Caravan COLD Engine Oil Leak?? Help!!

Discussion in 'General Motoring' started by MICHELLE H., Jan 20, 2010.

  1. MICHELLE H.

    Bill Putney Guest

    So how much money have you saved with this guy? :)
    Does it matter? Start over with the new mechanic and get it right.
     
    Bill Putney, Jan 24, 2010
    #21
  2. MICHELLE H.

    KirkM Guest

    I agree will Bill on this one. I would suggest starting with a
    reputable shop. Since your name is Michelle, I am guessing that you
    are female, and some shops take avantage of this. I am surprised that
    he made repairs without your authorization. In most states this is
    illegal, and you should not have to pay for the repairs, that you did
    not authorize.

    If your city has a news station with a reporter that specializes in
    consumer issues, it by be worth referring the matter to them. If
    nothing else, it will warn others so they hopefully won't fall prey to
    this guy. There is also the Better Business Bureau, that you can refer
    the matter too.

    KM
     
    KirkM, Jan 24, 2010
    #22
  3. MICHELLE H.

    Rob Guest

    yeah i called and got a quote on a radiator on the better half's car once. 2
    days later she called them herself to confirm it. they quoted her a price
    80 dollars higher. watch em like a hawk. some idiots still try to mess with
    female customers. i hope you didnt pay him already. if you did, I'd get it
    fixed at a reputable shop then maybe head to small claims court.


    any number of things could be causing the hard starting issue, so we don't
    know yet if its something he did on this latest visit. but while you are
    having a reputable shop fix the oil leak, I'd ask them to check the timing
    as well, to make sure he didnt get the belt out of time, or mess up the belt
    tensioner causing the hard start.


    I agree will Bill on this one. I would suggest starting with a
    reputable shop. Since your name is Michelle, I am guessing that you
    are female, and some shops take avantage of this. I am surprised that
    he made repairs without your authorization. In most states this is
    illegal, and you should not have to pay for the repairs, that you did
    not authorize.

    If your city has a news station with a reporter that specializes in
    consumer issues, it by be worth referring the matter to them. If
    nothing else, it will warn others so they hopefully won't fall prey to
    this guy. There is also the Better Business Bureau, that you can refer
    the matter too.

    KM
     
    Rob, Jan 24, 2010
    #23
  4. MICHELLE H.

    aarcuda69062 Guest

    I don't think he did anything on purpose, from the sounds of your story,
    he appears to be completely incompetent. Fits in with the 'being cheap'
    thing, he has low expectations of himself and charges accordingly.
     
    aarcuda69062, Jan 24, 2010
    #24
  5. MICHELLE H.

    MICHELLE H. Guest

    I totally believe that this guy took advantage of me because I am
    female. I mean like I said, I brought the car back to him for the third
    time in less than a week, so that he can fix the oil leak, and he ends
    up "topping off the fluids, cleaning the brakes, and changing the spark
    plugs", all because he "had the car there".


    Plus, like I said, shouldn't the oil filter have been changed the 1ST
    TIME when he charged me the $850 for the "crank seal" and "timing belt"
    repair???


    He claimed that the "OUTSIDE of the filter looked clean", so he didn't
    change the oil filter. Then when I told him that I wanted the oil filter
    changed, he said "okay, but it's gonna be another $20 bucks".


    Then he puts on some oil filter called "ProMotive" which I never even
    heard of before???


    Like I said, this guy is a mechanic at a used car dealership on the side
    of the road. And its not some big name place, its a little used car
    dealership with like 10 cars in the lot.


    So I know the guy took me for a ride and ripped me off because I am
    female. Heck, I go to pick up my car, and the guy is stuffing his face
    with a party size pizza and a 6 pack of Miller Lite.


    Stuffing his face and sucking down beers with my money!!!!!!
     
    MICHELLE H., Jan 24, 2010
    #25
  6. MICHELLE H.

    Rob Guest

    here's what i found


    ProMotive OIL FILTERS (manufactured by Purolator / Bosch)

    must be a no name budget line of filters they make
     
    Rob, Jan 24, 2010
    #26
  7. MICHELLE H.

