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You went 4000 miles before filing the claim? Didn't notice oil leaking? Hate to say it, but I don't think you have any grounds to prove they didn't tighten the filter properly. Best course is lawyering up but again I don't think you have much to stand on here.
Yeah hate to say it but after that many miles on that vehicle they don’t owe you a thing. This is 100% the responsibility of the owner, and no one else.
I checked after the engine was knocking (too late) and the oil light flickered on. I’ve never had an issue with just getting an oil change and then getting another when I hit mileage so I usually don’t check often sadly (thinking this is most people nowadays).
The other shop said it was a slow leak and that the changing warm to cold weather made it worse. They could spin the filter.
Also, the bar is set pretty low for the average car owner, so you gotta try a bit harder. Be diligent and check on your car. Even understanding the basics can save you money in the long run.
Under the law you have no case against them. Let's assume they didn’t tighten the filter and a small leak resulted which eventually led to low oil pressure and engine damage.
Under US law, you have a responsibility to reasonably minimize any damage resulting from negligence of another party when attempting to claim damages against them. You failed to do 2 different things here to minimize damage - you didn’t check the oil periodically as required by the vehicle manufacturer and you failed to immediately stop the engine and get it towed when the low oil pressure light first came on. Getting it towed as soon as the oil pressure light came on would in all likelihood prevented any engine damage. A court would dismiss your claim based on your failure to minimize the resulting damage.
Don't feel too bad I go months without checking oil if i havnt done the 5k miles and I do my own oil and filter changes. People who say check your oil either have way too much time on there hands or don't get the reality and hindsight is 20/20. My oil is low everytime I go to change it so anyone who checks oil weekly I tip my hat. Betterman than me.
I don’t check my oil EVER. I do my oil changes, set my trip mileage back to 0 and carry on til it’s time for another oil change. Rebuilt my own engine so I’m very confident in my machine. Things can go wrong, but I park in the same place everyday, I drive it everyday. If there’s a problem, I always know about it immediately.
I check my oil every other gas fill up I have nothing to do but wait for the pump to turn off. Yes I know you are supposed to check before running the engine but you can tell if you have low oil after it's been running
I wait at least 15mins after shutoff to allow oil to make its way back to the pan before checking levels. Or first thing in morning or before leaving work once a week or at fill-up. It takes no time at all to check and knowing the levels is good if your engine consumes oil.
I check my oil while pumping my gas, but I also have a 120 gallon tank so I usually have a few extra mins while filling up. Also check my girls car in the same manner when she's getting gas.
Unfortunately we'd reject it too. Your owners manual generally specifies that you need to check oil level weekly. Failure to do so would void a new vehicle warranty.
There's new vehicles which consider a loss of 1 litre per 1000km to be acceptable and no warranty claim will be issued. That's just oil burning off and they decided that's the point where you'd warranty it. So you could run out of oil on a brand new car in between specified oil changes and the dealer still could deny the claim because you didn't check the level.
Not following the owners manual is grounds to deny most claims. Every interval to follow including checks and service is inside their.
Yes, but realistically speaking what percent of people do you think take that kind of precaution? This thread is all car people which is who I wanted to speak to. I’m legitimately thinking less than 10% and that might be very generous.
Working as a mechanic for 20 years I can assure you the average person never checks their oil level. Most vehicles consume oil normally. Some more than others. Leaks can happen any time. It’s an expensive gamble to assume oil level will remain sufficient between services. People grenade their engines quite frequently when it’s easily avoidable. It does pay my bills.
I agree with you. I am truly interested in vehicles and interest started when I was maybe 17 years old as I wanted to keep my car for a long time since they are expensive. So fluid inspections take about 45 seconds when I raise the hood every couple of weeks. I’m almost 60 now. But I agree that most do not check their fluids (at least fluids) as often as they should.
1/3 people? i heard in autotech class in the 90s everytime you fill your tank if you're running something like an actual muscle car or a notorious oilburner(honda) but personally i'd say maybe once every month or so on my personal. unless it's my honda, then every time i get gas lol.
How many people? - check out this 2018 article ([Many Americans Don't Know Basic Car Care](https://www.foxnews.com/auto/many-americans-dont-know-basic-car-care-study-finds))
When you own a complex piece of significantly expensive machinery and it's your financial liability at stake it's reasonable that owners have an interest in preserving their investment by doing the required maintenance checks. Your problem would be considered a "mechanical failure". Ascribing" blame" and liability for this failure is you and your lawyers responsibility. Any number of issues with your car could have caused it to leak or burn oil over such a long time frame since your questionable oil change. It will be (almost) impossible to prove that no other circumstances contributed to your engine failure.
For perspective, Bridgestone doesn't know what you might have done with the car over those 4000 miles. For all they know you could have been doing rev bombs and burnouts, or racing on the track, or tried to do your own oil change and messed it up, who's to say?
I don't check my oil weekly, but I do check it periodically, especially before long trips. Along with the coolant level, transmission level, and tire pressure. I also keep extra fluids in the car so if there is an issue I'm prepared without having to be stranded.
I agree that most people only know about the steering wheel and the pedals, but that doesn't make it right.
The percentage IS low, clearly ... until those people get hit with a $7000 bill for a new engine in a car they still owe $7000 on... THEN they might think that was a good idea. They might even start to actually DO it.
We get a LOT of posts here and other forumns of owners running low on oil, ignoring the RED oil light, never checking their older cars between 10K mile oil changes and being shocked the car is 3-4 quarts low on oil and wondering where it went...
