.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hello All, 

As long as you use the oil that is recommended per the owners manual and have very good records of each oil change, there should be no issues for warranty. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Dragonsys (May 27, 2013)

steveg241 said:


> Yes. If they're going to have it on the lift to rotate the tires and drain the fuel filter of water, might as well have them do it for free. Honestly, I'd rather not change it myself, but if I can't trust the dealer I will have to.


Yeah, that makes sense. Hopefully they won't give you crap about supplying the oil yourself.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Chevy Customer Care said:


> Hello All,
> 
> As long as you use the oil that is recommended per the owners manual and have very good records of each oil change, there should be no issues for warranty.
> 
> ...


I think the concern is dealerships that use the wrong oil. Who covers any damages in this instance?


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

obermd, 

Thank you for the clarification. All dealerships should be using oil that meets the specifications of the vehicle. If the dealership uses an oil that does not meet the specifications of GM it would not be a warranty GM concern necessarily. It would be a dealership concern due to the fact our dealerships are independently owned and operated. GM will certainly work with the customer and dealership towards a resolution. I hope this clears everything up. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

steveg241 said:


> Legally no one can force you to use the dealer to keep your warranty. If you document the oil purchased and that is Dexos2 or equivalent, meaning ACEA C3 compliant, and that you document you had it done at the specified interval by yourself or some other shop, your warranty should be intact.
> 
> 
> Volkswagen is a different company, but when the Jetta I have was new, I did none of the services at the dealer. When something went wrong at 40,000 miles (at the time is was a 4 year/50,000 miles warranty) and the car was running rough, they asked to see maintenance records. I kept every receipt and showed it to them for oil changes every 5,000 miles using Castrol synthetic oil that met the VW oil specs and they accepted it. This included several oil changes that I did myself. I just kept the Autozone receipt for the oil and filter and took a picture of the dash showing the receipt and mileage.
> ...


There's times where I may be living out of hotels for 6 months or more so stuff gets lost. Checking in and out of places weekly sometimes to include the maids taking into their best judgement on what looks like a receipt that needs to be saved(iPod worst buy receipt vs wal mart one with oil plus paper plates, underwear, cups, gum and a 6 pack) . Best bet is your route and scanning stuff to photobucket into a folder that is not private so you can open it w/o compromising your password via saved cookies from any comp. My last few cars were used but brand new ones goes to dealer for a few years till I feel comfortable about honoring the warranty if need be. I had a brand new car die 1st 3 months of factory fill from oil starvation due to a factory defect and used one go from a factory defect turbo 2 years into ownership. I don't feel like I lost a percentage of manhood from going this route or that special bond from the car you would acquire teaching your son how to ride a bike and letting go of the handle bars. At the end of the day it comes down to convenience vs trust of the facility servicing your vehicle.


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## jpm84092 (Jun 23, 2013)

Some dealerships are more honest and customer service oriented than others. I am fortunate to live in a metro area where within 30 miles radius there are 12 Chevrolet dealerships and they are fiercely competitive for the business in the area. So much so that a dealer I did not buy a car from will send me service coupons to trump the dealer I did buy from. And, they jealously guard their Better Business Bureau reputations. Dealer 2, who I did not buy from, will even compete for warranty work with dealer 1, who I did buy from.

My recommendation to get a dealership to "get with the program" is to complain to both the dealer and the BBB - and let the dealer know that you are going to the BBB and will CC Chevrolet corporate.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I have found in my experience that businesses do take BBB complaints seriously


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## jpm84092 (Jun 23, 2013)

diesel said:


> I have found in my experience that businesses do take BBB complaints seriously


Even more so, GM Corporate and Chevrolet Management take customer complaints seriously; particularly if there is a complaint to the BBB. A complaint that is not successfully resolved, particularly on a new vehicle under warranty, means the person who complains will tell 10 - 29 of his friends and acquaintances of his displeasure with the dealership, with Chevrolet, and with GM as a Corporation, and suggest they take their business elsewhere. The "average Joe" does not know, nor does he care, that a given Chevrolet dealership is privately owned and operated. On the other hand, a dealership that meets the customer's needs in a timely and cost efficient manner gets accolades from the customer and recommendations to his/her friends and acquaintances. In such a situation, the dealershp "wins", Chevrolet "wins", and GM "wins". The discerning reader will note that GM is providing this forum with a Customer Service Representative. Part of this is to be helpful, but for the most part it is to find out what we, the customers of this new model, are telling each other about our experiences.

