If you want something done right.......

[redneckgrl]

Yep, if you want something done right do it yourself..............story of my life.

So I got my oil changed today as I can not do it myself at the moment due to a hand injury. When I leave from the oil change, I drive 40 miles out to my grandparents to pick up a load of metal to take to the scrap yard. About 10 miles into my trip back home, I notice there is smoke coming from the engine. I took it easy for another 5 miles to my sisters house, and grab a flashlight and climb in the engine (yes climb, I am only 5'2 and have to get up in there to do anything lol) and see where the smoke is coming from. Can't really see much except a few spots that look wet. So I get down and climb under the truck to see everything COVERED in fresh oil. I look up at my oil filter and it is covered. Dumbass didn't get it on all the way! So I get out from under the truck and check the oil..........no big surprise, EMPTY. I am sooo angry at this point. Not only did they screw up, but I am a little over 20 miles from home. I only have 2 quarts of oil in the toolbox, and I can't get the filter to tighten up, and it's 11 pm. So I had to drive my sisters chevy home.

So when I get up I get to go raise so hell. I will leave there with oil and a new filter after I get done with them. I am sure in the heck not paying for more oil to get it home.

Hope my engine makes it threw all this ok. I have no idea how many of the 55 miles were driven without oil.

Thanks for being here to vent to guys.

Charlene

 

[Skandocious]

Wow that's not good at all... In the future, if you're engine starts to smoke you should stop RIGHT AWAY. When it started smoking was HOPEFULLY when the oil hit the manifold and started to burn. I'd hate to find that the smoke was coming from internal damage. If you had stopped and checked when it started smoking you could have probably caught it when there was still oil in engine. Cross your fingers that no damage was done and good luck talkin' to those guys tomorrow.

If you're engine IS damaged, you might try and get them to replace the motor. Not sure how much luck you'll have with that.

 

[6L PWR]

Dang! That bites!! I've driven out of a quick lube without the drain plug back in. I saw the trail before I got out of their driveway. I got lucky. So did they!! I've never been back to one of those since though.

Good luck and keep us posted on what happens. If they get mean, we can all get together and circle them with our wagons.

 

[Andyman8282]

Yuck! Sounds like those dumbo's are good for nothing!

Like Tom said, if they get mean, you can call these guys up:

We'll switch out the turkey shot with some mags.

 

[1970Custom]

If you didn't hear anything from the engine chances are you're okay, you'll hear bearings slapping more than likely before something else goes tits up (not saying bearings are cheap, cost me 1100 to get the crank in my 3.slow Toyota P/U turned) but thats usually where oil is dissipated first.


And to Chris' point, you have a snowball's chance in hell of getting them to replace an engine, we had an issue, two actually, where they dumped 10qts into my GF's 351M powered Bronco, made it back to my work to get my truck and she had just got on the freeway back home when the oil pump froze and busted a dizzy gear, I'm not saying that was the direct cause but I know it didn't help. Second issue was my mom's '00 5.0 X, they didn't even drain the old stuff and filled it with the recommended amount, they made it 15 miles from Jordan Valley (you and a couple others will know where that is) and it started going wonky, coupled with being late and no cell service they had to limp to Jordan Valley and luckily the local shop was open and they got it all squared away, didn't hurt anything that time. Went back to both (yes, both) places and they swore up and down that they didn't work on them, and when presented with the paperwork they recanted and stated that they did everything by the book and that we had done something wrong to cause both issues, I told them both to go f**k themselves and have never gone back...


Moral of the story, I do ALL my oil changes now, I will not allow one of those dumbshits under or around my rigs....

 

[polarbear]

cough cough** dealership** cough

We replace a couple of engines a month from quick-lube screw ups.

 

[1970Custom]

cough cough** stealership** cough

cough cough** no way in hell** cough



I won't pay a stealership to do ANY work on ANY of my rigs, period...

 

[polarbear]

LOF is $20, and you don't have to mess with disposal. Why mess with it?

 

[1970Custom]

I spend no more than $15 (until I went full syn) on mine and I send the rest to work with my dad to dump in their oil barrels, plus I don't have to schedule it in to THEIR best time, I come home at 5:30 pull into the shop, let it sit till 6:00 put it on stands (2wd toyota is a bit short) and takes me about 15 to do it.... Plus I don't have to worry about me trying to sell me something I don't need...

 

[Brian_B]

I have seen too many horror stories about those quick change oil places. I have never and will never go into one.

I have layed under vehicles with a cast on one arm changing oil. I won't pay someone to do what I can do for he cost of oil and a filter. I do almost all of my own repairs. It is very rare that I cannot fix something. Plus we have all these Ford techs (and other knowledgeable people) around here to help now too.

I avoid the local ford dealership. No way will they touch one of mine. Now...the one in the town where I work...good people. Very helpful. I have not used their service department yet, but I will if it is needed. The sales and parts department are run well and have nice people working there.