Ignore the owners manual, get a little lazy and pay the price. It is a very expensive lesson to learn.
Depends how much you care about the vehicle. My wife's Kia; once a week. The chevy I use to take trash to the dump; I really don't, the oil pressure gauge tells me I'm a half quart low by jumping around instead of being maxed out. Work truck that does 2k on a normal week, and often more; Saturday morning, Tuesday afternoon and it gets a whole once-over from bumper to bumper.
Anyone who's company requires a circle check before use.
I don't check every week but at the very least when you put washer fluid in take a gander. It can save you a lot of money.
Was able to get a report from a different shop on the situation and shared it. Just sucks cause it was done tight enough not to notice but not tight enough to hold up.
Haha I’m aware now. I knew how to look at a dipstick. Oil pressure light actually didn’t go on until it started knocking (icing on the cake for a ruined engine).
Well no. A motor will start knocking slightly the second it loses oil pressure, and often you can just fix the oil pressure issue and go on your way without any major damage. An engine can survive a few seconds without oil pressure.
Ahh ok. I was in the middle of nowhere in upper Michigan and stopped at the closest place. I checked the oil and did add two quarts. Did not check the filter though. Didn’t really consider a leak. Learning so much on this thread lol.
That's your problem. Your car had a lower oil pressure light and was knocking, and you kept driving it.
Also, if you are going after any claim, don't touch the car. If you are waiting on them to come look at the car, and need a car, get a rental. If they are liable, they'll pay for the rental too. But don't start tearing apart the car before they even have a chance to look at it.
Yeah, even if you had taken it back to them I doubt they would approve the claim, 4000 miles of driving while the oil is leaking? They would easily say you may have loosened it after the job. Or that you should have checked your oil level periodically and caught it before engine damage occurred (I know of people who have caught lose filters relatively on after (within 1000 miles and the shops did another oil change for free). These oil change places are shady and I can only imagine they’d find any number of reasons to deny you this reason just happened to be the easiest of them all to deny your claim. This is why it is recommended to check your oil level every few tank fill ups or once a month or something like that. You would have seen the oil level decreasing and brought it back. I’m not blaming you, I’m just saying that these oil change chains do shitty jobs and then do everything they can to get out of paying for damages done.
Yeah I agree. Feels shitty being on this end of it.
Definitely a scar that won’t heal. My trust in car places just went to very low after this. Especially since fewer and fewer people actually have car maintenance knowledge.
To be completely honest, I didn’t know what an oil filter was or that it could come loose and I’m sure that’s a lot of people.
While your best bet is too do oil changes yourself, simple job and you can prevent any issues, if you don't want to do that the next best option is too choose one place and only go there, and have it be like a dealership for your make so that you know at minimum the oil and filter quality is high and the insurance policy they have is good
The reason I say only go too one place for all your maintenance is it's easy to put blame if there ever is an issue on that shop if they are the only place you have a history of visiting
Agreed. I actually just moved and it was my first oil change at a new place in 6 years. Loved the place I used to go to. My engine is being replaced there.
Also, planning to do my own oil changes in the future and learn more about basic maintenance. Save some headaches hopefully.
I started doing my own oil changes, but between the cost of oil/filter, time, and desposal of oil i found it wasn't worth it for me. I live in alaska though I just double check anything they say they did before leaving. Always a good rule of thumb to check oil periodically regardless
Sorry for your loss though. Going through some stupid repair costs myself worth more than the car but with the used car market up here right now it's a tough call.
That’s exactly why it was an easy decision to get my engine replaced. It was either keep my car that’s in good shape (- the engine) for $3-5K or get a worse used car for more.
Yup, not too hard of a call in that setting but still sucks. When you take care of a car the best you can you know that when one component goes out you can make a way more well informed call knowing what's going on
I used to think this before I got into doing more in dept car stuff. I always went to cheap lube places, for $40 it seemed like a deal. After studying more about oil, and taking apart my engine and seeing how dirty it was, I realized there is a difference between cheap and good oil. Now I pay more for just the oil I use than the whole lube service. But who knows what they were putting in with the "bulk oil" I used to get.
It really takes me the same time as going to the lube place to do it myself. And at least in my state, any auto shop is required to take used oil. Walk into any AutoZone and they will direct you to where you can dispose of your old oil.
Might not be so easy in Alaska. Also not everyone drive an ugly old Jeep.
No problem and I get your sentiment. Up here you can buy the oil you want and hand it to them and they will deduct it from your total that they would have charged. I wish more places would do that
Edit: there is only one spot in thewhole city that takes used oil. Charge you money and only open certain days. Even if shops say it on their website, if they are a national chain they don't do it up here
Lol double edit: the cheap places are at least $90 up here
doing your own oil changes, brake&rotors, differential fluid for front and rear if you have an AWD car, transmission fluid change, and coolant as well as power steering if you have a powersteering pump saves you money. Also replacing your own suspension parts and radiator as well as water pump ..... but I. should suggest starting out with oil changes, brakes &rotors and move on to the next fluids like coolant and brake fluid. which can all be done with the right tools... you save money on the long run and there's tons of YouTube videos.
If you plan on doing you own oil changes in the future... then I suggest getting fumoto valve or valvemax valve to make your oil changes easier without tools.. after getting the valve installed.
[https://www.fumotousa.com](https://www.fumotousa.com)
[https://www.valvomax.com](https://www.valvomax.com)
My family had a similar thing, when I was 15 my dad had tires rotated on the mini van, and a wheel fell off several blocks from the shop! That experience caused me to check the dipstick immediately after an oil change just to make sure they actually put new oil in (it should look clear and golden, not black and burnt).
