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Old 02-01-2013, 07:26 PM   #1
Cyndy
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Default Gary Lang in McHenry - 5,000 mi oil change interval

Does the cold weather here mean the 7,500-mile interval for synthetic oil changes should be reduced to 5,000 miles? That's what Gary Lang just told me but my dealership back in Seattle stands by the 7,500 plan and I'm inclined to believe them.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 02-05-2013, 09:47 PM   #2
hoffmanEstates
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Never hurts to oil change more frequently. I personally run Amsoil and 8k
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Old 02-05-2013, 10:26 PM   #3
klapp14
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Being local to Gary Lang, and having a few friends that have/still work there, they are only trying to get your money. I was originally going to buy a wrx from them, but they wouldnt budge on their prices. I drove an hour east to Highland Park and spent 4k less for a lower mileage car (same year, an options). Like hoffmanestates said, it wouldnt hurt to change it. Its really your call whether you want to go ahead and have them change it. I think you would be fine sticking to your regular schedule.
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Old 02-06-2013, 06:57 PM   #4
Decipher
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Gary Lang is a bunch of criminals. I gladly drive the extra 40 minutes to go to Grand Subaru. Gary Lang has tried to screw me and my family over on several different deals. This is another shady-ass move to rape customers. Those who don't know better fall for it.

Did they also tell you the cold weather requires you do your 30k mile service at 15k? You are wise to check with us. Now, do the right thing and take your business elsewhere. And, FWIW, I change my Rotella T6 every 5k and that's even excessive in some people's eyes.
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Old 02-06-2013, 07:15 PM   #5
doubleUareX2011
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I purchased my car at Grand Subaru and wouldnt go anywhere else for warranty work (performance i go elsewhere). They worked on my car all the while knowing I was stage 2 without any questions and even allowed me a courtesy car for over a week. Great guys over there. John (service manager) is a great guy to deal with and very honest.

Ive been to Gerald also but had a poor experience in every way except with Sandy in sales who recently just transfered to Grand (awesome!)

On the oil thing, i use Shaeffers and change mine every 2-3k because I'm anal about it and it helps me sleep at night. This is regardless of temperature. That being said its personal preference. And while the temperature can have an impact on wear, i really doubt it would/should change your intervals that drastically. If at all. If its a quality oil and you feel your engine still runs smooth and feels good then stick with your current schedule.

Hope this helps!
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Old 02-06-2013, 08:16 PM   #6
Cyndy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by klapp14 View Post
Being local to Gary Lang, and having a few friends that have/still work there, they are only trying to get your money. I was originally going to buy a wrx from them, but they wouldnt budge on their prices. I drove an hour east to Highland Park and spent 4k less for a lower mileage car (same year, an options). Like hoffmanestates said, it wouldnt hurt to change it. Its really your call whether you want to go ahead and have them change it. I think you would be fine sticking to your regular schedule.
Thanks for your input. I figured this was the case. When I pushed the guy for answer as to why I need to change it more often, he said because of the cold weather. I asked him if that was a Subaru guideline or a Gary Lang guideline. He said it was an oil industry guideline.

I figure if Subaru thinks their cars need more frequent oil changes in colder temperatures, that would be in the manual and it would have also occurred at my dealership in Seattle.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Decipher View Post
Gary Lang is a bunch of criminals. I gladly drive the extra 40 minutes to go to Grand Subaru. Gary Lang has tried to screw me and my family over on several different deals. This is another shady-ass move to rape customers. Those who don't know better fall for it.

Did they also tell you the cold weather requires you do your 30k mile service at 15k? You are wise to check with us. Now, do the right thing and take your business elsewhere. And, FWIW, I change my Rotella T6 every 5k and that's even excessive in some people's eyes.
Thanks, and yes, sort of... They did try to sell me a "preventive maintenance" service they could do on the spot. I'm at 16,600... There again, I asked if this was a Subaru policy and if so, why wasn't it in my service / maintenance schedule. I asked him to look up and show me Subaru's service plan and the need for this additional service, but he said it was temporarily unavailable.

Quote:
Originally Posted by doubleUareX2011 View Post
I purchased my car at Grand Subaru and wouldnt go anywhere else for warranty work (performance i go elsewhere). They worked on my car all the while knowing I was stage 2 without any questions and even allowed me a courtesy car for over a week. Great guys over there. John (service manager) is a great guy to deal with and very honest.