    KirkM Guest

    Well anyway, I am sorry to her that all this happened to you. Most
    people like to think that they will be treated fairly and with respect
    when doing business, but that's obviously not the case. Feel free to
    ask this group questions before getting work done. I have been on this
    group for more than 15 years, and I have picked up a lot of useful
    information, that has really helped when I have had to do repairs
    myself, or had them done by others.

    KM
     
    KirkM, Jan 25, 2010
    #27
  8. MICHELLE H.

    Licker Guest

    I would not have paid for the extra work that he claims he did. I would
    have left and had an attorney threaten to sue him. He probably would get
    nervous and would have returned you car for the twenty dollars he orginally
    quoted.

    If I was you, I would get the vehicle fixed at the new mechanic your aunt
    brings her car to. Have them give you a itemized receipt of what they did.
    If they have to repair what the so called shade tree mechanic worked on then
    I would file a claim against this guy in small claims court. Use teh
    itemize receipt from the second mechanic as your proof that he did not
    repair what he said he did. I would go after not only the orginal repair
    cost but also the cost of fixing his mistakes.

    As some suggested calling an action reporter from a local TV news crew or
    getting a newspaper to write an article on his buisness practices might put
    some pressure on him.

    One option someone else mention is the BBB. I find this organization pretty
    much useless as if he does answer their complaint and you are not satisfied
    with his answer through them, They will consider the case closed but
    complaint would not accept answer given.


    I would rather contact my state attorney general and speak with someone in
    comsumer fraud division. They may be interested in checking thsi guy out if
    he does not repair what he screwed up in the first place and he he does
    repairs without authorization. This may put him out of business are at
    least make him more willing to reimburse you for some of your cost.
     
    Licker, Jan 25, 2010
    #28
  9. MICHELLE H.

    C-BODY Guest

    UNLESS the mechanic pulled the engine and the oil pan, the "rear crank
    seal" or "rear main seal" would NOT have been on the agenda--period.
    When the front "timing cover" is removed from the engine to replace the
    timing chain, that cover also has the "front crankshaft seal" (a lip
    seal) installed in it, so THAT is the one that was most probably
    replaced. By "front", I mean the end of the engine that has the belts
    on it, usually facing toward the passenger-side front wheel.

    Replacing that seal involves pressing the old one out and tapping the
    new seal assembly in. Not a terribly time-consuming job, but it can
    take a little while to do.

    This is a "lip seal" which constantly contacts the front nose of the
    crankshaft. Unless there's a deep groove worn (from the earlier seal)
    in the area the seal would contact, there's usually not a leak there
    with a new seal. If a "wear groove" might exist, there are "sleeves"
    which can be placed over the area on the crankshaft so the new seal will
    work well. Also, some brands of replacement seals move the seal itself
    back a small amount to get to an "unworn" area of the crankshaft nose so
    the possibility of leaks will be diminished.

    If the fuel pump for your vehicle is in the tank, it can be a much more
    labor-intensive job than many might suspect. Gasoline weighs about 6
    pounds/gallon, so a 15 gallon tank (for example) can be pretty heavy to
    deal with, in addition to the weight of the tank itself. Want to try to
    deal with a 100 pound bulky item, even with an appropriate transmission
    or fuel tank jack? Not to mention getting into where the fuel lines
    attach, or the electric harness going to the sending unit! $500.00 for
    labor might equate to 5-6 hours of work, just to get the tank out of the
    vehicle. Having to deal with the gasoline already in the tank,
    siphon/drain it out, store it, then possibly reinstall it can easily
    take several hours just for those things!

    On many middle 1990s GM Suburbans, to replace the in-tank fuel pump and
    the related sending unit, it could easily be $800.00 for parts and labor
    . . about 10 years ago.

    What makes the fuel pumps go away is the fuel filter that slowly clogs
    up and makes the pump work harder. On many Chrysler products, there is
    no inline filter as it's part of the sending unit in the tank. Keep the
    fuel filter changed and it should delay any future problems.

    Be MORE concerned that your long-time mechanic is doing you a good job
    on these "first time" maintenance items. NOTHINGS cheap to fix anymore,
    especially if you pay somebody to do them.

    The value of the vehicle compared to what you've spent on it is
    irrelevant. They might not increase the resale value, but having them
    NOT done can certainly decrease it when you might want to sell it.

