I have a 2011 Hyundai Sonata that I bought new and have changed the oil religiously as recommended by the manufacturer (before I reach 5,000 miles). That means I have changed the oil in this car alone over 40 times. I have also changed the oil myself in a variety of vehicles I have owned hundreds of times, either doing it myself or having someone else do it for me. I have also taken apart motors that have used all types of oil, (or lack thereof) to see how friction affects a motor and the benefits of frequent oil changes. This was my first time going to Valvoline Instant Oil Change, and I regret doing so. This is why.
I drove up to the location and asked the attendant if he could do two things for me. The first was a conventional oil change using 5W-20 (the oil recommended by the manufacturer). The second one was if he could make sure all of the old oil was removed before adding the new oil. He assured me that both of those things were no problem. I was then met by another individual who seemed to ignore everything I told the previous individual and criticized me for not getting a synthetic oil change (something twice as much as what I was quoted) and wanted to argue about it. He even gave me a copy of a letter he said he got from KIA that says synthetic oil is a good idea. As I have mentioned, having done numerous oil changes, I know all about synthetic oil and its purported benefits but that is not what I asked for. Then I had to go through an interrogation in which I thought I was in a police station about when I had changed the windshield wipers last, when I had rotated the tires last, etc. It was obvious that their technique is to get the customer in the shop, berate them until they agree to a synthetic oil change and then try to sell them as many other things as possible.
The major problem, however, is that they use a vacuum system to syphon the old oil out of the motor which leaves some old oil in the pan. The problem with this is that residual oil is the worst of the worst. There is a reason why there is a plug in your oil pan that you are supposed to remove to drain the old oil out of your motor. If you have ever done an oil change the way it was intended to be done by removing the drain plug, you will notice that the last oil out of the pan is the dirtiest and the slowest to come out. That's a sludge of dirt and other abrasives, and you want as much out of your motor as you can get. Otherwise, you are only doing half the job.
When the technician finished, he showed me the dipstick and just as I suspected the oil was darker than it should have been. I mentioned this to him, and he claimed that the problem was that I keep using conventional oil! He then gave me a sticker that indicated that I need to return for another oil change after 3,000 miles instead of the normal 5,000 recommended by the manufacturer. But, I guess that would be correct since he didn't remove all of the old oil out of the pan. Sort of a half an oil change that keeps the customer coming back more frequently.
So in summary, if you want something that's fast and halfway done and don't mind being given a hard time about buying things you don't need, this may be the place for you. Otherwise, I would go someplace else to get a proper oil change. read more