Adventures In Oil Changes

[NoVaGT]

Over about 15 hours I stopped at 5 different places trying to get my oil changed. Mind you, with my own oil and filter.

My normal place.
A garage near my apartment.
A dealership near work.
A garage near that dealership.
Jiffy Lube.

The first 4 couldn't get me taken care of in any reasonable amount of time, and wanted me to leave the car with them. All dramatically under-staffed.

Nope.

Jiffy Lube is normally staffed with 12 people, and they currently have 4 or 5 employees. But they got me in and out in about 30 minutes, while I walked around nervously, obsessing over things, handing the guy in the pit the filter, telling him 2 times not to put it on too tight, pouring the oil in myself, cleaning under the hood......

This is how bad things are in the job market right now. Too many people sitting at home smoking weed and playing COD, not working because they can make more $$ in COVID entitlements.

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[atticuskid35]

...sounds like you should’ve/could’ve done it yourself....

 

[NoVaGT]

...sounds like you should’ve/could’ve done it yourself....

I'd love to, but I live in an apartment building now. When I owned homes, oil changes were done with a quickness, easy peasy. I had everything set-up, the only PITA was disposing of the used oil.

Trust me, I didn't want to go to Jiffy. Never had before, and heard lots of bad stories.

 

[sk47]

Over about 15 hours I stopped at 5 different places trying to get my oil changed. Mind you, with my own oil and filter.

My normal place.
A garage near my apartment.
A dealership near work.
A garage near that dealership.
Jiffy Lube.

The first 4 couldn't get me taken care of in any reasonable amount of time, and wanted me to leave the car with them. All dramatically under-staffed.

Nope.

Jiffy Lube is normally staffed with 12 people, and they currently have 4 or 5 employees. But they got me in and out in about 30 minutes, while I walked around nervously, obsessing over things, handing the guy in the pit the filter, telling him 2 times not to put it on too tight, pouring the oil in myself, cleaning under the hood......

This is how bad things are in the job market right now. Too many people sitting at home smoking weed and playing COD, not working because they can make more $$ in COVID entitlements.

Hello; been seeing the effect in my area.

I have a WAG about another possible effect of the extra government money. Some of it from observations over decades and two marriages. The notion being many are flush right now. More flush than they have been before. In fact I found a relative of mine is drawing a lot more than she was making when working and will continue for a time.

I think this extra money may be why car prices are going up in part. I get there is a new car crunch due to the chip shortage. However there are lots of used cars and they are up as well. I think it is because so many have the down payments. Not so sure if they can qualify for finance terms, but that may not matter to a dealership. Anyway this is my guess. The extra money is burning a hole in pockets and my take on human nature is thinking about a year or six months from now does not much happen.

Another human nature thing as an example. Back when the lockdowns started lots of folks adopted dogs. Made the news. I and a few on a different forum predicted a bad end to this. The expected prediction is happening. Last I read many are getting rid of the dogs as they go back to their pre- lockdown lives.

 

[NoVaGT]

Hello; been seeing the effect in my area.

I have a WAG about another possible effect of the extra government money. Some of it from observations over decades and two marriages. The notion being many are flush right now. More flush than they have been before. In fact I found a relative of mine is drawing a lot more than she was making when working and will continue for a time.

I think this extra money may be why car prices are going up in part. I get there is a new car crunch due to the chip shortage. However there are lots of used cars and they are up as well. I think it is because so many have the down payments. Not so sure if they can qualify for finance terms, but that may not matter to a dealership. Anyway this is my guess. The extra money is burning a hole in pockets and my take on human nature is thinking about a year or six months from now does not much happen.

Another human nature thing as an example. Back when the lockdowns started lots of folks adopted dogs. Made the news. I and a few on a different forum predicted a bad end to this. The expected prediction is happening. Last I read many are getting rid of the dogs as they go back to their pre- lockdown lives.

100%.

It's why the economy and stock market haven't crashed. People are flush with cash and spending like drunken sailors.

 

[Roy_Steeda]

100%.

It's why the economy and stock market haven't crashed. People are flush with cash and spending like drunken sailors.

I agree 1000%

 

[ORRadtech]

Ramps - $50
Drain pan - $5-$25 depending
Filter wrench - under $10
Combination wrench - under $10

Paid for itself in 1-2 oil changes.

Oil disposal is free. ANY auto parts store or Walmart will take the oil from you for recycling at no charge.

I changed my oil in an apartment parking lot for years.
Certainly doesn’t seem like any more trouble than you're going to now and a lot less worry...

 

[Schwerin]

100%.

It's why the economy and stock market haven't crashed. People are flush with cash and spending like drunken sailors.

I would not say "flush" as the average person barely had $1000 in the bank before COVID.

They are just mor likely paying off debt which is letting them then buy some extras they would have skipped or letting them but BETTER meals on the table.

A record number are now paying off debt. Which frees up money to put back into the economy. Many people I knew that had minimum/low wages are now spending more time on their hobbies and learning things they enjoy while they were on COVID $$ and have turned that into a job that makes them more than the crap job they had before letting them beat the system and get out of the shit place they were Pre-COVID.

Sadly, that's how America used to work before we let minimum wage degrade so much. Workers used to have more financial stability that allowed them the ability to walk off a job when they no longer agreed with the companies' values or did not like the management. As a result, companies used to have to respect their workers more to keep them.

 

[vanquishvzla]

i had a few customer trying to buy luxury cars with "unemployment" money as income... obviously the banks reject them immediately. People working for $8-$12 now getting unemployment and shit now feel they are making THE money.

