LHS oil change disaster

Three times in a row an oil change center failed to secure my Cruiser's air filter.

Richard.

And you keep going there for service because.......?

Update...

Car starts, but won't stay running. It'll turn over, but then immediately stall. If I feather the gas, it'll stall as soon as I release the gas pedal. "Check Engine" light is on, as well as the "Oil" light. So I checked spark plugs and wires, make sure one didn't get knocked loose or whatever, checked oil level, etc. I just find it odd that the car ran perfectly fine until the oil change.

I would have changed the oil myself if allowed to. My apartment complex doesn't allow working on cars on premises (liability reasons), except for simple routine stuff. So I'm looking at the possibility of a routine oil change at a service center costing me a lot more money to remedy.

That doesn't make sense... When you say "turn over" do you actually mean that it STARTS? "Turning over" just means that the starter turns the engine.

Of course the oil light will come on when it stalls- but does it stay on when you keep it running by feathering the gas?

It starts, but immediately (after about 1 second) stalls.

No

Ahh, Gotcha. My guess is they knocked a sensor connection loose somewhere. I'd see what code has been set to turn on the CEL, and then go from there. You can pull the codes by cycling the ignition switch 3 times without starting the car (ending in the "run" position" and then counting flashes of the CEL. see

Why did you go back after the first mistake? Why would they need to mess with the air filter when changing the oil?

--------------- Alex

An oil change is simple routine stuff. It only takes a 15 minutes or so. Most of that time is waiting for the oil to drip out.

----------------- Alex

Yeah, I know. I guess it comes down to their opinion of "simple routine". Perhaps I should've added "potentially messy stuff" (in their opinion) ;-) Basically, if your hood is up, you'd better be just filling your washer fluid or they'd give you grief over it. Someone from the lease office came over and gave me a "warning" the day I changed my spark plugs.

Thanks to all that replied!

Here's what transpired today... When I called Tires Plus and informed them about the situation, they said they'd send a tow truck to pick it up and check it out. If it was their fault, no charge for me. After about 10 minutes, they said the problem was due to a bad MAP sensor. $270 was my repair cost.

How the hell did they drive it out of the oil change stall??

Well, as they say if there's a will there's a way. When I was living in an apartment complex I used to change oil all the time on the street. Sometimes I'd do it in the parking lot at work on my lunch hour. Just carry a set of old clothes with you and a box of rubber gloves and just remember to leave the used oil sitting in it's milk jug outside of the car until you leave to go home, otherwise the inside of your car will stink of oil.

As for liability, that's a laugh. Ask them next time you see them if they are liable if your car gets broken into. Haw haw!

Ted

Here's another trick- drive one side onto a curb (not the sidewalk!) for room to crawl under. That's better than a jack.

You remind me one the once I took my '95 Concord into Mr. Lube for a quick change. I had been doing most of my own oil changes. It wasn't quick, taking 1.5 hrs. while one chap did 3 vehicles at once while I sat in my car. I have a friend who experienced the same slow service during the weekday morning. They wanted to do far more than an oil change, but I eventually got out of there even though they warned me of very serious trouble if I didn't let them do the extras. Over the next few months I noticed my oil level dropping much faster than usual. I still don't add oil between changes, getting about 6,000 miles per Liter. So I got under and had a look. There was a film of oil leading back from the oil pan and shocking to me the oil drain plug was only finger tight. How lucky I was that it didn't fall out. That was the end of my Mr. Lube experiences. Due to the painful wait for the oil change I wasn't planning on returning anyway.

Cause it wouldn't do any good to go to a Toyota dealer? :)

A toyota dealer once delivered a toyota tercel to me with oil gushing from the plug.