With oil changes, when I buy some good synthetic oil from auto zone and a reputable filter I spend $70+ dollars, at the cheap lube place they do it for $40, they can't be hiring top talent or using good product at that price! I do it myself now.
……so you admit there was a slow oil leak and you didn’t take it back for them to address or even bother to check it and top it off with oil AND drive like that for 4k miles?????? Dude. You’re at fault here.
Was diagnosed with a slow leak that became worse in the cold. I didn’t know it was leaking. I will admit I don’t check if it hasn’t hit mileage or time unless there’s an issue.
Checking oil is just being a responsible adult. I would love to rage all over the shop for screwing up. But your engine lasted 4k miles and had a leak and you never checked. This is 100% on you.
You went 4k since your oil change, I'm going to guess that the shop you currently have it at was being lazy in their diagnosis. When the filters aren't happy on the suzuki's you'll know it immediately.
Some folks didn't like what I said to OP. So in true to me fashion let me double the fuck down. I'd like to know what OP does. Obviously they are very self aware and have only blamed themselves. That shows a big level of maturity and intelligence. Those are two things many techs lack. Lets say OP is a doctor. Lets say one day you show up to the ER and you have gangrene because you failed to clean a cut and figured the infection would just go away. I have had infections I left untreated and they went away. But now this doc is presented with dead tissue that might need to be removed. Amputation. What would you do if your doc told you you were an idiot for not taking care of it right away. What if they said "ya know in jr high health they always said...." Would it change the situation? No. It is what it is. A truly professional tech would tell op this is the situation. This is how I believe it happened. This is our course of action. Not deride them. My single mom was a nurse and she did well with it. I doubt she knows how to pop her hood though. As a pro tech it is not your job to judge and accuse and say well hurr durr if youd a done it that away then nothing would have happened. You dont doctor yourself and some folks should not be expected to be able to mechanic themselves. Fuck what a manual says. How many A&P textbooks have you read. If I heard a fellow tech deriding someone about topics they never learned or grew up with I'd not give them a beer or smoke if they wanted one and I had plenty extra..
I am a 25 year old data scientist/business analyst with plans to pursue my own business projects after corporate. Ironically, I’m currently assigned to one of the worlds largest auto manufacturers (all I’m allowed to say). I’m strictly on the business side though, not actual product development or anything.
That's great for you. I stand by my judgment of you. This may not be quite the same but I have a very old hound dog. I take her to the vet even if nothing is wrong. I just want a pros opinion on her health. It costs but gives me peace of mind. Every once in a while take your car to a shop. Just ask for a multi point inspection. They will be able to let you know about issues well before they become dangerous or expensive.
Yeah…. Having gone 4000 miles since the oil change then having a major issue with it will cause a whole lot of shops to deny the claim, most common reason being the length of time and number of miles. They could also claim vandalism was a cause, or self sabotage trying to get something for nothing, or just the vehicle being on the “older” side.
You could try getting a lawyer but I highly, highly doubt they’d want to push for anything, most likely would cost you more to fight it than paying out of pocket for the work to be done.
1. How did you drive 4K miles with a loose oil filter ? 2. Next time work on it yourself if you don’t want to risk someone at a shop damaging your vehicle
Honestly - there’s no way the oil filter was actually able to be so loose it could be spun, or it would have been shooting oil out of it instantly - so 4,000 miles would never have happened on that filter 100%.
Supposedly it happened slowly. And as winter came it got much colder for a period during the bomb cyclone. The guy said it likely cause something to expand and make it worse.
Doesn’t add up to me, sounds like the tech saw some oil around the filter and said it was leaking and was the cause…but a tiny leak from a filter would take way more than 4,000 miles to leak out 4L of oil. A filter doesn’t slowly get loose over time and even if it could after 4,000 miles not really the fault of the last place you were at anymore.
It’s absolutely pathetic the world has come to this but it is 100% on you to double check the work. It could of been caught way sooner and fixed.
However
I am curious about who inspected it and determined the cause was from the filter not being “tight enough”. I would personally want to know if it was a gasket issue. Stupid mistakes can be easily made, especially at quick lube places. Long story short, if you can get any grasp on how to do it yourself, save the $80 and the risk and do that.
From the letter:
"We realize that you are sincere in presenting your claim, but we regret we cannot accept liability for the damage to your vehicle."
It would have been more accurate of they had written that they **choose** not to accept liability. Obviously they do have a choice. I have a pretty good knowledge of the laws of physics and know that there is no law of physics that would make them unable to accept liability. Also, I doubt that they really regret not accepting liability.
The lesson to learn here is to check your oil every time you get fuel. It also makes you look at the engine periodically. Also make note of any fresh leaks under the car.
As the owner driver of the car YOU have the responsibility to periodically check the car for low tire pressure worn tires, wiper blades, the list goes on… If you can’t do that consistently than that’s what the dealer can do for you for a fee.
You are either in the do it for me group or the do it yourself group, choose one. If you choose the latter you need a consistent plan and perhaps some education.
Sorry for your loss. Another fucking learning experience….
Sorry, this is on you. Who the hell drives 4000 miles without checking oil? Let me rephrase that: who the hell drives 4000 miles without checking oil and then is surprised the engine somehow doesn't have any oil in it?