Finding people who actually want to work is hard if you are not paying $17/hr and up... the problem is, much of that labor, is not worth anything over $12/hr and even like that, a lot of employers are willing to pay just to get people, and still, nothing.

 

[sk47]

I would not say "flush" as the average person barely had $1000 in the bank before COVID.

They are just mor likely paying off debt which is letting them then buy some extras they would have skipped or letting them but BETTER meals on the table.

A record number are now paying off debt. Which frees up money to put back into the economy. Many people I knew that had minimum/low wages are now spending more time on their hobbies and learning things they enjoy while they were on COVID $$ and have turned that into a job that makes them more than the crap job they had before letting them beat the system and get out of the shit place they were Pre-COVID.

Sadly, that's how America used to work before we let minimum wage degrade so much. Workers used to have more financial stability that allowed them the ability to walk off a job when they no longer agreed with the companies' values or did not like the management. As a result, companies used to have to respect their workers more to keep them.

Hello; Only agree with some of what you wrote. The part about some paying off debt and eating better. The rest is questionable.
I guess I have known too many of the money manager types who in fact do not do any management. I also do not recall any time when companies much respected the workers. I had asked to be place closer to my home if an opening came up. I was told to put it in writing so I did. Well they changed my job place for sure, about twice as far away. I went in to ask why and was told by the boss, "teachers are a dime a dozen, take it or leave it." Turned out to be a power struggle and I was just a pawn to be used.

 

[friedmud]

“If you want to make a living, don’t work minimum wage jobs! Those are for teenagers!”

fast forward…

“Get back here and change my oil and flip my burgers for pennies!”

…

What we‘re seeing is a market adjustment to the fact that you cannot live in the US and make minimum wage. The wages for the lowest paid workers will go up (as they needed to) and the jobs will be filled.

 

[The Demon]

Over about 15 hours I stopped at 5 different places trying to get my oil changed. Mind you, with my own oil and filter.

My normal place.
A garage near my apartment.
A dealership near work.
A garage near that dealership.
Jiffy Lube.

The first 4 couldn't get me taken care of in any reasonable amount of time, and wanted me to leave the car with them. All dramatically under-staffed.

Nope.

Jiffy Lube is normally staffed with 12 people, and they currently have 4 or 5 employees. But they got me in and out in about 30 minutes, while I walked around nervously, obsessing over things, handing the guy in the pit the filter, telling him 2 times not to put it on too tight, pouring the oil in myself, cleaning under the hood......

This is how bad things are in the job market right now. Too many people sitting at home smoking weed and playing COD, not working because they can make more $$ in COVID entitlements.

How much did they charge you if you don't mind?

I am surprised they let you do all you did.

 

[sk47]

“If you want to make a living, don’t work minimum wage jobs! Those are for teenagers!”

fast forward…

“Get back here and change my oil and flip my burgers for pennies!”

…

What we‘re seeing is a market adjustment to the fact that you cannot live in the US and make minimum wage. The wages for the lowest paid workers will go up (as they needed to) and the jobs will be filled.

Hello; I started out working as a teen in 1963. Forget the wage at the time but it was under a dollar I think. Even if that number is wrong there is a point to be made. That is if the jobs that pay a minimum get the wages jacked up by law then the cost of living also goes up right along with the new wage. Then the minimum wage workers will have the same or even less buying power and will be in the same boat all over again. It has happened too many times already.

I worked minimum wage jobs as a teen then decided to get an education beyond high school. Could I buy a car, a house and so forth on my teen jobs. No! I was living at home. To get out and be an adult I moved on from minimum wage. Unfortunately I went into public teaching so did not make a big wage. I mention being a teacher for a reason.

All during my teaching time from 1970 to 2004 there was a thing called "social promotion". That was simply a plan to keep promoting a failing student thru the grades regardless of skills developed. The last few decades the education "experts" came up with even more ways to fix it so a student did not have to face a down side for failure and also there was no consequence for bad behavior. The point being students have been graduating high school with minimum skills and no concept of consequences. So the idea a young person ought to be able to make a good wage without skills and a poor work ethic does not fly. There is a reason the registers at fast food places no longer have numbers. They have symbols of the food.

 

[Schwerin]

Hello; Only agree with some of what you wrote. The part about some paying off debt and eating better. The rest is questionable.
I guess I have known too many of the money manager types who in fact do not do any management. I also do not recall any time when companies much respected the workers. I had asked to be place closer to my home if an opening came up. I was told to put it in writing so I did. Well they changed my job place for sure, about twice as far away. I went in to ask why and was told by the boss, "teachers are a dime a dozen, take it or leave it." Turned out to be a power struggle and I was just a pawn to be used.

I never said it was GREAT respect, just more. If it was easier for a good worker to leave and they needed workers, they had more incentive to try to keep him to stay. Of course, factors like market, location, and how easily you could be replaced were still a factor.

 

[NoVaGT]

Ramps - $50
Drain pan - $5-$25 depending
Filter wrench - under $10
Combination wrench - under $10

Paid for itself in 1-2 oil changes.

Oil disposal is free. ANY auto parts store or Walmart will take the oil from you for recycling at no charge.

I changed my oil in an apartment parking lot for years.
Certainly doesn’t seem like any more trouble than you're going to now and a lot less worry...

I have tons of jacks/stands/tools.

It's a lot more trouble. This is NoVa, simple things are made difficult just due to the location. Going to the parts store a few miles away to dispose of the oil is a huge PITA. I'm also not allowed to work on the car here in the parking structure.

And there's no way I'm transporting 10 quarts of synthetic in the trunk of my car to dispose of it, that's a huge problem. Those stupid drain pans leak at the spout.

I'll pay the $38 once a year to not have to do that.

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