Oil change disaster advice needed

"experts"?

 

Ask for the cause and the dealership to own the mistake in writing. Ask to meet with the GM and Service advisor, ask them how they would feel if this was them? After you get them to acknowledge they would not be happy, ask what would you want the dealership to do? Then ask what is this dealership going to to do for you.

I would also have a notebook or something, open so they can see, with lots of local newspapers and TV station names and numbers. I might even reach out to local media before I met with them so you have names as well. List notes on the paper as well. I would discuss trading in, and seeing what they are willing to do for you. You want them to know, you are not happy with quality of work at this dealership. Have you called Toyota Corp yet?

Good luck

 

With trade in values being so high these days maybe not. I agree though he shouldn’t lose $1 on the deal. Dealer needs to make it right sounds like they are trying to weasel out of it.

 

Agree with others that you can not truly tell if bearing damage was done without pull rod caps, mains, cams, etc. I can only imagine their response if you tried to trade or repair a truck that ran out of oil and wanted full value. You know they would come up with a list of reasons arm long of how the motor is trashed and needs replacement. Good luck OP I pray they do you right!

 

Thoughts....that is the stupidest report they could have come up with. Pouring oil through and letting it drain won't tell them anything, if it had any metal shavings they would be in the filter or married to the bearings. I would demand a new truck and lawyer up if they refuse. At this point you would have been better off when it started knocking to push the pedal to the floor and gave them a window to look through in the block

 

Or just email them a link to this thread. You'll probably get 2 free engines.

 

whatever it takes for them to know that the local area is going to know just how they messed up the new truck and are not taking care of a long time loyal customer.

 

If, and to me it is a very suspicious if, the oil leak and starvation was a nicked oil filter canister o-ring they would have been relieved to find this to be the cause. They would have communicated this immediately upon discovery and shown you too.

The reason for the delay for over a week was to develop a cause which wouldn’t also admit complete responsibility. They also needed the time to rearrange the crime scene so the real cause can’t be determined making it your word versus there’s. Remember, this is what they do every day and I’m sure this isn’t their first snafu. They are playing the family and long-term relationship you thought you had with them.

For me, the coverup is worse than the mistake.

 

I bet we can’t even recreate that problem. I’d even venture a guess saying if the o-ring wasn’t even installed, making it worse than a nick, that the oil wouldn’t drain all-out within the 4 miles or so you indicated you had driven.

 

The report is based on their assumption that the owner (average guy) has minimal mechanical knowledge and will go along with it. I agree it would’ve taken some quick thinking but staying on the gas post knock (maybe even continuing driving after noticing oil leak) would’ve been the definitive approach

 

Interesting observation.

 

I can say from experience, that a half dime sized hole in the oil filter housing will dump about 4 quarts in less than 10 seconds. Oil pressure has its way of finding a leak. That being said, I think it could easily be replicated. That also being said, I think its possible they did replicate it.

Edit to add: considering oil pressure will dump oil that fast through an obvious leak, I think a small leak could potentially dump that much being pressurized for a few miles of driving.

 

The dealership obviously only cares about there bottom line ie money they could care less about you. Time to get a backbone grow a pair and tell them very sternly that is not acceptable. If you take the truck back and turn in the loaner its over. You lose big time. They don't care about all your supposed good will. don't believe anything they say. Let me say this another way they are blowing so much smoke up your kister right now I can see the smoke from where I sit typing this!!!!

 

Dont tighten your filter cover or filter and see how far you get. A cut seal will most definitely leak out all oil quickly

 

Well, believe the dealership by all means.

 

Ask for a printout of the check engine light codes that were stored when the vehicle came in. There's no way it stalled out from lack of oil without setting some timing chain related codes

I'm betting the timing chains slipped a tooth or two when oil pressure was lost. Anything related to camshaft range/performance or cam/crank correlation would warrant a replacement of the timing chain and tensioners.. and therefore a new motor in my opinion.

 

Can't really say I expected anything more from the dealer. The problem is that the dealer would have to cover the cost of work because it is not a warranty issue, its a malpractice issue. If its a warranty or a recall Toyota corporate foots the bill and the dealer makes money because they charge Toyota for the man hours. I would recommend taking your truck back, and trying to get some kind of warranty on the engine. Then from that point on do your own oil changes and do one of two things, sent the oil out for analysis every oil change or cut open the filter and look for metal every oil change till the warranty is up. If there is damage or high wear it should be detectable this way, and if there is no metal or other indications, like noises/knocks, there probably is no real damage. If you do find metal or other indications of damage take it back to the dealer and maybe get a new, low mile or rebuild engine on your now 60k mileage truck, which would seem like a win to me.

 

I agree with you on this one. Back in the 90’s my younger self had an o-ring stick to the block and I installed my new filter and add oil and started the truck…before I could run back and shut the engine off I had lost 4 quarts of oil. It was less than a minute and the driveway had an oil slick and my dad said “son you forgot to check the old filter for the o ring clean that mess up” lol a fathers wisdom.

 

You're lucky you caught it in the driveway. A lot of times when that happens it'll be fine and won't leak until you get out on the highway. Then you won't hear it knocking or be able to pull over quickly

 

If you want a new truck (which I know I would) then you have to make the dealer liable for their mistake. Dealers don't want to be liable for anything. So if they insist that the engine is fine, then insist that they acknowledge their mistake, and that they are liable for any and all engine related problems. That will make them motivated to take the truck in on trade, and re-sell it with the standard Toyota warranty. It also puts you in the position of power to get a good deal. If they refuse to put anything in writing in terms of an engine warranty, then you tell them you will go to a lawyer. They won't want this. Let's talk trade. But of course you need to determine the outcome YOU WANT.