This is for good reason. Locally, two television stations have "investigative reporters" that take complaints and confront the business on camera. A refusal to be interviewed or an unsatisfactory response from a business is a "kiss of death" in the Salt Lake Valley (3 counties). The TV shows air as part of the news broadcast and are widely watched. Other communities have similar TV shows and GM / Chevrolet guard their reputation jealously in an era of fierce competition with both domestic and foreign competition.

The moral of the story is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you have an issue with your new Cruze CTD, complain loudly and often to the dealer, Chevrolet Management, GM Management, the BBB, and your local TV station. If you live in a State with a "Lemon Law", start the paperwork that will compel the return of the car as a Lemon. That will definitely get the dealer's attention.


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## WhiteAndBright (Mar 4, 2013)

Stupid question of the day!!

For these poor folks that buy the CTD and are not members of CT that go into Walmart or Jiffy Lube and get the kid that is 16 years old in high school and is more concerned about texting his girl friend to change their oil.. What happens when they put the 5W-30 in that are for the gas motor.. I know I am setting myself up for the obvious replies of it will blow up and stupid **** like that.. But seriously how long will that diesel hold up with the wrong stuff in and what would be some of the consequences of this mistake??


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

WhiteAndBright said:


> Stupid question of the day!!
> 
> For these poor folks that buy the CTD and are not members of CT that go into Walmart or Jiffy Lube and get the kid that is 16 years old in high school and is more concerned about texting his girl friend to change their oil.. What happens when they put the 5W-30 in that are for the gas motor.. I know I am setting myself up for the obvious replies of it will blow up and stupid **** like that.. But seriously how long will that diesel hold up with the wrong stuff in and what would be some of the consequences of this mistake??
> 
> ...


Probably not too long. Diesel oils are specifically formulated to deal with the combustion byproducts of diesel fuels. 

People should really read their owner's manuals to know what kind of oil should go in there.

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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

And we thought we had it bad when we refused the shield recall because it became a fire hazard .


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## WhiteAndBright (Mar 4, 2013)

XtremeRevolution said:


> People should really read their owner's manuals to know what kind of oil should go in there.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


Yes they SHOULD, but do you think the people at these "service" stations are going to do this?? Not no but **** no they just want to get it done as fast as possible, get you in and out with as little effort needed.. I can only assume that there will be a lot of motors being replaced because of this..



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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Maybe the reason they have 2 year service staring in 2014 models... Control the amount of issues from the dealerships mishaps alone. Wonder if the shields are normal again since it's a different engine? One day i may order a Verano one to see if mpg rises.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

WhiteAndBright said:


> Stupid question of the day!!
> 
> For these poor folks that buy the CTD and are not members of CT that go into Walmart or Jiffy Lube and get the kid that is 16 years old in high school and is more concerned about texting his girl friend to change their oil.. What happens when they put the 5W-30 in that are for the gas motor.. I know I am setting myself up for the obvious replies of it will blow up and stupid **** like that.. But seriously how long will that diesel hold up with the wrong stuff in and what would be some of the consequences of this mistake??
> 
> ...


I am sure people have done this all the time with their TDIs. I tried to do some research to find some conclusive evidence but didn't really come up with anything useful. I believe the diesel oil is designed to cope with the soot and the higher compression.


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## steveg241 (Jul 18, 2013)

The wrong oil won't do too much damage to the engine if it is the correct viscosity in the short term. You get into trouble with high SAPs oils in the new diesels because if there are high amounts of Sulfur, Ash or Phosphorus you risk damage to the emissions systems when some of the oil is inevitably burned off. 

The risk due to composition of the oil as diesel pointed out comes in the form of the inability of non-diesel formulated oil to suspend unburned diesel fuel and ash in the crankcase. Volkswagen did studies to determine how much dilution occurs over 10,000 miles and determined with the correct oil 50% dilution is tolerable. With D2 you will get nowhere near 50%. With B5 you will get an average dilution of 45% over the course of 10,000 miles. With a 7,500 mile interval Chevy has specified things will be fine if people go by mileage and not by the oil life indicator. 

So what is comes down to is the most likely long term issues will be clogged DPFs that stem from higher ash levels in the oil which will get caught in the DPF. Since only soot will burn off, the ash will remain eventually requiring the DPF to be cleaned or replaced. This will surely be out of the bumper to bumper warranty and may not even be covered under the power train warranty.


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## Eugene_C (Mar 15, 2012)

If I get one of these I'm planning to lease it, this is one of the reasons why. New car type, inexperienced dealership service departments, etc.


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