Ive been to Gerald also but had a poor experience in every way except with Sandy in sales who recently just transfered to Grand (awesome!)

On the oil thing, i use Shaeffers and change mine every 2-3k because I'm anal about it and it helps me sleep at night. This is regardless of temperature. That being said its personal preference. And while the temperature can have an impact on wear, i really doubt it would/should change your intervals that drastically. If at all. If its a quality oil and you feel your engine still runs smooth and feels good then stick with your current schedule.

Hope this helps!
Thank you, yes, very helpful. Oil changes and tires are such personal preference items. I just didn't like how they were trying to BS me and pass it off as something I better do, or else... Fear tactics piss me off.

Thanks everyone for your input! I appreciate it. I won't go back to the Lang group.
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Old 02-09-2013, 05:02 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyndy View Post

Thanks for your input. I figured this was the case. When I pushed the guy for answer as to why I need to change it more often, he said because of the cold weather. I asked him if that was a Subaru guideline or a Gary Lang guideline. He said it was an oil industry guideline.

I figure if Subaru thinks their cars need more frequent oil changes in colder temperatures, that would be in the manual and it would have also occurred at my dealership in Seattle.

Thanks, and yes, sort of... They did try to sell me a "preventive maintenance" service they could do on the spot. I'm at 16,600... There again, I asked if this was a Subaru policy and if so, why wasn't it in my service / maintenance schedule. I asked him to look up and show me Subaru's service plan and the need for this additional service, but he said it was temporarily unavailable.

Thank you, yes, very helpful. Oil changes and tires are such personal preference items. I just didn't like how they were trying to BS me and pass it off as something I better do, or else... Fear tactics piss me off.

Thanks everyone for your input! I appreciate it. I won't go back to the Lang group.
Wow...so they tried to scam you in multiple ways. It makes me sad to think of how many people fall for this crap.
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Old 02-09-2013, 05:37 PM   #8
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You can always phone up Subaru customer service, ask them for what Subaru as a manufacture is recommending and them file a complaint so they can correct the issue so others are not taken on it.
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Old 02-09-2013, 06:35 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Decipher View Post
Wow...so they tried to scam you in multiple ways. It makes me sad to think of how many people fall for this crap.
I know. I've fallen for such things in the past, when I was younger and didn't know enough to question people.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AWD Freak View Post
You can always phone up Subaru customer service, ask them for what Subaru as a manufacture is recommending and them file a complaint so they can correct the issue so others are not taken on it.
I thought about it. I wasn't sure if it would make a difference, but I will pursue it if it might. Stuff like this makes me really angry; when people take advantage of others. I've had nothing but an exceptional experience with Subaru, I hate the thought of someone getting ripped off by one of their dealers and thinking they represent Subaru.

Edit: So after I posted this I thought about what the guy said about earlier intervals being an oil industry guideline. I went to the oil manufacturer's website to see what they:


We recommend you follow the oil and filter change frequencies shown in your owner's manual. Generally, this means changing your oil every six months when using Mobil Super***8482;, Mobil Super High Mileage and Mobil Super Synthetic motor oils, and every year when using Mobil 1***8482; or Mobil 1 Extended Performance synthetic oils.

So yeah, I'm going to contact Subaru and do all I can to make sure they know what's going on.

Last edited by Cyndy; 02-09-2013 at 06:57 PM.
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Old 02-09-2013, 07:09 PM   #10
AWD Freak
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Since your profile does say you are in Seattle, it's hard for us to recommend a different dealer to go to but you can always look for another dealer in the area.
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Old 02-09-2013, 07:57 PM   #11
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Oh... I should update that. I'm north, near Antioch.
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Old 02-10-2013, 12:37 PM   #12
doubleUareX2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyndy View Post
Oh... I should update that. I'm north, near Antioch.
Well us midwest folk are some of the nicer bunch Ive had the pleasure of meeting so if you ever want to do the work yourself/need help ask around - lotta cool guys and girls out here.

I dont venture that far north to know any reputable dealers, I myself generally go to Six Star in Schaumburg for everything cause Im lazy and I trust them.

I used to wrench for Nissan and would try my best to only recommend what i felt was essential but even then techs still have a bad rep in most cases...oh the auto industry...how far youve fallen.
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Old 02-21-2013, 08:36 PM   #13
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I wrote and submitted a letter to Subaru of America and cc'd Gary Lang. I haven't heard from SOA yet but Gary Lang called me to apologize. He said it is his policy to change oil at 5,000 but acknowledged the people I dealt with did not do a good job of communicating why. He said it is something they do because 7,500 miles is the maximum you can go, even with synthetic, and most people end up going over by 1,000 or so before service and they end up damaging their cars.

