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[ob1]

Took my 14 Camaro RS LT2 to stealer for oil change yesterday and today my low oil warning light comes on, car starts dying after top end noise and grinding. pull over and she wont start. on star a tow. and realize upon lift that the whole underside is loaded with oil. 8 quarts worth or damn near it. towed to stealer. had to have a tech not tighten drain bolt or filter. Not feeling the idea of new engine if needed, all this for Christmas. trying to tactfully figure out how to approach this in the morning. ideas?

[Fired00d]

1. Their mistake... their car... they own it now
2. Only way I would want a replaced engine is if it's number correct as it was from the factory (VIN/etc)
3. Along with replacing the engine w/number correct I would want lifetime FREE maintenance with lifetime warranty for as long as I own the car
4. And finally... the tech that screwed up is to never touch my car again (that is if they don't fire him).

Good luck, that really sucks.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[ob1]

Great input, along the lines that I was thinking. especially with the numbers matching part. Would also consider a numbers matching 6.2 v8 for my trouble as a replacement.

[J.Mart60]

Wow, that sucks big time! They would def have to replace motor with matching numbers and warranty for life! Or replace whole car with another rs

[Panhead Paul]

Good luck with that, they will tell you you should have stopped when the low oil light came on.

[grc]

It's easy for all us folks on the sidelines to be tough and demand all sorts of things, but reality will probably tend to be a little different.  In other words, don't let any comments about lifetime free maintenance, total engine replacement, kissing your posterior daily for the next millennium, stringing the offending "tech" up in the middle of the shop by his gonads, and all that other stuff go to your head.

First, insist on talking to the Service Manager or the Parts and Service Director, not one of the service writers.  Calmly state the facts as you perceive them, let him or her know what you consider to be a proper and fair resolution to the problem, and listen to their response.  At that point, if you don't like what you're hearing, insist on talking to the dealership General Manager or the Dealer Principal (some dealer's aren't directly involved and have a general manager handle everything).  You can also file a complaint with the manufacturer, even though it isn't a warranty issue, to see if they would like to offer assistance toward a resolution.  It never hurts to ask.

Jerry

[krypto2011]

Fwiw I own and operate a repair shop that employs 5 very competent and knowledgable technicians. However, they all know 2 things for certain, loose drain plugs or lug nuts that end in disaster, is unemployment. Good luck and consider Jerry's advice. This wasn't done on purpose and a quality repair facility will heed to any and all reasonable requests!!

[Phantom309]

Stories like this is exactly why I have always changed my own oil on every vehicle I owned since I was 16. Mistakes happen, especially when the entry level novice usually gets all the low skill jobs such as that. As hard as it is NOT to do, going in with a half-cocked attitude will just make you look like a hothead and most likely won't get you anything extra. Like others said, I would go in and talk to one of the higher-ups calmly and see what they can do for you. Good luck and next year tell Santa you want a couple ramps, wrenches, a drain pan and oil and diy to prevent headaches like this.

[mark]

Probably the best you'll do is getting the dealer to replace parts that show damage.

[smkymtnboy]

you may try for a dealer assisted trade! contact the lein holder also, if one. after all they are part owner,also. these are all just suggestions in addition to the above mentioned. I do agree a calm and cool demeanor will go further than the hothead demand approach. good luck!!

[ob1]

Thank you gentleman. I was at the dealer at opening and it wouldn't start so they pushed it in after adding 2 quarts also. once in and up they realized it wasn't just oil but antifreeze also. Oil drain was tight and filter intact. antifreeze all over. checked oil filter canister and full of metal shavings. compression revealed 60compression in 1 cyl 120 in 2 and 150 in 2 170 in the remaining.  They believe it blew a head gasket but temp never rose and oil pressure was 30 psi while driving. they take no responsibility and claim engine fluke failure. I was calm for most of it but did become unglued for a bit being this happened the day after service. I was given a loaner and they are going to get me 20% off the same car new or ss. My salesman has been leading the charge and I have everyone's attention there. New engine has been ordered but ill take a pass. GM rep has approved the 20% but I was told you cant pool that was the 3 k incentive for faulty car GM offers so research and calls time.

Thanks again, tour guidance is appreciated.

Tim

[tweeter13]

Some shops have a quick lube plus,  kinda like a jiffy lube.  They push them pretty hard especially around the holidays when everyone is trying to get in for traveling.   But I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't trying to cover their a$$ by covering things up to get it covered under warranty.

When I worked at a dealer I saw it done twice and the vehicles never made it down the road a few miles.  Because they either didn't check the drain plug or if they didn't double gasket the oil filter. 

They make some excuses and cover it up.   I made my mistakes and paid for them like your suppose to.  I broke door panels and dash panels.  And lots of them stupid clock springs in the steering column because in was in a hurry.   Most tech just cover it under warranty and hope they don't get audited or make a customer pay for it.  But for me I know when I brake it.  I can't justify making someone else being warranty or a customer pay for my mistake. 

It's usually a mistake because your taking a shortcut to make a job faster to make more money.   Some times it works some times it don't.  But if you do get audited by warranty they will look at the returned parts (sometimes) if they determine that it was not fault in the part they will come back and make you pay for the parts at a later date.  That is when you loose credibility in their eyes.  As a mechanic you may need favor from them some day for a problem vehicle or customer or something like this.

When this engine get sent back to GM and it torn down to determine what failed so they find out if they are having problems or are going to start having problems.  They are going to see that this engine had a oil starvation problem right off the bat.  They are going to see that in the tech comments the oil level was full.  They are going to say bs.  Due to scored bearings and cyl walls and such.  Plus it just had a oil change how many miles ago.  They will know.  This dealer is not going to look very good to them.  They will cover it to satisfy the customer.  But they sure ain't going to help that dealer when they need help on any issues for something they really need.   But they will keep a eye on certain mechanics warranty work that they preform as well. 

That's one reason each mechanic has tech number.  I am sure Jerry could explain this even better on that end. 

I really liked watching all the mechanics get scared when we went trough a audit.  It never bothered me at all because I wrote every thing down on the back of work orders.  Even when to back time down do to job over lap. 

Todd. 

[ob1]

Thanks Todd,

I went out to check my other driveway and oil stains visible. Pictures taken and ill show them to GM. I want to come out ahead for once due to there error. fingers crossed.

Tim

[longlast]

If the dealer is saying it was a headgasket and your saying or think it was an oil issue ( did you see under the car when it was on the lift?) there would have been wet blown back and wet with oil (not dry) with the amount you belieave was lost from the motor. Did you take a oil dipstick reading on the motor when it all happened? Was the coolent down/low to indicate lose of coolent? as they are saying it was a headgasket. These things can help you to determen which of the faults did auger

[FLHTCUSE7]

Maybe time for another brand of vehichle?