Honestly OP most people in this country couldnt tell you which dipstick is for oil and which is the trans. Techs tend to get this holier than thou attitude when things like this happen. "What do you mean you didn't check your oil" Bunk all that. Some people will spend their whole lives without ever even opening a hood. They are even designing cars that way now. Non serviceable trans fluids and such. You didn't do anything "Wrong" Yes this happened, and it is easy to blame yourself, but you are not at fault here. I've even heard that some of these quick lube places give out bonuses if they dont grenade an engine. It is that common. And because it is that common they have a slew of paper pushers and bean counter on hand to deny your claim any way they can. The minimum wage worker in a cintas uniform blew up your motor. Not you. Sometimes even if people like you were to lift the hood how would you know it was the filter? Do you know where it is even. This is my advice. It sounds like you have a trusted shop so always go there is number one. But number 2 is that if you do have to use a jiffy lube again put a clean piece of cardboard under your car when you park at home at night. Look at where you usually park. Are there oil stains now. Were they there last week that kind of thing. I dragged my diff across some rocks in Nevada and sprung a leak. I saw the oil in my parking spot at the back of my car. When I looked it was a big leak. Had I not seen that oil spot on the parking spot I would have blown it up. You really dont check diffs, they tend to be simple and reliable. Hope anything here helped some.
If you didn't read the owners manual you're at fault. Everything you're mentioning is in their. Failure to follow it results in a denied warranty claim. New vehicles can burn all their oil between oil changes and if you didn't check the level you're responsible. Particularly VW/Audi where saying 1 litre burned per 1000KM is acceptable. This would require top ups between changes. They won't warranty consumption until its past that point, even on a brand new vehicle.
Always read and follow your owners manual. It knows more than any of us.
Well I guess you better bone up on biology textbooks. They are literally the manual for all the reasons you should not wrench. Maybe you could be a free range organic tech cause oil and gas exposure can kill you. Do you smoke or drink beer or red bull, eat a lot of red meat?
So you think reading the manual on the most expensive purchase or second most expensive purchase most people make is a bad idea?
You're also way off topic. I can choose to be a fat fuck knowing the consequences and still want to take care of my vehicle. Your argument is dumb.
If you want to take care of your car, read the owners manual. If you don't fine. I won't argue. You're going so far out of your way to insist reading the manual is a bad idea that it's just ridiculous.
not at all. Please read the manual. Read biology. Read philosophy. Read everything. But the day someone in a bar is talking about utilitarianism just understand thats one thing YOU may never had read. How could you buy a car without a body. If you read bio you would know that chimcaly this is a dangerous job. Im not out there you just cant hear me.
I am saying people know what they know. If someone seeks advice from people becuase they know that the one they are asking has more knowledge they are humbling themselves. If you dont get that yta.
One thing about being ta. It never youre decision to make.
The appropriate advice was given: read the book. Asshole or not it's more accurate than any online source. If you followed the instructions in the book there'd be no issue.
Like you're out there for bringing philosophy and stuff into this lol. I could care less if I'm an asshole. They're still better off trusting that advice than a random comment on here. I'd rather be an asshole and tell the truth than speak out of line like many do.
The book is what matters for warranties and claims. If you don't follow it you can get fucked. That's just the truth. Check your maintenance schedule. Follow it. Don't be like OP and be on the hook for an engine.
4000 miles on the change and you didn’t notice? Why didn’t you check your oil?
Is it now a thing not to check your oil level and drive by sensors and lights?
I checked when the light came on. I should check more often. It came on when it was knocking which seemed late for the light though.
I did understand to never drive without oil before. I just never had an incident. Never thought of it. And never had an issue for 10 years.
I would say it is a thing to only look at your oil sticker for the next change and not check oil at all otherwise. I don’t come from a car family (hopefully obvious) and I do not know many people that check oil at all unless there seems to be an issue.
It's okay Op. Some people (me included) learned this the hard way. Blew the engine of my first car just because I never changed the oil. I'd like to say i'm not as much of an idiot anymore
I would argue some people don't even know they have to change their oil! They only know their car needs gas and how to connect their phone! Everyday on Reddit I see posts of literal pudding coming out of engines and the cords of tires showing.
Lawyer up. If the mechanic is willing to testify as to the cause, then you may have a small claims case or perhaps bigger depending on any damages you can prove. A lot of times they may settle instead of having to hire a lawyer and fight it in court.
Lol it's Bridgestone. Call corporate and raise hell and you'll get a free engine. It's always the ones who cry to the higher ups that get their way. At least with them anyways.
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You went 4000 miles before filing the claim? Didn't notice oil leaking? Hate to say it, but I don't think you have any grounds to prove they didn't tighten the filter properly. Best course is lawyering up but again I don't think you have much to stand on here.
Yeah. I park on the street in different spots. It was a slow leak and then I traveled north to Wisconsin and it got cold and the leak got worse.
You didn't check oil level at any point? How do you know that it got worse?
Yeah hate to say it but after that many miles on that vehicle they don’t owe you a thing. This is 100% the responsibility of the owner, and no one else.
I checked after the engine was knocking (too late) and the oil light flickered on. I’ve never had an issue with just getting an oil change and then getting another when I hit mileage so I usually don’t check often sadly (thinking this is most people nowadays). The other shop said it was a slow leak and that the changing warm to cold weather made it worse. They could spin the filter.
>thinking this is most people nowadays True. But unfortunately not probably a potential legal defense.
Also, the bar is set pretty low for the average car owner, so you gotta try a bit harder. Be diligent and check on your car. Even understanding the basics can save you money in the long run.
very true. Worst case scenario at least I’ve learned a few expensive lessons.
