Auto Service - Oil Change Etc
 

Can someone recommend an auto service company, in the Gilford area where I can get my my oil changed and tire rotation for my cars.
Have 3 to do !

Of course I'm looking for reasonable price, but customer service experience is most important ! If that still exists? :) Seems to be lacking in our society lately......

Thanks,
BD

VIP in Laconia
 

Have been very good to me. Very competent mechanics.

I have been very pleased with Belknap auto tire in Laconia. I have run flat tires which they replaced at a better price than I could have gotten on the internet. Also, I have had oil changes and minor repairs and have been satisfied with the service.

Walmart
 

$20 for an oil charge at walmart. They also vacuum your vehicle for you and hook up and test your battery. I had to go to VIP to simply get the filter for my car because they didn't have it.

Laconia VIP...Went in for an inspection sticker. Told me I need all 4 rotors and all the pads done or I would get a rejection. oh and the estimate was $800.00. So I pulled it out and took it home, changed the pads in less than an hour. Did not need rotors. Still driving fine 3,000 miles later. total cost $130.00 for the pads. BTW, doing the pads on a newer Rav4 (2006) are the easiest pads to change of any car I have ever owned.
I went back to get a sticker and they wanted to gig me for control arm bushings. On a car that only had 38,000 miles on it. Never go there.....:rolleye2:

Went for an oil change and sticker at the Dodge dealer in Nashua two weeks ago. Ran fine for a week. Last Friday I was driving home when the low oil pressure light came on and the truck shut off completely. Smelled oil smoke coming up from under the truck. Looked underneath and oil everywhere. No oil drain plug in sight. 7 quarts of fresh oil....gone. Must not have tightened the oil drain plug. Note to self never go back there again...
Do everything myself....:rolleye2:

I used to go to Wal-Mart when it was $14 several years ago, but the wait-time started to get out of hand. The last few times they gave me a wait-time of 2 hours. I like Wal-Mart, but lol, 2 hours at Tilton Wal-Mart was/is not my idea of a lot of fun.

Here is an idea...
 

...drop the car off at Walmart, and walk over to the Tilt'n Diner, or even better, try the Thai Restaurant behind them mentioned in the latest Thai Food thread.:laugh:

Whats wrong woth paying nothing
 

It takes me less than an hour to change the oil and rotate tires.
That is when the oil gets changed. I use Amsoil and do it annually.
Spin a new filter on at 6 months and top it off. I’ve been using this stuff for all my auto and recreational needs for years and never had a problem. 3 vehicles with over 100k with 2 still owned by us.
I’ve decided that the quality of service now a day makes it more cost effective to take the time and do it myself. No missing plugs, loose filters, over tightened or under tightened lug nuts.

I use Sydow's Auto Service Center in Gilmanton, right off of 106. If you want great customer service, give Jeff a call. 267-1100

It's been over a year since the Plymouth Wal-Mart upped their oil change price from 18 to 30-dollars, and that increase was enough to totally change their customer demand from very busy to very un-busy. That place used to be all lined upped with Range Rovers, Saabs, Audis, and Ford Escorts; all looking for a quiki, el cheapo oil change......but not any more.....too bad Plymouth Wal-Mart!

Midas-Laconia is running "17.98 oil changes-new manager" on their signboard lately.

The Meredith transfer station does a very good job of collecting used motor oil, and used motor oil filters.

"Whats wrong with paying nothing???" At app 7.00/qt I would not call Amsoil a free or even cheap oil change. Buy conventional Castrol change it every 4,000 miles and you still will easily go over 100,000. I know, I've done it with 3 past vehicles. Today I use Mobil 1 full synthetic (still cheaper than Amsoil.)

Mike's Quality Car Care
 

It's behind the Midas (next to Pizza Hut) on Union Ave. They do a great job, fast, and very reliable. I have all my service done there.

If you have time, you can walk across the street and have an ice cream at Dairy Queen while you wait.

Auto Service - Oil Change Etc
 

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions !

I have to agree with several folks, the quality of service in everything in the country has taken a nose-dive ! Seems like many people (not all), just really don't care anymore about the quality of their work ! Too bad..... For me, 'service' takes priority to price ! I don't mind paying a little extra for the customer service experience. If you give me good service, I'll be your customer for life !