 

[polarbear]

I spend no more than $15 (until I went full syn) on mine and I send the rest to work with my dad to dump in their oil barrels, plus I don't have to schedule it in to THEIR best time, I come home at 5:30 pull into the shop, let it sit till 6:00 put it on stands (2wd toyota is a bit short) and takes me about 15 to do it.... Plus I don't have to worry about me trying to sell me something I don't need...

psst- I'm a sales mangler- they have to be nice to me.

Seriously though, last time I had a LOF done and rear brakes. $144- WTF is your time worth? That, and if anything goes wrong, i know who to talk to.

 

[redneckgrl]

Wow that's not good at all... In the future, if you're engine starts to smoke you should stop RIGHT AWAY. When it started smoking was HOPEFULLY when the oil hit the manifold and started to burn. I'd hate to find that the smoke was coming from internal damage. If you had stopped and checked when it started smoking you could have probably caught it when there was still oil in engine. Cross your fingers that no damage was done and good luck talkin' to those guys tomorrow.

If you're engine IS damaged, you might try and get them to replace the motor. Not sure how much luck you'll have with that.

I'm not stupid Chris, I know it should have not been driven when smoking. But when you are a minimum of 10 miles from civilization at 10:00 at night where there is no cell service, you do what you have got to do. After looking at it, the smoke was the oil hitting everything that was hot.

I'm off to give em hell. will let ya'll know what happens

 

[Skandocious]

I wasn't trying to insult you Charlene... I trust that you've got a pretty good knowledge of automotive work and I was very surprised to hear that someone who knows anything about trucks and LOVES their truck as much as we all do would drive it an INCH further after it started smoking. I'll WALK 10 miles before I drive my truck 10 feet while the engine smokes. Maybe that's just me.

 

[Lost]

Wally world (Nicest thing I can say about them ) Gets so many complants and has bought several engines just at my local one . (which I never Have been to)

The Pennzoil Chain and Jiffy lubes r not bad but most have r People with no back round doing them . I pay $5 plus cost of oil & filter or do it my self. And so many garages now use used oil to heat I ussually get new wiper blades to take in 5-10 gallons or so.

But with a bad hand I know U r supposed to be able to trust a place. If motor is OK I'd still get em big time.

 

[redneckgrl]

I wasn't trying to insult you Charlene... I trust that you've got a pretty good knowledge of automotive work and I was very surprised to hear that someone who knows anything about trucks and LOVES their truck as much as we all do would drive it an INCH further after it started smoking. I'll WALK 10 miles before I drive my truck 10 feet while the engine smokes. Maybe that's just me.

It's so nice to see that you would want me to put myself in harms way and not my engine having me walk in the dark in the middle of the night on the side of the hwy by myself. My engine is replaceable. I am not.

 

[Brian_B]

I'll WALK 10 miles before I drive my truck 10 feet while the engine smokes. Maybe that's just me.

I am not trying to stir anything up here...OK? Please don't take it that way.

I am different than Chris in that regard. I would simply open the back of the explorer, grab more oil, pour it in, and drive on. Problem solved. If I were in the truck, I would open the rubbermaid "tool box" that is in the bed, grab more oil, pour it in, and continue on.

I keep oil, antifreeze, etc in the explorer. The 56 has even more including two bottles of 90 WT gear lube.

I am on deserted roads (nothing open for 50 miles) at sometimes 1:30 in the morning. I have to be as prepared as I can be.

 

[mtflat]

My son changed his own oil last month - backed out of the shop and a stream of oil followed him. I started laughing at his puzzled look. Told him to take the filter back off and remove one gasket like he should have when he took the old filter off. He didn't want to believe dad knew what happened without looking - but dang, the old man was right.

Bet you've got 2 gaskets on that oil filter Charlene. That's why it won't tighten and the more you try the farther apart they push each other and it leaks faster.

 

[polarbear]

It's so nice to see that you would want me to put myself in harms way and not my engine having me walk in the dark in the middle of the night on the side of the hwy by myself. My engine is replaceable. I am not.

To be fair to both of you, I don't think Chris is aware of the country you drive through. It's about as remote as it gets anywhere in the lower 48. Guys tend to be more sanguine about the idea of leaving the vehicle on the side of the road and hiking or sticking out a thumb- but there's reasons for that.

Stoopid question- do you carry? And if not, why not? There's some interesting folks and activites going on in those woods.

 

[89frankenford]

walk away from your truck?!?!?!? screw that! ill push it. ive done it before ( 4 miles to a gas station.....) it sucks but hey youve gotta do what youve gotta do. smoking isn't ALL that bad. like someone said you started to hear clunking and knocking THEN theres a problem. also watch the guages to to see if youve got low oil pressure and your temp is in the middle

 

[6L PWR]

Like Tom said, if they get mean, you can call these guys up:

So, ah, whose Tom? I don't see any posts by a Tom.