No Oil Filter

Love folks that demand stuff. Especially on the internet in someone else's behalf.

Don't forget to let him know the next step, just in case that doesn't work out.

 

Again its the op's word against their's about this. The dealer is likely to just blow it off.

 

OP,you don't mention if you've driven off-road in the past 5K miles. Even if you have my guess is you're fine. How does the oil look? Still cleanish or dark?

Air-cooled VW's originally had no oil filter (well they had a screen in the oil sump but it only caught the largest chunks). I used to run my Dune Buggy with an air-cooled 1600cc engine with no external oil filter for years, mostly off-road and never had an issue. Even now with a larger air-cooled engine, four air filters (dual carbs with a filter and an oiled pre-filter on each) and spin-on oil filter, the oil in that car always looks dark.

Personally, I'd let the dealer know, then never darken their door again.

 

OPs truck is definitely going to esplode within the next 69 days. No doubt.

 

Id get a piece of plywood or sheet rock and make a big ass sign detailing briefly to the effect '' Do not use this dealership for routine oil changes" They returned my vehicle without a required oil filter, and they refuse to accept responsibility'' Set up said apparatus on the sidewalk in the publics domain near the driveway to the service dept. Do not engage them with yelling or profanity. Let them call the police , your peacefully demonstrating that the dealership does shoddy work.

 

^^ Damn skippy.
OP, Get yer drywall signage of choice out on that Publix domain, and don't stop looking like a whack job until they cut you a check and issue an apology on Live @ Five.

You got this.

 

You bought it used, the market for used vehicles has never been better. Sell it and make money if it really bothers you. I ran a Toyota service department for a couple years, there’s nothing they will do IMO. If it was my service department I’d just write a ticket saying “Customer states no oil filter present after previous service visit”. In court that phrase cancels out all liability. “Customer states” is just putting on paper what you said, not what happened. Then as service performed “technician inspected vehicle, oil filter present, no issues found” as I’m sure you already put one back in. I’d say let it go. Either forget it happened or let the truck go and move on. Sorry this happened to you, I’d be pretty upset too.

 

Yeah but those vw motors were only 36 hp, and they didn't hold up well.

 

Maybe originally but the 1600 which was in my 'Buggy when I bought it was not a stock motor, though it had been in the car for a long time and was tired (and occasionally running on three cylinders) when I bought the car 20 years ago.

Since that time I've run custom-built 1,776cc engines (I'm on my second one). They live a hard life so I generally plan a rebuild every ten years. That said, all of my engines since have been modified to use a conventional, spin-on filter.

For what they were, a properly-tuned and running air-cooled VW was (and still can be) quite a good vehicle. Granted in the East you have fowl weather and rust issues, but out here in the west I still regularly see old VW's being used as daily drivers, especially in the beach communities of So.Cal. The key to keeping them alive is to learn their idiosyncrasies and to repair and maintain them properly. That (IMO) was the reason so many people have/had issues with them.

 

I always beat the shit out of my old Air Cooled VW's and never had any issues. Still have a garage full of parts as l ended up selling the one l was building.

 

Tell me you've never worked in a service shop, without telling me you've never worked in a service shop. We had a tech forget to put oil into a vehicle. Shop ended up paying for a new engine. People can do dumb things when they're busy or just don't care, even worse when its both.

 

Yep. I had the dealership do my first service and an oil change at that time as I had a service credit. Never been back since for service.

 

You were lucky. We had them back in the 60's and 70's. I think we changed engines sooner than tires. I even got good enough to rebuild them.

 

Heck, not long ago we had a ford dealership that got sued for not tightening down the lugs of the tires when the customer had them rotated. Customer picked up the car drove it a 1/2 mile, and the wheels fell off.

 

I can see this happening, new guys get put on tires and oil changes. Ive had a tire fall off from no lug nuts, not they didnt tighten the lug nuts there were NO lug nuts.

First right turn that tire made a run for freedom. Free tires, brakes and alignment.

I doubt it did any damage though. New engines run very clean compared to the old and have better tolerancing and machining. If this was during break in then yeah I would be concerned but at 35k miles whatever leftovers from manufacturing and break in are gone.

I would be upset and contact the dealer, try to see if they will make it right from a customer service perspective but I bet they just offer a free oil change.

 

I had a shop not tighten either rear wheel after a safety inspection. Drove the 5 kilometers home and noticed a clunk while rolling into the driveway. Sure enough the lug nuts were all finger tight at best. Called them and they said it was because I didn't come back for a retorque.

Sorry....I forgot to come back for my 2 kilometer retorque.

They never did accept fault even though I came back and made them check the torque on every bolt even though I already had.

Shit happens... I get it. But forgetting to tighten wheels or putting in a filter is pretty pathetic.

 

Yep. There is a reason most of us do our own work or service, and its not all about savings some money lol.

 

Ive been called unreasonable and snobby for talking crap about quick lube shops let alone dealers and doing my own oil change. Its just a toyota/ford/non lux car, dont be so stuck up. The only time I took my truck in after the warranty was up is for recall work.

1. Its not just any car, its my car and I like it. Oil change is 10min on the truck, dont even have to jack it up.
2. The guy at the quick lube barely knows which drain is for the engine vs the tranny
3. ive seen those places use a saw to change oil (under tray gets in the way)

 

Last time I was changing the oil on my Lexus I just got out from under the car and saw the new filter sitting on the bench. Only time I’ve ever done it, and I proceeded to install it, but having worked with the guys that change the oil at dealerships... yeah, I believe it.

 

I forgot to put the new small O-ring in. Saw it, still in the package, after cleaning up. Probably wouldn't have mattered but I went back and put it in. I doubt any shop would do that.