The cost to doing an oil change yourself, is really not worth the savings any more. Almost $3. Qt for a good oil, another $4-5 for a FRAME quality oil filter, and you've alreay spent $20 ! For a few dollars more I can have someone else do the work, keep the old oil, and put money back into the community!

Granted, I may not get the same quality materials from a Auto Service Station, that I would purchase, but really shouldn't make any difference if changing your oil every 3-5k miles, not going to matter....

Regarding Oil......... One of my cars has 100,000 miles.
Would you recommend changing to a Synthetic oil or a Blended oil at this time. Do you think this would extend the life of the engine?
FYI, I'll be keeping this car forever, it's my 'ragtop' summer car ! :)

WinnieGirl, thanks for the tip about 'Mikes Quality Care', think I'll give him my business, he's close to my location. I can also walk across the street to DQ , or better yet, go to lunch at T-Bones ! :)

BD

Synthetic oils should not be started or stopped mid stream. If you have been using conventional oil, stay with that. Full synthetic should only be used if that is the only thing that the engine has seen. You could do more damage in the long run by switching. You also will not get the benefits of the wear protection, it will just cost you more. The ship has sailed on the wear protection when you have 100K existing on the engine.

You can make a switch if you really want to, but you need to change the oil every 2k miles for the first few changes, to get things cleaned out. But if you switch, stay there, don't go back, otherwise it will be all for not.

Just keep up with the oil changes, maybe a slightly more frequent pace.

A syn blend oil in my opinion is just like 89 octane gas, it is an additive to a bare bones product and hardly worth the money.

The last time I had my oil changed at VIP the kid that did the service used the wrong size socket on the oil plug, completely stripped it. They could not get the plug out, so they removed the oil filter and drained out as much as they could and then put four fresh quarts of oil in. Apparently checking the dipstick was not in the manual. When driving it home, noticed a severe lack of power and a burning oil smell. Stopped and checked the oil and it was three quarts high. Got it home and realized what a mess was really made. I have never been back since. Called and they said it was not their problem and I could not prove that they caused the damage.

Lakesrider, VIP: The SAME THING happened to me! And I also bought the parts and took it home, much to their surprise! The problem was, when I got everything off, the rotors looked FINE. I got the micrometer to measure and sure enough - the rotors were in good shape, and did NOT need replacing!!! I couldn't put everything back together fast enough, cursing the entire time that they would do try to take advantage of me! :fire: :fire:

When I brought everything back, I blasted the manager, who, after my tirade offered me a job! (I told him that I didn't want to work on my OWN car that day, let alone anyone else's!)

Anyway, back to the topic - bigdog, I'm glad that you brought this up because I'm due for an oil change too, and I don't want to do my own this time. I had Mike Quality Car Care at the top of my list.

Winnigirl83, I very much enjoy the idea of ice cream while you wait - that's brilliant!

You are either amazing or a fraud. I haven't met many females who have these back yard skills and I haven't met many males who go by the name angela. I've read many of your posts and am guessing you are an alias for the web master to use when intending to manipulate.

Auto Service - Oil Change Etc
 

Thanks again for all the good info on this subject !

Sounds like VIP is the place to avoid, too many bad experiences, sorry to hear some have caused some financial repercussions as a result of service, or lack of it ! Bad reputations travel fast !

Called Mikes Quality Care in Laconia, I think they quoted $34 for Oil Change, and check of all other fluids, plus Vac car !

BTW, Wal-Mart in Tilton same service is $30. Nothing against Wal-Mart,
I spend a lot of $$$ there, but for the peace of mind would rather trust to automotive tech professionals, will take my car care to 'Mikes' !

JMen24,
Thanks for the story about Synthetic oils, had no idea about this !
What do you think about adding a 'Slick50' product to the engine oil for the 100,000 mi car ? Would it help extend engine life or would I be wasting my money ?

BD

What's wrong with free?

Depends on what you're driving.

I changed the oil in my little Ford for all the years I had it and it got up to 198K before it bit the dust. (Don't laugh... it was a Festiva. Yes, you read that right. Easy car to work on - I could unscrew the oil filter with my hand and it was smaller than a Solo cup.

