[MeredithMan]

Might anyone have any experience with these folks or heard of their reputation?

We have a 2006 Acura with 145,000 miles on it that is now driven by my college-student daughter. Since she is away at school most of the year, the car is only driven sporadically Sept-May. Over Presidents' Day weekend this past Feb, we decided to drive it up to the lake to give it some exercise. I knew that it was due for an oil change, so on a whim, I popped in to Valvoline as I was driving by. They gave me the hard-sell for the radiator flush, transmission flush, etc, to which I replied "No thanks, just oil change"

Fast forward the tape to 10 days ago. Driving up to the lake in the Acura again and it goes kaput on 104...slight burning smell and everything stops. We got a tow in to Lovering Volvo, (closest place that I knew of), and they say that the ignition coil is fried and one of the spark plugs melted. They got the car running again, but it is sluggish and rattles when starting. Since they are not an Acura shop, they highly recommended taking it my local Acura dealer for a complete diagnostic.

The local Acura dealer today asked when I had the oil changed last. I told him in mid Feb at Valvoline in Laconia and have hardly driven the car since. He says, "No way", and shows me a plastic bottle of sludge that came from the car. They believe the crappy oil is/was causing the sluggishness and rattling and may have damaged the engine. I can't imagine the Acura guy would make this up, but also am hard pressed to believe that Valvoline would totally rip me off.

Has anyone heard of anything good, bad or indifferent about Valvoline Laconia?

Thanks.

MM