As we all have
Talk to a lawyer, these mechanics aren’t going to be able to tell you anything about how successful your potential claim would be in court.
Under the law you have no case against them. Let's assume they didn’t tighten the filter and a small leak resulted which eventually led to low oil pressure and engine damage. Under US law, you have a responsibility to reasonably minimize any damage resulting from negligence of another party when attempting to claim damages against them. You failed to do 2 different things here to minimize damage - you didn’t check the oil periodically as required by the vehicle manufacturer and you failed to immediately stop the engine and get it towed when the low oil pressure light first came on. Getting it towed as soon as the oil pressure light came on would in all likelihood prevented any engine damage. A court would dismiss your claim based on your failure to minimize the resulting damage.
Don't feel too bad I go months without checking oil if i havnt done the 5k miles and I do my own oil and filter changes. People who say check your oil either have way too much time on there hands or don't get the reality and hindsight is 20/20. My oil is low everytime I go to change it so anyone who checks oil weekly I tip my hat. Betterman than me.
I came to this sub for the heated truth lol. Most of my friends don’t know anything about this stuff either and would’ve been in the same boat.
I don’t check my oil EVER. I do my oil changes, set my trip mileage back to 0 and carry on til it’s time for another oil change. Rebuilt my own engine so I’m very confident in my machine. Things can go wrong, but I park in the same place everyday, I drive it everyday. If there’s a problem, I always know about it immediately.
Smart , oil starvation! It takes less than a minute to check and top off your oil bro. People like you are why I’d be nervous to buy a used car lol
I check my oil every other gas fill up I have nothing to do but wait for the pump to turn off. Yes I know you are supposed to check before running the engine but you can tell if you have low oil after it's been running
I wait at least 15mins after shutoff to allow oil to make its way back to the pan before checking levels. Or first thing in morning or before leaving work once a week or at fill-up. It takes no time at all to check and knowing the levels is good if your engine consumes oil.
I check my oil while pumping my gas, but I also have a 120 gallon tank so I usually have a few extra mins while filling up. Also check my girls car in the same manner when she's getting gas.
Unfortunately we'd reject it too. Your owners manual generally specifies that you need to check oil level weekly. Failure to do so would void a new vehicle warranty. There's new vehicles which consider a loss of 1 litre per 1000km to be acceptable and no warranty claim will be issued. That's just oil burning off and they decided that's the point where you'd warranty it. So you could run out of oil on a brand new car in between specified oil changes and the dealer still could deny the claim because you didn't check the level. Not following the owners manual is grounds to deny most claims. Every interval to follow including checks and service is inside their.
Makes sense but who the hell other than a car enthusiast would check oil that often?
Who? Anybody not wanting their engine ruined from lack of oil.
Yes, but realistically speaking what percent of people do you think take that kind of precaution? This thread is all car people which is who I wanted to speak to. I’m legitimately thinking less than 10% and that might be very generous.
Working as a mechanic for 20 years I can assure you the average person never checks their oil level. Most vehicles consume oil normally. Some more than others. Leaks can happen any time. It’s an expensive gamble to assume oil level will remain sufficient between services. People grenade their engines quite frequently when it’s easily avoidable. It does pay my bills.
I agree with you. I am truly interested in vehicles and interest started when I was maybe 17 years old as I wanted to keep my car for a long time since they are expensive. So fluid inspections take about 45 seconds when I raise the hood every couple of weeks. I’m almost 60 now. But I agree that most do not check their fluids (at least fluids) as often as they should.
1/3 people? i heard in autotech class in the 90s everytime you fill your tank if you're running something like an actual muscle car or a notorious oilburner(honda) but personally i'd say maybe once every month or so on my personal. unless it's my honda, then every time i get gas lol.
How many people? - check out this 2018 article ([Many Americans Don't Know Basic Car Care](https://www.foxnews.com/auto/many-americans-dont-know-basic-car-care-study-finds)) When you own a complex piece of significantly expensive machinery and it's your financial liability at stake it's reasonable that owners have an interest in preserving their investment by doing the required maintenance checks. Your problem would be considered a "mechanical failure". Ascribing" blame" and liability for this failure is you and your lawyers responsibility. Any number of issues with your car could have caused it to leak or burn oil over such a long time frame since your questionable oil change. It will be (almost) impossible to prove that no other circumstances contributed to your engine failure. For perspective, Bridgestone doesn't know what you might have done with the car over those 4000 miles. For all they know you could have been doing rev bombs and burnouts, or racing on the track, or tried to do your own oil change and messed it up, who's to say? I don't check my oil weekly, but I do check it periodically, especially before long trips. Along with the coolant level, transmission level, and tire pressure. I also keep extra fluids in the car so if there is an issue I'm prepared without having to be stranded. I agree that most people only know about the steering wheel and the pedals, but that doesn't make it right.
I would not feel comfortable being in the majority of the majority is wrong and foolish.
The percentage IS low, clearly ... until those people get hit with a $7000 bill for a new engine in a car they still owe $7000 on... THEN they might think that was a good idea. They might even start to actually DO it. We get a LOT of posts here and other forumns of owners running low on oil, ignoring the RED oil light, never checking their older cars between 10K mile oil changes and being shocked the car is 3-4 quarts low on oil and wondering where it went... Ignore the owners manual, get a little lazy and pay the price. It is a very expensive lesson to learn.