I had a Land Rover a few years back... I can't tell you where the stinkin' oil filter was in that thing. My Olds Cutlass Supreme had a tilted engine - that wasn't easy to change.

Sometimes it's worth paying $20-$25 to have someone else do the job and get everything topped off. (It was nearly $70 to have an oil change on the Land Rover - ow! Stay away from those things!)

ps
I've also used Mike's and had a positive experience. AutoServ Tilton does a QuickLane oil change and is pretty reasonable but watch their prices on repairs - they're very $$$ for tires.

Where did that come from?
 

Angela must be amazing! I am betting she isn't the only woman on the Forum with skills that are not commonly held by the feminine gender.

belly_button_biter, you owe the Webmaster a public apology - you are out of line. Why would Don need an alias? If he has something to say, he will just say it. He is an upstanding person and in no way manipulative. Dissing the head of our family Forum is no way to endear yourself to us.

I think that I recall that Angela is a Lakes Region business owner in Meredith. She will have to confirm this the next time she drops in.

I beg your pardon?
 

:eek2::eek2::eek2:
Did I really just read that? Somebody please tell me that my eyes are playing tricks on me!

Well, just in case that statement says what I think it says, allow me to introduce myself to you, Mr. belly_button_biter! I am a female who possesses those skills, and has to tools to do the job as well. In addition, I am also a Certified tractor trailer driving instructor, with a specialty in hauling fuels and explosives. I can do plumbing and electrical work, hang sheet rock, lay tile, and perform pretty much any maintenance task required in my home. I am also a United States Marine.

I can also wear a dress and high heeled shoes, and look right fine while I'm doing it. I haven't met many men who possess that skill! ;)

You, sir, owe an apology not only to the Webmaster, but also to each and every WOMAN on this forum! You should be ashamed of yourself. :fire:

Bigdog, to be completely honest, I have never tried or known anyone that has tried the Slick50 product line. I would not like to comment on that, I am sure someone on here has and very well may be able to give you some insight on that product.

I personally do not have an opinion one way or the other.

Pepper... You are my hero! Here's my "thanks" button to the tenth power.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that post.

Now let's see if BBB will anti up... :cool:

Good advise from a NASCAR mechanic
 

My sister lives in Mooresville, NC and her next door neighbor is a mechanical engineer for Hendrick's Motorsport. I ask him about auto maintenance.

First and foremost go with the owner's manual. The factory know what is required for maintenance. Never take any mechanic or garage advice as to how to service your vehicle. If there is a normal and severe schedule, use the severe schedule if you are not sure.

As for oil change, garages make more money on 3,000 mile schedule. Use the schedule specified by the owner's manual. Normally 7500 miles on most new cars. Take a note at the oil weight on the manual. The new cars use 5W-20 weight. To save gas. Many new cars now are filled with synthetic lube. Not only in the engine but elsewhere such as transmission and suspension joints. Normally the factory will specify a longer interval such as 10,000 or even 15,000 when using synthetic lube.

For older cars and trucks with over 150,000 miles. If you see you oil pressure drop or some smoke out of the exhaust or smell oil. I was advised to switch to a multi-vehicle oil such as Rotella. Walmart has their brand and far cheaper than Rotella. You should see the oil pressure go back up and the oil consumption go down. The extra additives will also clean the engine of any sludge.

Never use additives. They are a waste of money and some will actually damage your engine. There are additives that are nothing more than mineral spirits. They dilute your oil and do more harm than good.

Engine flush should never be used. If you change your oil as scheduled, there is no need. If you really think you have engine sludge, the best way to remove it is to drop the oil pan and clean it out.

It all makes sense. :D

Put down that KA-BAR
 

Not that a little disemboweling is a bad thing mind you, but it's just so early in the season ... :devil:


BTW BBB, Pepper is a redheaded Marine and Angela is probably comfortable with pneumatic tools. Methinks it's time for an extraction ...

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/wp-conten...t-in-mouth.jpg

This happens a lot, to men and women. The garage says the brakes are worn and once they get it apart they say that you need new rotors. You have to be careful to ask, if it will pass inspection without new rotors.

They will usually back down and say that they "recommend" new rotors or that the pads are not warranteed if you don't get them. In the old day they would resurface the rotors, now they don't want to be bothered. It's better for them to sell you new ones.

