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Maintenance & Repair Oil change/fiascos
1297 messages, Last post on Sep 07, 2009 at 9:29 AM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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Hi, I recently(last month) got an oil change. The technician only refilled the crankcase with 5 qts. of oil. My car is supposed to take 6.3 qts. with filter. I have been driving like this for a month. I basically commute back and forth to work 40 minute round trip. Does anyone think that any damage was done to my car? Has the potential longevity of the automobile been compromised? Thanks David |
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serious - I got into the habit a long time ago of checking up after the service visit. That recently paid off when I found that the technician put the wrong weight and brand of oil in my new car. After changing to my brand and weight, I checked it again and found that he'd left the oil cap off! Double-checking folks is a good habit to get into - could save you LOTS of money, and as long as humans are doing work on cars, there's room for error. |
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| in regards to the previous two posts,maybe its time to find someone compenant to change your oil.i would not give my money to anyone that i would have to check over their work. | |
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you're always good for verbal combat, without much nice to say, but after being a service manager in a private parts/service chain with 41 techs, a Chevrolet store with 44 techs, and a small Chrysler/Jeep store with 8 techs, I've seen even the oldest, most experienced guy make a mistake. I learned a long time ago that checking over my car, in the 15 seconds it takes, gives me peace of mind and a feeling that I don't have to worry if the guy did it right. People make mistakes - if I catch it, I don't have to worry. It's the dummy who thinks his mechanic is like God who'll end up with a blown motor a mile down the road. |
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| "not much nice to say"i even took my chill pill.seriously,a person i know worked at an oil change outlet.he was having a bad day.a customer came in and treated him rudely.while he was under the vehicle draining the oil and lubing the chassis,he pumped grease into the drain opening of the oil pan.he felt he paid him back for disrespecting him.i do not know the outcome of all this since i severed ties with this individual after he told me this.i feel that the "technician"who is trained and carreer minded will take more pride in his work than the oil change guy who probably makes minimum wage. | |
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what I'm saying is that even the 40 year old mechanic who's been mechanicking for 20 years can make a mistake - I just won't check my oil in FRONT of a guy like that - I don't want him to know I'm checking his work. The responsibility, though, for care of my car is ultimately mine.
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No, being a quart low shouldn't hurt the car. I always check the oil level after a change, even if Mario Andretti did it for me. Anybody can make this mistake because some cars are very tricky to get a good reading. The stick looks fine even after a 30 second idle and shut down, but it's not fine the next morning. Commmon problem. The owner is also responsible for checking the oil level periodically. If you don't ever check it, you are really asking for trouble. Leaks, damaged oil pans, loose filters---they can all contribute to an unpleasant surprise over time. |
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Well, all dealerships have a service rep and the actual technician on their team doing the work. Yes, technicians make mistakes, that is why we have the checks and balances of the service rep . I thought???? The service rep is the contact point. IMO it is his job to check that the work is completed properly before I pick that car up. Does it normally get done, not for me it doesn't. I had a radiator replaced a few months ago at a Toyota dealer, upon pick up coolant all over the engine compartment, no way they could tell if there remained any leaks. I pointed it out to the service rep and of course, sorry, I will have it cleaned, I said go to hell, took it home cleaned it myself and, of course, the lower hose was leaking now that the area was clean. I fixed it myself and wrote the service rep, toyota central etc, and complained of lousy service. It is the service reps job to assure the work is done right and CHECK over the technicians work. It should not be mine. However, as noted, we have no choice in today's world where the dollar and in and out service rule so we are forced to check every repair and oil change. Well, I do those myself now. |
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| of a former service advisor, many service advisors DO NOT have the authority to check behind their techs. Call it politics or whatever, that's the way it is. | |
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I think you should allow the shop to correct its errors, otherwise if you correct them, you essentially have let the shop completely off the hook legally. It's not smart to intervene or have an outside shop intervene in a botched repair, it really isn't for your own good. Besides, service managers and mechanics are evaluated based on "comebacks". A comeback repair is the surest way to put heat on people in the dealership. By not allowing the comeback repair, you are removing good leverage for your complaint and for the improvement of the shop I think. Last of all, if I may note and emphasize this....bringing the car back with an obvious "botch", like coolant all over everything, is an EXCELLENT way to determine if you want to do any further business with that shop. If they jump on it and correct it, you know you are dealing with people who want to improve and who want your business. If they try to deny it, or intimidate you, or ignore you, you have a PERFECT reason to never go there again, because you have been given the TRUTH of the matter. They are no good. |
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