Help! Oil chance disaster
 

After getting my oil changed at an unnamed incompetent place, I noticed that my engine was a little louder and deeper in pitch when I started it up. I wasn't real sure what the difference was - maybe attributed it to the intense cold we've had here in the east. After a few days, I checked under the hood since I was curious if I could notice a problem. I then discovered that the idiot had left the cap off after refilling the car with oil. There's a decent amount on the engine block, but I'm most worried about the damage that might have been done driving this way.

Can anyone give me suggestions as to what I might have damaged? I plan on checking the level of oil once it cools down, and I'm sure I can take it to a dealership and have them check it out. I plan on calling the place who performed the change tomorrow and going through some profanity. I also took a few digital pictures this evening.

Any help? Anyone else had this problem?

Ugh.

How long were you running it till you noticed it, like miles wise? 10? 100? 1,000?

Some info about the car might help out too. Year, make/model and if you know the miles on the car right now.

let me guess,

Jiffy Lube?

I have heard tons of horror stories about them

Sorry. Should have included that.

2000 model, 45K miles

Ran for maybe 100 miles, mostly on the highway at 65-75 mph.

Been very cold here for the last few days, so the temp hasn't gottem above the low 40s during the entire time.

Thanks.

i doubt anything happened unless you can hear a clicking noise in the engine then you might of screwed some sh!t up

make sure you take it back to the people and make them aware of the problem. i'm sure they will work something out for you. try to get your car checked out (by another place) and get them to pay for it.

my friend took his car to jiffy lube once, and the guy ended up cracking his radiator b/c he leaned on it. he brought it back the next day, and they said they werent responsable.

good luck man... sorry to hear that. Nothing should be really wrong but a REALLY dirty engine bay. that is, if you still have a decent amount of oil left....

Jiffy Lube = total incompetants. I have never been to one where the people knew the SLIGHTEST thing about cars. They just hire them and teach them, like a monkey or dog, to do one task repetitively over and over and over until it becomes routine. Then they STILL mess things up.
They broke my dad's windshield, and only the fact that the regional manager was there saved his ass.
When I had my old Volvo 240 (whose engine was in pristine shape) they told me I had 1) piston slap 2) bad valves 3) knocking 4) an oil leak and 5) a bad clutch.
Each and every one of those statements was a lie, and my first visit became my last. The guy behind the desk hated the mechanics, and told me to say no to every procedure other than the oil change - engine flush, hose replacement, oil additive, lube every possible part they can toss grease onto, engine wash, etc.

Man, NEVER trust those places. Someone once said of Best Buy here on the board "I wouldn't let them install an air freshener." Well, I wouldn't let Jiffy Lube change a dollar, let alone change my oil.

Heh, heh. I can give a horror story as well about Juffy Lube. I got a coupon for a free oil change from them once, so I decided to get it ( :doh: ). I always changed oil myself, and I thought what could they do, right? The morons proceded to sheer the drain bolt clean from tightening it so damn hard. Luckily, they did pay to have it tapped and replaced. They then had the audacity to give me another coupon for a free oil change. I mailed the coupon and a really nasty letter to their corporate clowns and told them I didn't want a reply, I didn't want free oil changes for life, I just wanted them to know they run a circus of an organization.

hm.. i say everyone here, as well as others you can get to participate, should write them a letter.

EVERYONE i talk to hasnt got a damn thing good to say about them. just kinda make me mad they keep places like that up.

it's one thing if it's a rare thing that they mess up, but when it's everyone you talk to, there needs to be something done about it.

The offending place in this instance was not Jiffy Lube. Super Wal-mart.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

I have a Walmart story as well, but it's not nearly as bad as Jiffy Lube - the last oil change I did in my 240 DL Volvo before I did them all myself was at the Walmart near me. The tech guy was really new, not ASE certified or anything, and ended up doing the job about five times before he got it right. Nothing actually went wrong with the job, but it took close to an hour, and they tried to charge me for all the additional oil the guy had spilled, and the four oil filters he had ruined before getting the last one right - some BS about how my car "Wasn't up to spec, caused a lot of difficulty." I told them they were lucky I wasn't charging THEM for the mess they made of my engine bay. I actually watched the guy squeeze one filter with a wrench until it broke, and poked a hole in another with a screwdriver trying to see if he had tightened it enough (?!). Man, from then on it was Oil Change City in my driveway...

you should change your own oil, its not hard and that way you know its done right.

I actually went to Wal Mart to get my oil changed the last time just because it was so cold outside. No complaints

Why wasn't this statement made by someone else at the beginning of this thread?! Seriously kids, if it's too cold outside to change your oil, wear a freakin' sweater; if it's too hot outside, take off the sweater; if it's raining outside, put on a d*mn slicker; if there's a tsunami outside, wait a few minutes and read a book to pass the time. Don't pay someone to change your oil.

I agree that you should take your car back to the company that made the mistake. Don't take it to someone else to fix a problem that wasn't their fault. You will pay twice. I'm not keen on raising a ruckus, but if a company inappropriately disturbs the proper function of your property, they must accept the blame. Basically, raise hell if they don't take credit for their incompetence. All you have to do is speak with the right person. This may not be the first person you speak with. Hint: you might want to start off stating how you want to keep going back to their company in the future. They will be much more willing to help you. The raising hell thing comes in later.

The worst situation I can perceive is that some road debris got into your engine oil through the cap opening. Simple oil change will cure most problems that might occur because of this. Now...who is going to do this oil change? That's right, bucko'. You are. Get your money back from W*M, and do it yourself.








*gets off of soap box*

And the dipstick said ?

Check the oil level.

If the level's okay, then you should be fine. Of course some is going to spill out, but as long as you were running with sufficient oil, it should be okay.

I would, however, have the oil and filter changed again. You don't know what dirt or other crap could've fallen in there while you were driving, especially if the underside if your hood has any dirt on it. I'd change it again, oil and filter, make sure the level is good, and that everything sounds okay mechanically.

And I sure as hell would make THEM pay for the second oil change.

exactly, how low on oil where you???


i left mine off by mistake and driven around, opened the hood, and its a mess, but when i checked the dipstick is was a little lower than normal, so no biggy.

Wal-Mart is a JOKE. I don't know a damn thing about changing the oil and I'm 100% sure I am more competent than anyone there. I had 2 incidents with them. Once, they also left the oil cap off. 2nd time...they put the WRONG oil in and then told me I would have to pay for it to be redone. I threw major bitch fit with manager and got it done for free (like it should have been). I gave not been back to Wal-Mart for oil changes since!

wow this threath is OLDDDDDDD :goodjob: but i mean, we're Prelude owners, we change the oil ourselves right??? i mean, isn't hard and you put the best oi/filterl sinthetic or not in your engine,
Oscar

haha, My friend brought his Mitsu EVO 7 in to juffy lube for a oil chang & some other stuff......they CRACKED his valve cover trying to change the damn pcv valve!!!! how incompetent can you get??? I nthink he EVENTUALLY got them to replace it, but that shouldn't even be an issue!!! Hod do places like this get business?? or for that matter, STAY in business?!?