As legislation increasingly demands greater fuel efficiency, manufacturers are forced to make vehicles lighter. One nasty side effect is lighter rotors. Turning rotors results in thinning, which in turn can lead to warping, particularly if you drive long hills requiring longer periods of braking. Warped rotors result in a horrible pulsing sensation, particularly at lower speeds. :eek: While it's certainly acceptable to request that the rotors be turned instead of replaced, it may be throwing good money after bad, because they may need replacing soon after, as a result of warping. :(

Amazing!
 

Amazing it is! :D Thank you!

My father felt is was important for a woman to know her way around under the hood for exactly that reason, and he was right! It has served me well! (And thousands in repairs!) I don't replace transmissions or anything, it isn't my profession by any means. I know when to call in a pro, but try to handle the maintenance and easier jobs.

Anyway, what's wrong with a mechanic in high heels? It's not the toughest job I have - I'm a Mom!

You GO, Girl!!! And a belated Happy Mother's Day to you, too! :D:D:D

You go Pepper!
 

If that Lowes thing doesn't work out I would request the employment of that haplass Pepper to show me how to handle those "manly" jobs.:laugh:

Everyone, it seems is trying to "upsell"......must be the tough times. Every time I go for service at Cantins, the tech comes out to tell me I need something else done. At first I fell for it.....cleaning the fuel injectors, changing transmission oil...next it was brakes and rotors. Got a second opinion and didn't need the rotors. Then it was new axle seals...got a second opinion and didn't need them. Just a had a little normal weeping from pulling a trailer. Went in last week for service and a a parking lamp bulb.....tech came out and told me it was a $90 job to replace the bulb......the book called for 50 minutes of labor because they need to PULL THE BUMPER off my Avalanche to install a $4 bulb.
The Amish have it right......we're the ones that are all crazy.:confused:

A way to avoid this "extra work" these places somehow "find" is to go to a place that just does oil changes like Valvoline on Union Ave in Laconia. Saves a lot of headaches.

VIP - Laconia
 

I had an oil and filter change at the local VIP. When I got the bill the cost had almost tripled! The service manager told me the service dept is independently owned by someone else and all the signs will be changed. 5 gallons of oil is twice the price as the oil on the shelf. The oil filter was $4 more. They added an extra $12 for labor, $2 for oil disposal fee and $1.50 for shop supplies. What use to be a $30 project is now $80.
Beware on your next trip to VIP. I was not told about this until after the job was done.

Wow, that's a steep bill. I'll continue to do it myself.

WOW!!

I know this is an old thread but this is the first time that I have read it.

I’m just a little confused as to why you didn’t make them prove to you that the rotors and pads needed changing. With your knowledge you should have had them take you out to the bay where your car was and have them prove to you why they needed changing.
It’s not just the thickness that will reject rotors, there are many reason why they might need changing. They should have showed you the reasons. The thickness is stamped on each rotor and there is a dimension that they use to reject them. Also this dimension will determine if the rotors can be machined.

Some questions:

What was the reason for taking the car to them in the first place, e.g., inspection, oil change, say high to someone, etc.
What parts did you buy and take home? Was it just the pads or did you buy the rotors also?
Then when you found out you didn’t need the rotors you took them back?
When you took the car back to show them that they were wrong, did they check the rotors again, or did they just take your word that they were OK?

Wow, what are you running? My Super duty takes 16 quarts or 4 gallons of oil.
What takes 5 gallons?
FYI I would never take anything to VIP. They have gotten more expensive then NAPA on some parts and I believe I commented on this or another post that I found the exact same mobile 1 oil VIP sells at Walmart for half the price per 5 quart bottle.
Check out the new shop across the street, I've been hearing good things around town about them. They are not just a muffler shop, the guy who now owns it used to run a well known transmission rebuilding shop back in Mass.

Nice April fools joke there "BroadHopper". :D

Gotcha!
 

I thought no one would notice. If it was a Porsche dry stump then it would be true.

I meant 5 qts and the story is true.

BR, the mufller shop across the street did an excellent job on brakes and rotors as well as brake lines. What I like about the shop is that the technician actually showed me the pads and measure the rotors with a caliper so I can see that they indeed needs replacement. The technician showed me a brake line that was weeping fluid.

