Engine seized 1,000 miles after oil change

My trusted mechanic said he's seen vehicles go a lot further on no oil. He said during "cash for clunkers" they would drain the oil and put in some chemical designed to make the engine seize, then put a brick on the accelerator. He said some cars, especially Toyotas, would go for HOURS before the engine died.

 

If they failed to put oil in it, I don't think you would have made it 1,000 miles before it blew.
Heck of a mystery here. Please keep us posted if you figure it out.

 

Any oil in the coolant? Were you parked somewhere the night before that was sketchy, I know that's a long shot but oil doesn't disappear and if the motor was brining it you'd have smelled it in those 11 days.

 

I was parked in the driveway of a friend's house inside a gated community. No oil on the driveway and the oil pan cap is present and tight. Doubt a thief would have been so clean and bothered to replace the cap.

 

It's a 4-cyl, doesn't matter if 2nd gen or 3rd gen... Unless the oil leaked out from the cracked pipe under the intake manifold and the mechanic didn't see it?

 

Yes extremely unlikely then. Is the coolant contaminated with oil?

 

I sure hope the mechanic made video evidence of no oil in it. Documentation is gonna be the key here. Pretty sure they never put oil in it. Doesn’t explain the no oil light.

 

Why was 0/20 oil put in?

 

I will ask. It's with another mechanic now waiting on a new (well, refurbished) motor. Which I hope to get Jiffy Lube to pay for, but I need to prove they destroyed the first one.

What would it mean if the coolant is contaminated with oil?

 

That's the oil they said they always put in it. At least, they asked "same oil as before?" and I said "sure."

I've used them twice year for five years.

 

Seriously though, mechanic says no leaks, did they also check for oil being in places it shouldn't? Whether shop filled it wrong or some major internal leak?

 

they pull oil from a large drum .him putting the hose in your engine doesnt mean oil came through the hose from the drum into your engine, did he check the dipstick, did he check a cleaned dipstick? OP, they ran out of oil in the drum and continued to use an empty drum. Unless you have diabolical neighbors

 

Wait just a minute here, it’s Friday!!

 

I will have my mechanic check. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Just realized you have the 4cyl
Yes 0w/20 is correct

Sorry about your issue, OP. Sounds like jiffy lube didn't put any oil back in.

 

No chance the oil was stolen. I have a webcam pointed at my driveway and the only other 3 places the truck was parked are inside gated areas (work and friends). Plus as I said above, the oil pan cap was present -- what thief replaces the cap?

 

they either pumped no oil in or put it in the wrong place

 

If they put no oil you would have an oil light on your dash light up

is your drain plug on?

usually those jiffy lube places show you your dip stick after they’ve done the oil change as well to show you that it’s full

 

Hard to believe 5.5 quarts of oil can vanish without a trace with the truck sitting for 11 days. Under carriage clean and dry. But, if there was no oil in your truck, the oil light should have come on. Also surprised your truck made it 1000 miles before failing. Head scratcher for sure.

 

Could've checked the tranny dipstick, but that still means driving 1000 miles with no oil.