I filled up on the way home from work yesterday, and noticed that I was low on oil and needed to add some. Ah...this was the first time I needed to add oil since buying the car, and I didn't have any on hand (I know... and I used to have a 7, so I should know better).

So I went into the convenience store and the best I could do there was Catrol GTX 10w30. Not bad, but not really what I wanted, so I figured I'd get something better the next day, if I could find it. I bought the oil anway, though, so at least I'd have some.

So today I wanted to add some oil. There's an AutoZone close to where I live, so I figured I'd give it a shot, though I didn't expect them to have what I wanted. I called from work in the very slim hope that I'd be able to pick some up on the way home.


[AutoZone Guy #1]: Hello, AutoZone [or something like that]

[ME]: Hi, I was wondering if you had Idemitsu rotary oil?

[AutoZone Guy #1]: What's that?

[ME]: I was wondering if you had any Idemitsu brand rotary engine oil.

[AutoZone Guy #1] Hang on.

[on hold...]

[AutoZone Guy #2] Hello.

[ME]: Hi, I was wondering if you had Idemitsu rotary engine oil?

[AutoZone Guy #2]: What is that, for an RX-7?

[ME]: RX-8.

[AutoZone Guy #2]: What year?

[ME]: [WTF?] '07.

[AutoZone Guy #2]: RX-7 or RX-8?

[ME]: RX-8.

[AutoZone Guy #2]: Not seeing anything here for your car, it doesn't say anything. Maybe you should call the dealership.

[ME]: I was just wondering if you carried the Idemitsu brand of oil.

[AutoZone Guy #2]: It must be from Mazda, but I don't see anything here, you might want to call them.

[ME]: No, it's not from Mazda, I was just wondering if you had it.

[AutoZone Guy #2]: What is it?

[ME]: Idemitsu. I-D-E-M-I-T-S-U.

[AutoZone Guy #2]: I don't have any way to look that up without knowing the weight.

[Me]: [Are you serious?!] 10w30.

[AutoZone Guy #2]: Don't *think* so. We have a lot of synthetic oil, it's all really the same.

[ME]: Yeah, I was looking for this particular one...

[AutoZone Guy #2]: We have that purple stuff, forget what it's called exactly.

[ME]: Royal Purple? Yeah, I hear it's good stuff, but not what I was looking for. That's all I needed to know, thanks for your time.


So, screw it, I just ordered some Idemitsu online and topped off with the gas station 10w30 in the meantime.

That might not be exactly word-for-word, but it's as best as I can remember it.

WTF? How can you work at an auto parts store and not know anything more about cars than what you can read on a computer screen?

And if I ask for a particular brand of oil that you don't carry, just say you don't have it! Don't ask for my eff'ing make and model and drag it out for 15 minutes! I wasn't really expecting them to have it, but that was too much talk to get that info.

in my experience, most autozone/advanced/checkers/etc counter employee's are enthusiasts, the same kind of enthusiasts that mod their cars using a lot of the junk you can find in those places...

you stick 10w30 in your car?

you stick 10w30 in your car?

Yes. In Arkansas 10w30 is a hell of a lot better than 5w20.

EDIT: At the gas station 10w30 was the lightest oil I could find. Absolutely no one around here uses anything lighter. And Idemitsu oil only comes in 10w30 or heavier.

10w30 is gross. real men use 20w50

exactly ^^

Are you guys joking about 20w50?

20w50 ftw!

joking aside, i like 10w40

Devils advocate...

why are you busting the balls of someone for not knowing some off brand oil used in some wank engine in what? 6 cars in history?

I didn't know what it was, and I probably would have just hung up on your for asking the same question over and over and over and over

Devils advocate...

why are you busting the balls of someone for not knowing some off brand oil used in some wank engine in what? 6 cars in history?

I didn't know what it was, and I probably would have just hung up on your for asking the same question over and over and over and over

you work in an automotive shop, it is your job as a salesrep at autozone. more than just rotaries use idemitsu as well.

Devils advocate...

why are you busting the balls of someone for not knowing some off brand oil used in some wank engine in what? 6 cars in history?

I didn't know what it was, and I probably would have just hung up on your for asking the same question over and over and over and over

I was kind of expecting them to not have it or know what it was. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that they kept on about knowing the make and model of my car and what their computer told them about it, instead of simply saying "sorry, we don't have that."

If they had just said "sorry, never heard of it, don't have it" I would have been quite happy with them.

lol. sometimes they are useless.... i like the " i dont *think* so..." i can picture a guy saying that just as you mean to say it... perfect.

I've never heard of that brand...

And he did ask if it was for the RX-7, I give him props for that.

I've never heard of that brand...

And he did ask if it was for the RX-7, I give him props for that.

LOL, yeah I did feel a warming beam of false hope when he asked if it was for an RX-7 :)

I guess the first guy went to someone with more experience and said "there's some jackass talking about 'rotary oil' on the phone! Please help!".

That'd be like me walking into an art supply store and asking a clerk, hey do you sell a round handled 10mm pin vise with a rubber grip (its a tool used to put small holes into metal as anchor points for little models) clearly something a guy who sells a lot of paint, brushes, and canvas would probably never have heard of, even though his store sells it. I didnt get mad, its a specialized item...just like your motor oil. Sure idemitsu may be used for other cars but instead of explaining to him what the hell you meant you just made him look like a fool and no resolution was made. In my case i explained to the art store clerk what i was looking for and we had a 10 minute conversation as to what i use it for, i left with my tool and with the knowledge that i passed on some knowledge to someone who did not have it.