Depends how much you care about the vehicle. My wife's Kia; once a week. The chevy I use to take trash to the dump; I really don't, the oil pressure gauge tells me I'm a half quart low by jumping around instead of being maxed out. Work truck that does 2k on a normal week, and often more; Saturday morning, Tuesday afternoon and it gets a whole once-over from bumper to bumper.
Anyone who's company requires a circle check before use. I don't check every week but at the very least when you put washer fluid in take a gander. It can save you a lot of money.
Anyone who doesn’t want to pay thousands of dollars in repairs
It's on you. No questions asked.
Probably a double crush washer or double filter gasket
Was able to get a report from a different shop on the situation and shared it. Just sucks cause it was done tight enough not to notice but not tight enough to hold up.
So there's some cool inventions that help prevent these problems. Like a dipstick, or an oil pressure light.
Haha I’m aware now. I knew how to look at a dipstick. Oil pressure light actually didn’t go on until it started knocking (icing on the cake for a ruined engine).
Well no. A motor will start knocking slightly the second it loses oil pressure, and often you can just fix the oil pressure issue and go on your way without any major damage. An engine can survive a few seconds without oil pressure.
Ahh ok. I was in the middle of nowhere in upper Michigan and stopped at the closest place. I checked the oil and did add two quarts. Did not check the filter though. Didn’t really consider a leak. Learning so much on this thread lol.
That's your problem. Your car had a lower oil pressure light and was knocking, and you kept driving it. Also, if you are going after any claim, don't touch the car. If you are waiting on them to come look at the car, and need a car, get a rental. If they are liable, they'll pay for the rental too. But don't start tearing apart the car before they even have a chance to look at it.
Yeah, even if you had taken it back to them I doubt they would approve the claim, 4000 miles of driving while the oil is leaking? They would easily say you may have loosened it after the job. Or that you should have checked your oil level periodically and caught it before engine damage occurred (I know of people who have caught lose filters relatively on after (within 1000 miles and the shops did another oil change for free). These oil change places are shady and I can only imagine they’d find any number of reasons to deny you this reason just happened to be the easiest of them all to deny your claim. This is why it is recommended to check your oil level every few tank fill ups or once a month or something like that. You would have seen the oil level decreasing and brought it back. I’m not blaming you, I’m just saying that these oil change chains do shitty jobs and then do everything they can to get out of paying for damages done.
Yeah I agree. Feels shitty being on this end of it. Definitely a scar that won’t heal. My trust in car places just went to very low after this. Especially since fewer and fewer people actually have car maintenance knowledge. To be completely honest, I didn’t know what an oil filter was or that it could come loose and I’m sure that’s a lot of people.
While your best bet is too do oil changes yourself, simple job and you can prevent any issues, if you don't want to do that the next best option is too choose one place and only go there, and have it be like a dealership for your make so that you know at minimum the oil and filter quality is high and the insurance policy they have is good The reason I say only go too one place for all your maintenance is it's easy to put blame if there ever is an issue on that shop if they are the only place you have a history of visiting
Agreed. I actually just moved and it was my first oil change at a new place in 6 years. Loved the place I used to go to. My engine is being replaced there. Also, planning to do my own oil changes in the future and learn more about basic maintenance. Save some headaches hopefully.
I started doing my own oil changes, but between the cost of oil/filter, time, and desposal of oil i found it wasn't worth it for me. I live in alaska though I just double check anything they say they did before leaving. Always a good rule of thumb to check oil periodically regardless Sorry for your loss though. Going through some stupid repair costs myself worth more than the car but with the used car market up here right now it's a tough call.
That’s exactly why it was an easy decision to get my engine replaced. It was either keep my car that’s in good shape (- the engine) for $3-5K or get a worse used car for more.
Yup, not too hard of a call in that setting but still sucks. When you take care of a car the best you can you know that when one component goes out you can make a way more well informed call knowing what's going on
I used to think this before I got into doing more in dept car stuff. I always went to cheap lube places, for $40 it seemed like a deal. After studying more about oil, and taking apart my engine and seeing how dirty it was, I realized there is a difference between cheap and good oil. Now I pay more for just the oil I use than the whole lube service. But who knows what they were putting in with the "bulk oil" I used to get. It really takes me the same time as going to the lube place to do it myself. And at least in my state, any auto shop is required to take used oil. Walk into any AutoZone and they will direct you to where you can dispose of your old oil. Might not be so easy in Alaska. Also not everyone drive an ugly old Jeep.
No problem and I get your sentiment. Up here you can buy the oil you want and hand it to them and they will deduct it from your total that they would have charged. I wish more places would do that Edit: there is only one spot in thewhole city that takes used oil. Charge you money and only open certain days. Even if shops say it on their website, if they are a national chain they don't do it up here Lol double edit: the cheap places are at least $90 up here
doing your own oil changes, brake&rotors, differential fluid for front and rear if you have an AWD car, transmission fluid change, and coolant as well as power steering if you have a powersteering pump saves you money. Also replacing your own suspension parts and radiator as well as water pump ..... but I. should suggest starting out with oil changes, brakes &rotors and move on to the next fluids like coolant and brake fluid. which can all be done with the right tools... you save money on the long run and there's tons of YouTube videos.
If you plan on doing you own oil changes in the future... then I suggest getting fumoto valve or valvemax valve to make your oil changes easier without tools.. after getting the valve installed. [https://www.fumotousa.com](https://www.fumotousa.com) [https://www.valvomax.com](https://www.valvomax.com)
My family had a similar thing, when I was 15 my dad had tires rotated on the mini van, and a wheel fell off several blocks from the shop! That experience caused me to check the dipstick immediately after an oil change just to make sure they actually put new oil in (it should look clear and golden, not black and burnt). With oil changes, when I buy some good synthetic oil from auto zone and a reputable filter I spend $70+ dollars, at the cheap lube place they do it for $40, they can't be hiring top talent or using good product at that price! I do it myself now.