    Now that you've had these things done, be sure to TAKE CARE of your
    Chrysler product and it'll continue to take care of you. Sure, there
    will be some maintenance issues as time progresses, but they'll sure be
    less expensive than monthly car payments and higher insurance rates for
    a newer (and higher value) vehicle!

    C-BODY
     
    C-BODY, Jan 31, 2010
    #29
  10. MICHELLE H.

    C-BODY Guest

    And engine oil and oil filter change are NOT part of the front
    crankshaft seal replacement labor operation--they're extra.

    When you checked the oil and found the "debris" on the dipstick, whether
    such items are "hard" or "soft" can determine where they came from and
    what they might be. Disintegrating gasket parts, of which there should
    not have been many, considering where the only gasket is in that
    situation, will usually be larger than what you have described OR would
    come up on the dipstick. It's probably engine deposits from the front
    cover breaking loose from the engine block, which should be generally
    "soft" rather than otherwise. If you press them between your fingers,
    they should smush out.

    As for the other unapproved services he performed, your local
    municipality should have some laws about "unapproved repair work" being
    performed. In some towns, the shop can go 10% over on the actual cost
    of the repair work, from the prior estimate, before approval is needed
    to do further work. IF they don't get the approval, the customer is not
    liable to pay for the additional charges.

    Naturally, in your case, you didn't have time to press the issue, with
    no paper estimate being offered, just verbal, so you paid and felt
    fortunate to be through with that deal that day. Still, though, you
    might check with the municipality the shop is located in to verify any
    further course of action you might have.

    Might it be possible that this whole oil leak issue might have been
    because the crankcase was too full to begin with, and especially
    afterward?

    Generally, it's better to look for an oil leak on an overhead lift.
    Where it drips from might not really be where it's coming from.
    Usually, though, wet oil on the engine comes from somewhere and where
    that trail might originate would not be revealed by the cardboard
    method. Similarly, though, there should have been oil drops on the
    concrete or other surface where the vehicle was parked--the cardboard
    just made it easier for you to see.

    It looks like your normal mechanic was trying to do you a favor for
    recommending another mechanic "on the cheap",but "cheap" is not always
    better . . . in the long run.

    In general, the more substantial the repair shop is, the greater
    recourse you might have in getting poor repairs fixed. Most will not
    take jobs they can't do or don't have people trained/experienced to do
    them. Smaller private shops can just as easily tell you to get lost,
    but chains or dealerships can't do that nearly as easily if a repair has
    been poorly done.

    ALSO, with all due respect, a used car dealer's used car mechanic is
    probably going to be more experienced in "flat-rating" repairs than
    taking a little extra time to do them "as specified". If it's a smaller
    dealership, there probably can be more "patching" being done rather than
    "fixing", many times.

    On many of the front and rear crankshaft seals, there can be some
    "knurling" on the inner surface of the seal to help deflect oil back
    into the motor before the actual lip on the seal would come into play.
    If the seal is put in backward (usually can't be done as it looks wrong
    compared to how the old one was installed), then oil leaks can happen.
    But it might be "cocked" rather than "square".

    End result, you'd better find somebody else at a reputable shop . . .
    even IF they might be more expensive . . . to get you a written estimate
    of what it'll take to get your vehicle repaired so it acts correctly and
    doesn't leak oil. THEN use that estimate should you go to small claims
    court as your "real damages". If you had to rent a vehicle to get
    around while your vehicle was under repair, bring those receipts too!
    You might also be able to get a reasonable "pain and suffering"-type of
    award for the time you didn't have your vehicle. Unfortunately, the
    total amount might exceed what some small claims courts might have
    jurisdiction over.

    When a mechanic charges you for looking at a vehicle, that's called
    "check out time" and is a valid charge. Usually, if they repair the
    vehicle, that charge is waived. Still, their time is valuable and is
    worth something, even if they might be a shyster.

    I concur with Putney that the transmission issue might not have been a
    "replacement" issue, but it could have been. No way to know that, now,
    though.

    Regards,

    C-BODY
     
    C-BODY, Jan 31, 2010
    #30
  11. MICHELLE H.

    Bill Putney Guest

    Thanks, but that was 'Daniel who wants to know' who said that.
     
    Bill Putney, Jan 31, 2010
    #31
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