So, that's the message from Gary Lang himself.
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Old 02-21-2013, 10:10 PM   #14
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I think this says it best. It's from a random site I found

But as former service advisor David Langness put it, the 3,000-mile oil change is "a marketing tactic that dealers use to get you into the service bay on a regular basis. Unless you go to the drag strip on weekends, you don't need it."

Since Subaru has put the limit of oil changes at 7,500, and them probably knowing that people like to go over by some time because the service centres are full from everyone else rushing in for oil changes, it's probably safe to say that even at 7,500 there is still room left to play with. Manufactures will be on the safe side as they want to make sure they don't have to pay for a repair from their requirements.

If Audi is doing 10,000 and Porsche 911 turbo is at 15,000, these cars we have should be able to do 7,500 no problem.
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Old 02-21-2013, 10:59 PM   #15
Decipher
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But...it's a what makes a Subaru, a Subaru! I never understood this logic employed by other car companies safely obtaining longer intervals than Subaru.

Anyways, I'm glad you did what you did. We'll see if SOA agrees with Gary Lang. By his own explanation, his logic is still bad. It doesn't explain the reason for shorter intervals in the winter. It's crap. It's a scam and he still doesn't own up to the bad information since they sighted the need to change more in winter. I really despise that stealership. Keep us updated!
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Old 02-22-2013, 09:51 AM   #16
Cyndy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Decipher View Post
But...it's a what makes a Subaru, a Subaru! I never understood this logic employed by other car companies safely obtaining longer intervals than Subaru.

Anyways, I'm glad you did what you did. We'll see if SOA agrees with Gary Lang. By his own explanation, his logic is still bad. It doesn't explain the reason for shorter intervals in the winter. It's crap. It's a scam and he still doesn't own up to the bad information since they sighted the need to change more in winter. I really despise that stealership. Keep us updated!
I'll definitely post SOA's response when I receive it!

Edit:

For those who may be interested, this is the letter I sent in:

Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru Plaza
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
Attn: Customer/Dealer Services

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to inform you of what I consider to be disingenuous and predatory behavior occurring in the service department at Gary Lang Subaru in McHenry, Illinois.

First, some background:

I purchased my 2012 WRX from Chaplin's Subaru in Bellevue, Washington, in November of 2011. I could not possibly be happier with my purchase and maintenance experience with Chaplin's, which is who serviced my car for the first year/10,000 miles. My last trip to Chaplin's was for a 10,000-mile oil change, which I later found out was an incorrect interval due to the wrong reminder sticker being printed for my car. This was not a concern for me as it was a simple mistake.

I left Washington State and moved to Illinois in October 2012. It is a 2,000-mile drive and after putting another 1,000 miles on, my sticker told me it was time for an oil change. I made an appointment with Gary Lang in McHenry. When I arrived for service, I mentioned to the service representative that Chaplin's did my last oil change at 10,000 miles. It was then he told me I was too early for a scheduled oil change; since the interval is every 7,500 miles, I should come back when I reach that mileage.

Three months later, I was close to the 7,500-interval, which brings me to the reason I'm writing this. At mileage 16,600 I made another appointment with Gary Lang for an oil change. When I checked in, the service advisor, Joseph Jesky, asked if I was there for the 15,000-mile service. I was surprised because I didn't realize I was supposed to take my car in at 15,000 miles. I said yes, if it is due, let's go ahead with it and by the way, I have pre-paid maintenance. Mr. Jesky told me my pre-paid plan doesn't cover their 15,000-mile service. Again, I was surprised because that wasn't my understanding of the plan. I asked him what was included in the 15,000-mile plan that isn't covered. He responded with a list of items, including PVC valve, air filter, throttle body, and more. These items are not what are listed under the 15,000-mile service on My Subaru. I asked if this was a Subaru policy and if so, why wasn't it in my service / maintenance schedule. He said there are different plans for different cars, but never really answered me. Finally, I asked him to look online at what my car needs at 15,000 miles. He then told me he was unable to access the Subaru website where that information could be found. We proceeded with the oil change and he told me that I wouldn't need to come back for another 7,500-mile (the regular interval).