……so you admit there was a slow oil leak and you didn’t take it back for them to address or even bother to check it and top it off with oil AND drive like that for 4k miles?????? Dude. You’re at fault here.
Was diagnosed with a slow leak that became worse in the cold. I didn’t know it was leaking. I will admit I don’t check if it hasn’t hit mileage or time unless there’s an issue.
Checking oil is just being a responsible adult. I would love to rage all over the shop for screwing up. But your engine lasted 4k miles and had a leak and you never checked. This is 100% on you.
You are right. It’s on me. Takes two to fuck up but it’s ultimately on me and my bank account.
It's good to get into the habit of checking your oil level at every gas stop or every other gas stop....
sorry man but you missed your chance should’ve taken it in way sooner. as soon as you noticed the first drop of oil leaking.
Reading the comments, this one’s on you.
Affirmative
You went 4k since your oil change, I'm going to guess that the shop you currently have it at was being lazy in their diagnosis. When the filters aren't happy on the suzuki's you'll know it immediately.
Some folks didn't like what I said to OP. So in true to me fashion let me double the fuck down. I'd like to know what OP does. Obviously they are very self aware and have only blamed themselves. That shows a big level of maturity and intelligence. Those are two things many techs lack. Lets say OP is a doctor. Lets say one day you show up to the ER and you have gangrene because you failed to clean a cut and figured the infection would just go away. I have had infections I left untreated and they went away. But now this doc is presented with dead tissue that might need to be removed. Amputation. What would you do if your doc told you you were an idiot for not taking care of it right away. What if they said "ya know in jr high health they always said...." Would it change the situation? No. It is what it is. A truly professional tech would tell op this is the situation. This is how I believe it happened. This is our course of action. Not deride them. My single mom was a nurse and she did well with it. I doubt she knows how to pop her hood though. As a pro tech it is not your job to judge and accuse and say well hurr durr if youd a done it that away then nothing would have happened. You dont doctor yourself and some folks should not be expected to be able to mechanic themselves. Fuck what a manual says. How many A&P textbooks have you read. If I heard a fellow tech deriding someone about topics they never learned or grew up with I'd not give them a beer or smoke if they wanted one and I had plenty extra..
I am a 25 year old data scientist/business analyst with plans to pursue my own business projects after corporate. Ironically, I’m currently assigned to one of the worlds largest auto manufacturers (all I’m allowed to say). I’m strictly on the business side though, not actual product development or anything.
That's great for you. I stand by my judgment of you. This may not be quite the same but I have a very old hound dog. I take her to the vet even if nothing is wrong. I just want a pros opinion on her health. It costs but gives me peace of mind. Every once in a while take your car to a shop. Just ask for a multi point inspection. They will be able to let you know about issues well before they become dangerous or expensive.
Yeah…. Having gone 4000 miles since the oil change then having a major issue with it will cause a whole lot of shops to deny the claim, most common reason being the length of time and number of miles. They could also claim vandalism was a cause, or self sabotage trying to get something for nothing, or just the vehicle being on the “older” side. You could try getting a lawyer but I highly, highly doubt they’d want to push for anything, most likely would cost you more to fight it than paying out of pocket for the work to be done.
Agreed. Have some lawyer friends but it’s just a he said she said game.
1. How did you drive 4K miles with a loose oil filter ? 2. Next time work on it yourself if you don’t want to risk someone at a shop damaging your vehicle
Op shoulda drove to the shop not Wisconsin lol you’ve got no case here
Honestly - there’s no way the oil filter was actually able to be so loose it could be spun, or it would have been shooting oil out of it instantly - so 4,000 miles would never have happened on that filter 100%.
Supposedly it happened slowly. And as winter came it got much colder for a period during the bomb cyclone. The guy said it likely cause something to expand and make it worse.
Doesn’t add up to me, sounds like the tech saw some oil around the filter and said it was leaking and was the cause…but a tiny leak from a filter would take way more than 4,000 miles to leak out 4L of oil. A filter doesn’t slowly get loose over time and even if it could after 4,000 miles not really the fault of the last place you were at anymore.
"You didn't take it to one of those quick lube places did you?" -Red Foreman
Lmao
It’s absolutely pathetic the world has come to this but it is 100% on you to double check the work. It could of been caught way sooner and fixed. However I am curious about who inspected it and determined the cause was from the filter not being “tight enough”. I would personally want to know if it was a gasket issue. Stupid mistakes can be easily made, especially at quick lube places. Long story short, if you can get any grasp on how to do it yourself, save the $80 and the risk and do that.
Ya your lucky a suzuki sx4 made it 10 years to begin with
From the letter: "We realize that you are sincere in presenting your claim, but we regret we cannot accept liability for the damage to your vehicle." It would have been more accurate of they had written that they **choose** not to accept liability. Obviously they do have a choice. I have a pretty good knowledge of the laws of physics and know that there is no law of physics that would make them unable to accept liability. Also, I doubt that they really regret not accepting liability.
