That Time I Forgot To Put Oil In A Customer’s Car When I Worked At A Quick Lube Shop

What’s the worst thing you can do to a car you’re working on? One of the first thoughts that came to your mind was probably blowing up the engine. Worse yet, what if that engine doesn’t even belong to your car? A couple of years back, I made the kind of automotive mistake that’s the stuff of nightmares, and I still feel terrible to this day.

It was the spring of 2015, and I had just finished what was intended to be my junior year at Ferris State University when I ran out of money. I needed a summer job or possibly something longer than that. After filling out dozens of applications, a Valvoline franchisee was the first to reach out.

Welcome To Quick Lube

In addition to Valvoline selling various types of automotive oils and lubricants, it’s also the name that many quick lube shops across the country operate under, either through a licensing agreement llike Valvoline Express Care, franchise agreements, or direct ownership. My former employer in Midland, Michigan operated dozens of locations across the state and in Ohio.

I was young and very green. The tasks for new hires are primarily watch-and-learn, help where you can, and try not to get in the way. So, it is not too different than any other service job. Once you graduate from being an active threat to yourself, the first few weeks you’re top side or “topping.” Not in a social or partnership sense, but as in working on the upper deck of the floor. After that, it’s “pitting.” Pitters are the workhorse of the quick lube world. It’s a less-than-glamorous gig that involves crouching under cars on an elevated platform (in the aforementioned pit), pulling drain plugs and replacing oil filters.

For those curious, Valvoline used in-house branded filters, supplied by Fram. If you tore them apart, they looked pretty similar to any other oil filter. There’s even an app for techs to look up parts on their phone if the POS system is otherwise occupied. Slightly ironic though, considering phones are banned from use on the shop floor (for appearance, productivity, and safety reasons).

Learning The Basics

So two weeks in, and I’m topping every day, all day long. The role is to be the “showman” for the customers, making them feel like they got a “full service” treatment. Working topside means checking fluids, yanking out air filters (sometimes even before customers had a chance to say not to), inspecting the serpentine belt and setting tire pressures, usually according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, listed on the door sticker. Of course, there was the task of adding oil once the drain plug was reinstalled.

If you want to go step-bye-step it’s:

• Introduction
  • Guide the customer in
  • Assist the Customer Service Advisor as they greet the customer and scan them in
  • Check the front headlights, high beams and turn signals as the CSA monitors the rear taillights and brake lights
  • Pop the hood, use a prop rod, and check the transmission fluid if applicable
  • The customer turns the car off off, puts the keys on the dash, topper yells out show time, letting the pitter know it’s safe to climb up onto the catwalk and start working on the customer’s vehicle
• ABBS
  • Air filter, brake fluid, battery test, serpentine belt inspected and report findings to the CSA
• Breakpoint #1: start the process on the second bay
• Tires And Fluid Checks
  • Come back and check/set the tire pressure (very rarely did anyone account for warm vs. cold tires and the impact that has on PSI)
  • Top off the washer fluid, make sure you don’t splash it on the pitter below
  • Check the coolant, take off the cap(very careful with a rag) and make sure the pitter is clear
• Breakpoint #2 
• Oil Time
  • Verify the pitter is using the correct oil filter as listed on the POS system
  • Once you hear the callout “oil filter tight, drain plug tight, ready for oil,”  ensure you are using the correct oil weight and quantity and grab a gun.
• Second Checks
  • Visually and verbally confirm with the pitter that the drain plug and oil filter are tight
  • “Clear for zoom”: stand to the side of the vehicle and ensure the pitter is off the catwalk
  • The CSA then asks the customer to start the vehicle and gently rev their engine to 2,000 rpm (“zooming”). This was done to see if the oil filter and drain plug were properly secured. It’s better to check for leaks now than have something fall off when the customer drives away
  • The customer shuts off the vehicle
  • Pitter wipes off any excessive oil bottom side, reattaches skid plates or access panels if equipped, closes the fall net
  • The topper pulls out the dipstick, wipes it off, and reinserts it to get an accurate reading. The dipstick, with the oil showing at the full mark, is then presented to the customer.
  • Double-check all caps are tight and the air filter is secure
  • Closes hood and guides customer out

That “zoom” part is going to become important here in a sec.

Disclaimer: I worked this job from June 2015 to August 2016, when I was just a kid, so these are the specifics as I recall … but they might not be 100% accurate or in step with Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC) policy at the time, and may not be VIOC policy now. I left the job on the verge of a second promotion to go back to school. By then, I had built enough of a credit score and proof of income to get a private student loan through Sally Mae. In hindsight, dealing with Sallie Mae and its astronomically high APR instead of waiting a year to turn 23 and having my mother’s income fall off the FAFSA was a terrible financial decision.  

“You Just Need To Zoom The Car”

About this time, I got loaned out for the day from my store to the busy one across town. They were short-staffed staff and were grateful for all the help they could get. No big deal, right? The steps are the same and the equipment is a pretty familiar way. What’s the worst that could happen?

Over at the busy store, things were going fine. It was a little hectic and this store’s manager was a tough-yet-fair. He believed in the VIOC way and gosh darn it, you’re going to live up to those ideals. I eventually get to take lunch and a chance to breathe. I come back and take over for “D,” a true veteran of the job. He was quick, efficient, and skilled. D told me, “You just need to zoom the car and show oil (to the customer).”

Or at least that’s what I thought I heard.

The CSA zoomed the vehicle with the customer. I presented oil, which showed full on the dipstick, and did second checks. Everything seemed fine as the Subaru drove off and went about its day and I thought nothing of it.

Cut to a couple of days later, I was summoned by the district manager for a meeting. They said no oil had been put in that Subaru and the engine had burned out on the highway a few miles from our location. Presumably, its bearings got really hot and wore down to nothing.

I was mortified and expected the worst – termination, legal action, you name it. But to my surprise, the district manager handled it differently. He acknowledged my error but also seemed to understand my apology was heartfelt, and that I was serious about doing better. As for the customer’s situation, the district manager said they sourced a new engine for the Subaru and got it installed, supposedly at a price tag of $15,000. I guess if you look at it with heavily rose-tinted lenses, the mistake might have worked out in the customer’s favor. And the less said about the oil burning and general longevity of Subaru boxer engines at the time, the better.

Beyond the initial shock and embarrassment, I still wondered if I had misheard D or if he had just misspoken. Outside of what I was told about the engine burning out and that the company replaced it, I know nothing about what actually happened to that Subaru, and I could have sworn there was oil on that dipstick. I remain both confused, and deeply apologetic.

Thousands of cars later and I never had another claim issue. But regardless, it’s a stark reminder that some tasks should be seen through from start to finish, with no breaks and no room for error. This is the one car that still haunts me at night and still feel remorse over so many years later. Hopefully, in your wrenching journeys, you never experience a grave mistake like this.

Photos: Author, Google Play App Store, Subaru