After I left Gary Lang, I looked up at the reminder sticker to see my next appointment was due in 5,000 miles. I immediately called back to the dealership to ask why I was receiving conflicting messages about the service my car needed and when I needed oil changes. The person on the phone said 5,000-intervals are recommended. I asked if that was a Subaru guideline or a dealership guideline. The person I was speaking to couldn't answer, so I asked to speak with a manager.

When the manager answered the phone (I believe his name was Adam, but I'm not entirely sure), I pushed for an answer as to why I need to change the oil more often than the 7,500-mile interval. He said it was because of the cold winter weather we experience here in Illinois, that cars lose oil over time. I asked him how do they lose oil, specifically, how would my car be losing oil. He said the older cars with higher mileage do, especially in the cold weather. My car is one year old and has 16,600 miles on it. It does not have an oil leak, but still, he insisted that I needed to bring it in more often. I asked again if that was a Subaru guideline or a Gary Lang guideline. He said it was an oil industry guideline.

When I got home I went to the Mobil Oil website to review their recommendations (link below). Mobil One is the brand of oil used at Gary Lang. This is what the Mobil One website states:

"We recommend you follow the oil and filter change frequencies shown in your owner's manual. Generally, this means changing your oil every six months when using Mobil Super***8482;, Mobil Super High Mileage and Mobil Super Synthetic motor oils, and every year when using Mobil 1***8482; or Mobil 1 Extended Performance synthetic oils."

To verify the Subaru 7,500-mile interval, I reviewed my car's service manual where I found:

"Engine Oil
Use only 5 W 30, synthetic, replacement interval 7,500 miles."

I trust that if Subaru thought their cars needed more frequent oil changes in colder temperatures, that would be outlined in the manual and it would have also occurred at my dealership in Washington as I owned the car there during the winter. In an attempt to verify with one more source, I called Chaplin's in Bellevue and asked them what the oil change interval is for colder climates. They stated, 7,500 miles.

Now that I've confirmed the oil change interval for my WRX and that the oil industry defers to manufacturers, my concern is Gary Lang is taking advantage of people and Subaru, in the name of Subaru. They're taking advantage of individuals who pay out of pocket for oil changes more frequently than needed. They're taking advantage of Subaru, by billing for oil changes more frequently than needed. They are also attempting to sell customers services that may or may not be standard.

Again, I have had such a fantastic experience with Subaru that I cringe to think there are people being taken advantage of by Gary Lang, operating on behalf of the brand. To me, that is the antithesis of what Subaru is about.

I hope this letter finds its rightful home, with someone who can review Gary Lang's service policy, procedures, and practices before too many either prospective or current Subaru-owners are caught in the same trap. I will never return to Gary Lang, even though they are the closest Subaru dealership to my home.

Mobil Oil Website:
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...Intervals.aspx


Best regards

Last edited by Cyndy; 04-30-2013 at 10:19 AM.
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Old 04-30-2013, 10:23 AM   #17
Cyndy
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I meant to update this a while ago but I forgot. I received a call from SOA and they confirmed the correct interval is 7,500 miles. The SOA representative said he was going to follow up with Gary Lang as soon as we hung up.

So, there you have it... Lol.
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Old 04-30-2013, 12:43 PM   #18
doubleUareX2011
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Still too long imo...i wont go longer than 3k
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Old 04-30-2013, 02:43 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doubleUareX2011 View Post
I purchased my car at Grand Subaru and wouldnt go anywhere else for warranty work (performance i go elsewhere). They worked on my car all the while knowing I was stage 2 without any questions and even allowed me a courtesy car for over a week. Great guys over there. John (service manager) is a great guy to deal with and very honest.

Ive been to Gerald also but had a poor experience in every way except with Sandy in sales who recently just transfered to Grand (awesome!)

On the oil thing, i use Shaeffers and change mine every 2-3k because I'm anal about it and it helps me sleep at night. This is regardless of temperature. That being said its personal preference. And while the temperature can have an impact on wear, i really doubt it would/should change your intervals that drastically. If at all. If its a quality oil and you feel your engine still runs smooth and feels good then stick with your current schedule.

Hope this helps!
You may want to refrain from posting those things in public like that, for Grand's sake. If you know what I'm saying.


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Old 04-30-2013, 04:34 PM   #20
300zxturboftw
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I go around 4500 MAX in my car, although it is modified and driven a bit harder. Might I add it also goes through about 3 quarts before a full oil change is done (less if I'm not racing around like an idiot).
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