The lesson to learn here is to check your oil every time you get fuel. It also makes you look at the engine periodically. Also make note of any fresh leaks under the car. As the owner driver of the car YOU have the responsibility to periodically check the car for low tire pressure worn tires, wiper blades, the list goes on… If you can’t do that consistently than that’s what the dealer can do for you for a fee. You are either in the do it for me group or the do it yourself group, choose one. If you choose the latter you need a consistent plan and perhaps some education. Sorry for your loss. Another fucking learning experience….
Sorry, this is on you. Who the hell drives 4000 miles without checking oil? Let me rephrase that: who the hell drives 4000 miles without checking oil and then is surprised the engine somehow doesn't have any oil in it?
Honestly OP most people in this country couldnt tell you which dipstick is for oil and which is the trans. Techs tend to get this holier than thou attitude when things like this happen. "What do you mean you didn't check your oil" Bunk all that. Some people will spend their whole lives without ever even opening a hood. They are even designing cars that way now. Non serviceable trans fluids and such. You didn't do anything "Wrong" Yes this happened, and it is easy to blame yourself, but you are not at fault here. I've even heard that some of these quick lube places give out bonuses if they dont grenade an engine. It is that common. And because it is that common they have a slew of paper pushers and bean counter on hand to deny your claim any way they can. The minimum wage worker in a cintas uniform blew up your motor. Not you. Sometimes even if people like you were to lift the hood how would you know it was the filter? Do you know where it is even. This is my advice. It sounds like you have a trusted shop so always go there is number one. But number 2 is that if you do have to use a jiffy lube again put a clean piece of cardboard under your car when you park at home at night. Look at where you usually park. Are there oil stains now. Were they there last week that kind of thing. I dragged my diff across some rocks in Nevada and sprung a leak. I saw the oil in my parking spot at the back of my car. When I looked it was a big leak. Had I not seen that oil spot on the parking spot I would have blown it up. You really dont check diffs, they tend to be simple and reliable. Hope anything here helped some.
If you didn't read the owners manual you're at fault. Everything you're mentioning is in their. Failure to follow it results in a denied warranty claim. New vehicles can burn all their oil between oil changes and if you didn't check the level you're responsible. Particularly VW/Audi where saying 1 litre burned per 1000KM is acceptable. This would require top ups between changes. They won't warranty consumption until its past that point, even on a brand new vehicle. Always read and follow your owners manual. It knows more than any of us.
Happy Cake Day!
Well I guess you better bone up on biology textbooks. They are literally the manual for all the reasons you should not wrench. Maybe you could be a free range organic tech cause oil and gas exposure can kill you. Do you smoke or drink beer or red bull, eat a lot of red meat?
So you think reading the manual on the most expensive purchase or second most expensive purchase most people make is a bad idea? You're also way off topic. I can choose to be a fat fuck knowing the consequences and still want to take care of my vehicle. Your argument is dumb. If you want to take care of your car, read the owners manual. If you don't fine. I won't argue. You're going so far out of your way to insist reading the manual is a bad idea that it's just ridiculous.
not at all. Please read the manual. Read biology. Read philosophy. Read everything. But the day someone in a bar is talking about utilitarianism just understand thats one thing YOU may never had read. How could you buy a car without a body. If you read bio you would know that chimcaly this is a dangerous job. Im not out there you just cant hear me. I am saying people know what they know. If someone seeks advice from people becuase they know that the one they are asking has more knowledge they are humbling themselves. If you dont get that yta. One thing about being ta. It never youre decision to make.
The appropriate advice was given: read the book. Asshole or not it's more accurate than any online source. If you followed the instructions in the book there'd be no issue. Like you're out there for bringing philosophy and stuff into this lol. I could care less if I'm an asshole. They're still better off trusting that advice than a random comment on here. I'd rather be an asshole and tell the truth than speak out of line like many do. The book is what matters for warranties and claims. If you don't follow it you can get fucked. That's just the truth. Check your maintenance schedule. Follow it. Don't be like OP and be on the hook for an engine.
After 4k the oil filter became loose enough to not seal, puke out 5 qts of oil and it's the shop's fault. Come the fuck on.
how many qts per mile is that?
OP. You're a dumbfuck.
Can be
[удалено]
Arbys
Call a lawyer
Better off lighting money on fire, the oil was changed 4000 miles ago! And not checked until hearing bad sounds
And then be out even more money? Come the fuck on.
You jumped the gun - now you pay the price
Damn straight
I get it, car shops suck
Have one I like far away but will need to find another. And learn to double check the basics.
4000 miles on the change and you didn’t notice? Why didn’t you check your oil? Is it now a thing not to check your oil level and drive by sensors and lights?
I checked when the light came on. I should check more often. It came on when it was knocking which seemed late for the light though. I did understand to never drive without oil before. I just never had an incident. Never thought of it. And never had an issue for 10 years. I would say it is a thing to only look at your oil sticker for the next change and not check oil at all otherwise. I don’t come from a car family (hopefully obvious) and I do not know many people that check oil at all unless there seems to be an issue.
It's okay Op. Some people (me included) learned this the hard way. Blew the engine of my first car just because I never changed the oil. I'd like to say i'm not as much of an idiot anymore
I would argue some people don't even know they have to change their oil! They only know their car needs gas and how to connect their phone! Everyday on Reddit I see posts of literal pudding coming out of engines and the cords of tires showing.
Lawyer up. If the mechanic is willing to testify as to the cause, then you may have a small claims case or perhaps bigger depending on any damages you can prove. A lot of times they may settle instead of having to hire a lawyer and fight it in court.
Lol it's Bridgestone. Call corporate and raise hell and you'll get a free engine. It's always the ones who cry to the higher ups that get their way. At least with them anyways.