Auto Service - Just Wash It-N-Lube It, South Main @ Murworth car seized following oil change

Service at Just Wash It-N-Lube It

Auto Repair & Maintenance, Other

From:

Date: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 09:57 AM NOTE: There is another complaint regarding this business Dated January 6, 2001. This complaint involves both my son and myself. Statement of Son Saturday, July 21, 2001 On Saturday, July 21, 2001, I took my car, a Gray 91 Ninety-Eight Oldsmobile Regency, to Just Wash It and Lube It Car Wash, located at South Main @ Murworth for an oil change. Shortly after leaving the establishment, I proceeded to drive to work. After driving about a quarter of a mile, I noticed my oil light on. I immediately turned off the air, turned off my music and let the windows down to see if I could hear anything. After maybe about another quarter of a mile, I noticed my engine starting to knock and tap. I immediately knew at time something was not right, at which time I decided to try and make it back to the establishment. Before I could make it back, my car just SHUTDOWN, and would not start up again. Upon exiting my car, a patron at the establishment where I made it to commented, “That’s a nice size puddle of oil you’ve got there.” I popped my hood to check out the top of the engine.

Judging from the amount of oil that was on the ground I concluded that the car MUST have needed some oil. I decided that maybe if I could just put some more oil in the car, it would start, and I could make it back to the establishment, but when the car started, it was knocking too badly so I immediately shut it off to eliminate the risk of possibly causing any further damage. The oil that I did in fact purchase (3 quarts) and poured into the engine also appeared to have leaked out as well. I then called my mom, Frances, who instructed me NOT to try and start the car anymore, but to call the owner of the establishment and let him know what was happening. I did speak with Barry, and he said that he was on his way. My mom made it there before Barry did. When Barry arrived, I explained to him the incidents that had taken place as stated in the above paragraph. He said that they noticed a trail of oil after I had left, and had ruled that it had to have come from my car. Barry went into the store and bought a quart of oil and had me pour it into the engine (while the engine was not running) to see if maybe he could tell where the leak was coming from, but there was not a SIGNIFICANT amount of oil leaking as I poured. Later, he asked me to crank the car, while he looked underneath it. When the car started, oil started to POUR out, so I immediately turned it off. After my mom and Barry engaged in conversation SPECULATING as to what may have happened, and why it happened, Barry decided to just return to the shop, pick up his mechanic and have him look underneath the car. Upon returning, the guy, jacked the car up, and went underneath the engine. He first checked the oil pan and surrounding areas, and the bolt and determined that the leak was not coming from there.

Upon further investigation, the guy stated that he new what the problem was….that there was no oil filter. It is unsure as to whether or not the car NEVER HAD the oil filter replaced, or whether or not the oil filter came off after the car left the establishment. But what IS clear is that at that time, THERE WAS NO OIL filter on the car. After finally diagnosing the problem, Barry and the guy went back to his place of business, got an oil filter and some oil, put the oil filter on the car and refilled the oil. When the car was cranked and it started, there was some knocking and tapping, and my mom inquired as to whether or not that was going to go away. Barry said that, “Oh yeah, as soon as that oil go all the way through that engine, everything should be alright.” We took him for his word because it seemed logical at the time. This was about 2:30 or 3 p.m. I went on with business as usual, except I drove with my windows down to listen and make sure that my car was sounding like it was before this incident. The knocking subsided, but the tapping still remained as of the time I got off of work and drove home (about 12 midnight or 12:30 a.m.). My mom decided that she would go back to the establishment and make Barry away of the tapping sound that the car was making. Statement of Frances (Myself) Sunday, July 22, 2001 I went back to Just Wash It and Lube It Car Wash to speak with Barry about the tapping sound that the car was making. He tried to reassure me that that was the way the car was supposed to sound, that the maybe my hearing the tapping was psychological because I KNEW that something had happened and that I was LISTENING for any and everything. I told him that I was NOT just hearing things and that the car WAS tapping. I explained to him that we’ve been driving that car for almost a year and that we (my son and I) are VERY much aware as to how the car was sounding as opposed to the tapping sound it was making now. After discussing the way the car ran and sounded not vs. the way it did BEFORE they neglected to replace the oil filter, I stated to him that I just wanted to make sure that there was no permanent damage done to the engine. I told him that I wanted to take the car to my mechanic and have him check it out to make sure everything will be alright. He then stated that if I took the car to MY mechanic, and then my mechanic found damage to the engine, then he would then have to take the car to a dealership and have them run diagnostics on it to affirm what my mechanic found.

