OK....while I know this isnt totally RV related, I thought Id pose this situation to the crowd here. I took my "toad", a 2002 Saturn SC2 in for an Oil change(I take it to this place because they have a deal they offer to there regular customers ....in the order of oil/filter/lube for 20+ dollars.) They have done quite a few years worth of oil changes on this car. Anyways to make a long story short, I drove it in there Friday morning, they broke the weld on the drain plug and then wanted ME, at first, to pay 500.00 for the repair. After getting a tad upset, the price came down to 180.00 for parts only...(new oil pan). After arguing a bit more and the manager telling me it wasnt their responsibility, I had my car towed back to my house. I contacted their corporate office explaining what had happened and what I was told and the bottom line is, Im taking it back to them on Tuesday so they can make the repair, at their expense. On one hand there is the issue of wear and tear on this vehicle and on the other, the car was functional when I drove it in and it was towed out....what do ya think??? in a general sense?

If they have been the only ones doing oil changes on it, they were using too much torque on the air tools. they should pay.Awesome car by the way. I really enjoyed my SC2.Jim

I have collected vintage cars my entire life and have never had a oil pan plug wear out or break. If they have been doing the oil changes over the years then the have been over torquing the plug. My guess the plug has a copper or O ring seal which has worn over the years and was weeping oil. They kept pulling down on it to try to stop the leak. If you want to make the manger squirm look up the specification for the torque to which the plug is to be tightened to and ask him what it is in front of a witness. He will have no clue. You could also as to inspect the torque wrench they use and when was the last calibration date.Jim

Sounds like a typical damage denial from a service provider. Once you called their bluff, they bellied up and offered to make the fix. On the other hand, the damage could have been another item that its breakage wouldn't be their fault. Sometimes its hard to diagnose and assign fault to every situation. Looks like you had to jump through some hoops but it all worked out in the end.

Just to answer the question, they are the only ones that have changed the oil for at least the last 5 years....for the price, it wasnt worth doing it myself. I think the idea that they have continually over torqued the plug is Right on the money. When I got the car home and crawled underneath, I could see that the last time they changed the oil, they had put some type of silicon sealer around the plug which says to me, exactly what was commented on above. That was one of my comments as to being old enough to have done plenty of my own oil changes yet I never stripped out a plug either. I appreciate the comments....Thanks

Acampingwewillgo wrote:Just to answer the question, they are the only ones that have changed the oil for at least the last 5 years....for the price, it wasnt worth doing it myself. I think the idea that they have continually over torqued the plug is Right on the money. When I got the car home and crawled underneath, I could see that the last time they changed the oil, they had put some type of silicon sealer around the plug which says to me, exactly what was commented on above. That was one of my comments as to being old enough to have done plenty of my own oil changes yet I never stripped out a plug either. I appreciate the comments....ThanksAgree with you on this, I have been doing oil changes on all my cars/trucks and never worn out or broke a drain plug. My truck does not use a copper gasket but my car does, I use a torque wrench on the car but not on my truck.i hope they never use air tools, that has way too much torque. Sounds like they did the damage.

My recent "Toad" experience | Good Sam Community

11 Replies

Acampingwewillg
Explorer II
May 26, 2013
Im beginning to think that No matter how inexpensive this place maybe....Id be better off doing it myself also. Guess Ill decide that part on how well they come through on this situation.
recycler
Explorer
May 26, 2013
thing like this are why i don't take my stuff to quick change places as a rule..only have one time and i had to explain to them were the oil filter was because the vin said it was a v6 not the small block that it had.. i do have a family member that had them forget to tighten the filter on his truck and it fell off before he left the lot.. they replaced the engine at their cost and payed for his loaner car..
Ozlander
Explorer
May 26, 2013
I know a guy, bought a new Honda, stealer always serviced the car. One day they wanted $600 for a new oil pan because they stripped out the drain plug.

He's the kind of guy that just gave them the money.
Acampingwewillg
Explorer II
May 26, 2013
doxiemom11 wrote:
It probably doesn't matter the name of the outfit, as most oil change places or mechanics garages used minimum wage, starting out employees for oil changes.

Your right on the money!! My wife had orginally taken the car down to this place, when she got a ride back home to inform me of what happened, they sent the "kid" who was doing the oil change to inform me. No, I wasnt upset with him and simply said, accidents happen but he stated that it wasnt right what the manager was trying to do when my wife said, "it was if they were holding the car hostage!"
doxiemom11
Explorer II
May 26, 2013
It probably doesn't matter the name of the outfit, as most oil change places or mechanics garages used minimum wage, starting out employees for oil changes.
bobsallyh
Explorer II
May 26, 2013
Name of this "Outfit" please??
Tachdriver
Explorer
May 26, 2013
Acampingwewillgo wrote:
Just to answer the question, they are the only ones that have changed the oil for at least the last 5 years....for the price, it wasnt worth doing it myself. I think the idea that they have continually over torqued the plug is Right on the money. When I got the car home and crawled underneath, I could see that the last time they changed the oil, they had put some type of silicon sealer around the plug which says to me, exactly what was commented on above. That was one of my comments as to being old enough to have done plenty of my own oil changes yet I never stripped out a plug either.
I appreciate the comments....Thanks

Agree with you on this, I have been doing oil changes on all my cars/trucks and never worn out or broke a drain plug. My truck does not use a copper gasket but my car does, I use a torque wrench on the car but not on my truck.

i hope they never use air tools, that has way too much torque. Sounds like they did the damage.
Acampingwewillg
Explorer II
May 25, 2013
Just to answer the question, they are the only ones that have changed the oil for at least the last 5 years....for the price, it wasnt worth doing it myself. I think the idea that they have continually over torqued the plug is Right on the money. When I got the car home and crawled underneath, I could see that the last time they changed the oil, they had put some type of silicon sealer around the plug which says to me, exactly what was commented on above. That was one of my comments as to being old enough to have done plenty of my own oil changes yet I never stripped out a plug either.
I appreciate the comments....Thanks
hershey
Explorer
May 25, 2013
Sounds like a typical damage denial from a service provider. Once you called their bluff, they bellied up and offered to make the fix.
On the other hand, the damage could have been another item that its breakage wouldn't be their fault.
Sometimes its hard to diagnose and assign fault to every situation.
Looks like you had to jump through some hoops but it all worked out in the end.
NolalSafari
Explorer
May 25, 2013
I have collected vintage cars my entire life and have never had a oil pan plug wear out or break. If they have been doing the oil changes over the years then the have been over torquing the plug. My guess the plug has a copper or O ring seal which has worn over the years and was weeping oil. They kept pulling down on it to try to stop the leak. If you want to make the manger squirm look up the specification for the torque to which the plug is to be tightened to and ask him what it is in front of a witness. He will have no clue. You could also as to inspect the torque wrench they use and when was the last calibration date.

Jim