“They want to charge you…”
When you take your car into the shop for an oil change, they’re rarely gonna be straightforward about it, instead trying to upsell.
Sometimes the recommendation is useful; other times, your car doesn’t really need what they’re selling. If you have a hard time saying “no,” watch how this guy approaches it.
In a viral video with 5.7 million views, content creator Jarron (@jarront3) recorded an insistent Valvoline employee who wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Just change my [expletive] oil,” the text overlay on the video read.
The employee is holding up what seems to be a new or near-new engine air filter that he removed from Jarron’s car, seemingly without being asked to. He’s trying to get Jarron to replace it (what he says exactly is hard to understand in the video), but Jarron isn’t having it.
“Who told you take that out?” he asks, according to the video’s title.
He then repeatedly tells the employee to return it.
“Go ahead. Put that [expletive] back, bro,” Jarron says.
But the employee won’t drop it.
“You need to get it done. I’m not gonna lie,” the employee says as he holds up the filter and points toward debris caught between some of its pleats.
“You see all this? See all this dirt in here?” he asks. To be clear, there isn’t much.
In the caption, Jarron says that when he goes there, employees are “Always trying to sell you some [expletive].”
AutoZone explains that a combustion engine needs a large volume of air, and before that air reaches the engine, the filter catches dust, dirt, debris, and even bugs that could damage its pistons, cylinders, and valves. It is different from the cabin air filter, which is a separate component.
These are the most common types:
A severely clogged filter can restrict airflow into the engine and lead to weaker acceleration, reduced fuel economy, unusual engine sounds, black exhaust smoke, or a check-engine light.
There is no single mileage that works for every car and driver. Cars.com says many maintenance schedules recommend replacing it every 30,000 to 45,000 miles, with shorter intervals for severe conditions such as dusty roads, unpaved surfaces, or heavy traffic in hot weather.
But the simple answer is to replace the filter when it is dirty. Because engine air filters are generally easy to remove, drivers can inspect them themselves. A new paper filter is typically white; heavy dirt, dark smudges, and debris blocking the pleats can indicate a filter is ready to be replaced.
One common check is to hold the filter up to a light. If light passes clearly through it, it’s likely still usable, although the test may not work on filters with a foam layer.
Changing it too early generally will not hurt the vehicle; it’ll just cost you more. And most people can replace the filter themselves easily.
The footage leaves viewers with the same question the customer and employee appear to disagree on: Does a little visible dirt mean a filter needs to go, or is it simply doing its job?
“That shi look brand new till he got his gloves all over it,” a top comment read.
“Yall saying he’s rude but what I heard was him saying no 50 times,” a person said.
“…why tf if bro just pulling shi out, tf does an air filter gotta do with a damn oil change,” another wrote.
“Easiest way to make them stop ‘I can’t pay for anything but if you [wanna] do it on the house I appreciate it,’” a person suggested.
Motor1 reached out to Jarron via TikTok direct message and comment, and to Valvoline via email. We will update this story if either party responds.
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