The frosting on the cake was the replacement pads and rotors were the duramat brand from autozone. Two days later, I return when I notice the rotors were warped. They agree the parts were defective and they also agree to replace with NAPA parts. They did not charge me one extra cent!

There may have been two owners? The owner I talked to was a retired Mass cop on disability. Either way, I would go back.

Nope I'm not fooling!

I did a brake job using NAPA parts and had bad results with the parts. I went to Raybestos parts and have had them in for the last 4 years now. I just replaced both axle u-joints and front drive shaft u-joint along with repacking bearings and replacing worn dust boots and I noticed all the break parts were in excellent shape, so they are holding up well.
I've had two shops around town refer the muffler shop for the transmission rebuild I need on my plow truck. He told me he will also give me an 18 month warranty on the work.
I started using Auto Zone down the road. They are open till 9pm M-Saturday and 9 till 6 on Sunday.

I've had good luck with Lakeshore Garage. They were recommended by a Gilford local and I'm a repeat customer.

You can find them at 334 Old Lake Shore Rd in Gilford.
Phone: 603-293-8635.

Jameson's Tune Ups +
 

I highly recommend Jameson Lamprey; the owner of Jameson's Tune Ups and Complete Car Care. I won't let just anyone work on my new car, I am very picky. Jameson is always honest and his work is clean and neat with no overtighting or striped filters, etc. I bring him my own oil and filter and he takes care of the rest for cheap money. He is the only mechanic on site so your car isn't passed over to some young kid who doesn't care. http://www.jamesonstuneupsplus.webs.com

Oil Change?
 

Will second 'Crusty's" recommendation for Lakeshore Garage !

Bigdog

Neal's Garage
 

At the foot of 106 in Laconia where the old Pontiac garage use to be. Great service, clean garage, top notch technicians. Only problen is he is open 9-5 Monday through Friday. Not a problem for those who are retired or have two vehicles.

Great guy & great mechanic
 

He did the work on my Xterra. New oil pan, exhaust, timing belt and water pump last summer. I use him for all my Xterra work and Winni truck for all my Super duty work.

On new cars/trucks/SUV.

Change oil religiously every 3,000 miles no matter what the manual states.

If you plan on keeping vehicle for awhile it is crucial to do the frequent oil changes in the beginning. Once the car starts to burn oil later on it is too late.

Don't go for the cheapy oil change either. Oil filter come in about 3 grades.

Motor oil starts to deteriorate immediately. Synthetic oil deteriorates more slowly.

There is a web site dedicated to motor/engine oil:

LINK

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> When I bought my Caddie it came with oil changes and tire rotations for the first 50,000 miles free. They say to come in at 7500 miles but if the computer in the car says you have over 20% oil life left you have to wait to bring it in. That sometimes is another 1000-1500 miles if just driving up and down the highway.

I also believe the new Toyota cars all recommend you come in at 10,000 miles.Under severe use its 5000-6000. When I was running a diesel that’s when I would change it every 10,000 miles. Oil is a lot different now and last a lot longer.Most are now all using sythenic oils now.

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My wifes RAV4 recommended oil change period is 5000 miles.
You really need to read the fine print in your car/trucks owners manual and warranty book. According to what is deemed severe conditions New England is considered a severe driving environment. Not knowing this can make a huge difference if you have warranty issues.
FYI all you have to do is meet 1 of the criteria for severe driving conditions, not all of them. Different car manufacturers may have things worded differently so best to call and know for sure.

The oil change notice that appears on dash in some new cars is a simple program inside the cars main computer.

Anyone can reset that including the oil change place and the owner of the car.

Every 3,000 miles.

And not to digress too much, some don't have a clue when to change the automatic transmission fluid. That should be done every 2 years minimum.

Some/few newer automatic transmissions have "lifetime" fluid. With no dip stick. But whose lifetime? Again, some state 100,000 under normal conditions OR 60,000 miles under severe conditions. Again, the issue as mentioned above - what is severe?
Just stick to every 2 years.
Make sure the pan is dropped, cleaned, new gasket, and new or cleaned transmission filter. Some of the quick lube places and others use a pump to remove transmission fluid and never clean the pan or replace the filter. You do actually have to ask.