Have patience with people...cheers.

That'd be like me walking into an art supply store and asking a clerk, hey do you sell a round handled 10mm pin vise with a rubber grip (its a tool used to put small holes into metal as anchor points for little models) clearly something a guy who sells a lot of paint, brushes, and canvas would probably never have heard of, even though his store sells it. I didnt get mad, its a specialized item...just like your motor oil. Sure idemitsu may be used for other cars but instead of explaining to him what the hell you meant you just made him look like a fool and no resolution was made. In my case i explained to the art store clerk what i was looking for and we had a 10 minute conversation as to what i use it for, i left with my tool and with the knowledge that i passed on some knowledge to someone who did not have it.

Have patience with people...cheers.

Explain what I meant? I said what oil I was asking about by name, what car it was for, the weight I wanted, even spelled it out...what more should I have explained? Should I have gone into the design and history of the rotary engine?

Actually I was fairly polite and patient by my standards...but then, I'm an asshole.

To put it another way.

I used to be a librarian. Systems, but I covered reference during lunch.

If someone came up to me and asked "do you have the book XYZ?" I would not have responded with "What kind of glasses do you wear? I see no books listed for those glasses. What kind of frames are they for? I'm not *sure* if we have that book, but we have lots of books, they're all the same."

See the problem? A simple "no, never heard of it" would have been fine.

idemitsu has very few distributors in this country. if you find 'em, they're mostly at specialty stores. i doubt even autobacs in soCal stock it. you don't go looking for that kind of stuff in autozone. that's like walking into autozone and ask them if they stock re-amemiya dolphin tail exhaust. they'd probably be typing gibberish into their computer but they're thinking wtf? occasionally you might run into someone who works there who really know say imports or mustangs or trucks and they'd give you a sensible answer

but you are also in front of an inventory computer where with the name given can pull up the items you have in-house. so it still shouldnt have been that big of an issue...

WTF? How can you work at an auto parts store and not know anything more about cars than what you can read on a computer screen?

And if I ask for a particular brand of oil that you don't carry, just say you don't have it! Don't ask for my eff'ing make and model and drag it out for 15 minutes!
The only way for him to tell you they can or cant get it or dont have it in stock but can order it is by looking up your car info.
On the other hand, when my friend stoped working on car he was making $27 an hour. This was a long time ago so think about how much the guy you where on the phone with was making. Hes just trying to eat like you and me. Its all good.

If you need it that bad get it from http://mazdatrix.com/

Autozone is not Idemitsu's reseller. so asking them if they sell Idemitsu oil is just a waste of time.

and Just like any other product, if Autozone is not the reseller, they will never be able to get it.

I wanna use 20w50, but too cold for NYC, so Im stuck with 10w40.

RP > Idemitsu anyhow for motor oil... I do like Idemitsu for premix though.

Autozone is not Idemitsu's reseller. so asking them if they sell Idemitsu oil is just a waste of time.

and Just like any other product, if Autozone is not the reseller, they will never be able to get it.


Well, I didn't know who carried the stuff and who didn't. How would I find out? By calling and asking. I didn't expect anyone around here to actually have it.

I was just asking if they carried a particular brand of motor oil. That should not have been a difficult question to answer. You don't need to be a rotorhead to handle that question.

And what kind of screwed-up inventory system requires the make and model of the car and the weight in order to search for a brand name of oil? If looking up my make and model told them anything, it would list the 5w20 oil they had in stock, which is not what I was asking for.

In what way is it unreasonable to call an auto parts store and ask if they carry a certain brand of oil? Why does it take two employees and 15 minutes to get a clear answer to that question?

joking aside, i like 10w40

yeppers, same thing I use

I don't want to get into a debate over the right oil to use in a rotary. That's like getting into a religious discussion.

I figure if Idemitsu doesn't have the right oil for a rotary, then I don't know who would. So I want to give their stuff a try, that's all.

Wow I thought most people used 5w20 because they claim that's the only oil to use. Maybe I should do some more research...

Well, I didn't know who carried the stuff and who didn't. How would I find out? By calling and asking. I didn't expect anyone around here to actually have it.

I was just asking if they carried a particular brand of motor oil. That should not have been a difficult question to answer. You don't need to be a rotorhead to handle that question.

And what kind of screwed-up inventory system requires the make and model of the car and the weight in order to search for a brand name of oil? If looking up my make and model told them anything, it would list the 5w20 oil they had in stock, which is not what I was asking for.

In what way is it unreasonable to call an auto parts store and ask if they carry a certain brand of oil? Why does it take two employees and 15 minutes to get a clear answer to that question?



I would've called and asked just as you did. How the hell would I know who carries what without asking?

I usually get a good snicker when dealing with a salesperson like this. You'd be suprised how many people work at a <random type> store and know very little to nothing about the products. I always have a fun time at the local Staples store when asking for specific computer components. Most of their "techs" have very little knowlege beyound where the power buttons are. So rather than get frustraited I ask them something fun, like how good L2 cache is or how much HDD buffer I need. It at least amuses me with their answers.

Next time just say, "ok nevermind on that I'll have to check around but can you tell me what size oil filter I'll need for an '83 corvette stingray?" <hint: they didn't sell '83 corvettes lol>