So I suggested to him why don’t I just go ahead and take the car to David Taylor Cadillac/Oldsmobile (which is where the car was purchased from) and have THEM run a diagnostic test on it. He responded in the affirmative, stating that IF they found damage to the engine that was caused by no oil filter being on the car, that he would take care of the repairs. Before leaving, I asked Barry to come and ride with me to listen to the sound that the car was making but he suggested that his service manager go with me. The service manager, Louis, did acknowledge the sound the car was making and mentioned that it could be that the lifters may need time to adjust. We agreed that if they haven’t adjusted by Tuesday that we were going to go ahead and take the car in and have it checked out and if there was any damage he would take care of the repairs.

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Statement of Frances Tuesday, July 24, 2001 Byron and I took the car to David Taylor Cadillac/Oldsmobile/Buick service center. They then referred us to Kendrick Automotive, the automotive shop that does the engine work on their older model cars. After going over the problem with the car, Kendrick Automotive stated that the car would have to have a new engine and estimated the cost at $4600 for labor and parts. I knew this would be out of the question, but took it back to Barry. He and I exchanged words once again, going back and forth at which time he even "JUMP UP AND STARTED YELLING," which frightened me. I explained to him that I DID NOT expect him to replace the engine, but just get the car back to working the way it was before we brought it to him. Finally, after having his service manager ride and listen once again to ascertain as to whether or not the tapping had gotten worse we reached an agreement that he would find someone to check out the engine of the car and determine what the problem is and go from there. Shortly after I left, I received a phone call from the service manager and he said that they had gotten someone, a Bill Stein out on some FM road (which did not exist), that would come by their place and take a look at the car. They wanted me to bring the car by there and leave it all day until this person could make it by to look at the car. He could give me no time as to when the guy could stop by. The service manager said that this guy was someone who specialized in building engines and engine work, and that based on conversation with him, that since the car had over 118,000 miles on it, it was possible that the lifters may be worn as opposed to being caused by the oil leak as a result of not having an oil filter. He said that this Bill Stein person would check the car out, and see if the lifters were WORN as opposed to WARPPRED and we would go from there. Statement of Frances Wednesday, July 25, 2001 I was very uncomfortable with the thought of leaving the car at the car wash and oil changing place all day so I stopped back by this morning to get the name, and telephone number of this Bill Stein person so that I could call him and make arrangements to take the car to his place to have the car checked properly. Barry stated that no more damage could be caused with the car being driven. Byron is off on Fridays, so I was going to see if he could bring the car by there then, that way Byron and whomever he was going to take with him could be there while the car was being checked out. When I asked Barry for the information, he stated that, “Here’s the deal, I called this place in San Antonio who specializes and builds engines.”

He went on to say that this person was going to send him a product to put in the engine that should stop the tapping if the lifters were not worn. Barry then stated that if the tapping persisted that the lifters were worn because of the mileage on the car, and NOT because the of the large amount of oil that the car lost as a result of not having an oil filter, and that he was not going to pay to have the car repaired. I then asked Barry if he had insurance and he stated that he did. I asked him for the information and he refused to give it to me, said they wouldn’t talk to me. I told him that I needed the information for an attorney and he said, “Well just have the attorney call me.” Needless to say, I will have to get the car repaired myself and take Barry and “Just Wash It” to Small Claims Court to be reimbursed for damages incurred to my engine as a result of Just Wash It’s negligence in failing to replace the oil filter after removing the old one during a routine oil change.