easySPEEDcamaro

So, I decide it's about time for an oil change. It's been about 3000 kms. I wake up and while walking to the garage I get this feeling believe it or not that something bad is going to happen today and I should stay at home. I swear to ***, no bull****, it was like spider sense, but I go anyway.

I pull up, ask for an oil change. So the mechanic drives my car, stalls it once. Then puts it on the hoist really fast and I can tell he obviously wasn't use to the power of my car.

He does the oil change, then pops the hood and starts pumping in new oil. All is done, and he tells _ME_ to reach in and start the car. So I reach in, put one foot on the clutch, push the key forward and let go of the clutch.

ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR JUMPS RIGHT OFF THE ****ING HOIST! I reached in and quickly tried to press the clutch and brake. I stopped right in the nick of time. From inside, I thought "holy ****, my car is probably totaled". I saw it hit their tire balancing machine. I was SOOOO pissed off you wouldn't believe it. How the mechanic had the nerve to leave the car in first gear and didn't put the hand brake on!!! And then told me to reach in and start the car casually. For ****s sake!!!!

After about 3 minutes we got the front half of the car back on the hoist, and luckily not a scratch of damage anywhere! The hoist wasn't up when the car flew off, but it was a good 2-3 feet to the ground from the ramp.

So anyway, I asked the mechanic if he's done, he says yes... I asked if he wanted me to take the car off the hoist and he gives me this "HELL NO" response as if it was my fault. He gets in, starts backing it out, suddenly I hear a big clunk and the car won't go back and just knocks forward. OH ****ING GREAT!!! He hit the heat shield on the catalytic convertor while going down the ramp (u know, the car sits kinda low, even though it's stock). He made a big ****ing hole in it. At the end of the oil change I was tense, he was tense.... He says to me "it's not a big deal, just the heat shield... next time you come for an oil change I'll patch it up for you okay?". I said "whatever" and in my head I was like "as if I'm going to come back for a ****ing oil c hange!!!!".

Now I don't know if it's just me, but as I was driving I noticed the engine temperature was higher than it was suppose to be. It was around 110-115 Degrees Celsius, but not yet in the red area. Then again it's about 40 degrees celsius outside so it might just be the temperature. It also felt crazy hot in the heat shield area.... Either way I'm freaked out after today!

devianb

Thats more of a tech question. Always remember that just because you have had a bad experience with one store doesn't automatically mean all the other ones are the same. Sorry to hear about your dilema. Every place that I have taken my car to had done everything right. Even if they messed up they fixed. Everyone is human and mistakes are bound to happen occasionally. You just happened to be in Speedy that particular day and time when your car was damaged. If you had taken your car there at a different time, there may have been a different mechanic and you would have gotten a mishap free oil change.

KlayBuRn

I'm not ragging on your or anything, but cant you change your own oil? I've heard enough oil changing horror stories to make me change my oil for life...

In a thirdgen, its easy as hell, the oil pan and filter are right there beside each other...

devianb

I second that, but sometimes you don't have the tools to do your own oil change like when you go away to college.

Jay87Z

iTrader: (2)

And sometimes, you just don't feel like messing with it.

I usually just take my car to Jiffy Lube, even though after doing an engine and transmission swap, I'm more than capable of doing it myself.

ChevyCarnage

I brought mine into Super Lube last month HOPING that they would leave the plug out an seize my engine so I could get a new one (it just happened to a buddy of mine and they replaced it)
But instead the guy chipped my paint and scratched my valve covers to h3ll. Theyre paying for it 100% with no problems whatsoever so its no big deal. They even reimburst me for a bottle of degreaser because the mechanic left some grease on the bumper from his clothes :lala:

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

Does the car feel down on power? If it does, theres a good chance that he destroyed you cat.

JAY4SPEED

Thats the exact reason why the insurace companys make their clients {mechanic shops} put up big signs and chains saying customers not allowed in garage. Just think if you or the lube tech got sandwiched between the car and the wall! That would be grounds for a serious lawsuit. I ALWAYS drive my customers cars into the shop and up on my lift and take it down myself to avoid mishaps, and if they do happen its totally my responsibility for the condition of the car when retured back to the customer. Sorry about what happened to you. That lube tech should have never had you involved in the service you were paying him to do. He should have attempted to resolve the situation right there on the spot for the heat shield. I'd have your cat converter checked also. If you can hit it with the side of your hand {when its cold } or tap it gently with a rubber mallet and hear a sound similar to a bean bag or a salt shaker, I'd bring it back and look for the highest guy on the totem pole to register a complaint with to get hte cat changed out. Just remember the longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to have any damage repaired by them for no charge. Or better yet take it to your local Chevy Dealer and have the work done and send them the bill

86FyrBrd

iTrader: (1)

Dead cat could make engine run hotter, so I'd second the option of getting your cat checked.

BikertrashDude

more horror storys from the oil place
they ruined the 33,000 mile 305 engine in my car when they forgot to tighten the oil filter. thank *** they paid for it and now i have a 350 in there now.
biker

LowStyle187

Bottom line....Have the guy fix whatever the hell he broke cuz that was his fault. Next change your own oil...if you dont know how ask someone to help you and its cheaper. ..and third your a dumbass to not know your own car was in gear....Killer Z by the way. Keep it running by doing most of the work yourself.
Just ask the guys on the board to help ya man..

X-treme.92

This is why I change my own oil. F those oil change shops.

86NiteRider

iTrader: (10)

Ever since my Dad took his van to Jiffy lube and they put trans fluid in the engine and oil in the trans I started changing my oil as much as possible. Only time I can't is in the dead of winter but since I don't drive the Camaro in the winter that much I just time the late fall change to end in the early spring. That's why those places are always looking for help.

TheWraith

i don't know why the hand brake also wasn't on, but if i was parking a stick car on a lift, i'd sure as **** park it in gear too. Extra insurance against rolling.

since there was no damage, it's a moot point though, just a quick scare, and don't go there again. The cat is definitely the shop's fault...i'd go talk to the guy's boss.

xmind2006

Yeah, it is tough taking your car some where where they don't cherish your car as much as you do.

In a kind of related story: I try to change my oil as much as possible myself, but when I am at my apartment and not at home I can't (College kid here). Anyway, the last time I had a Jiffy Lube change oil they cross-threaded the bolt! So when I went to change oil on my car at home the bolt came out fine, but wouldn't go back in. It would have been one thing if it was just the bolt, but the threads on the oil pan were cross-threaded. I ended up having to get a larger self-tapping bolt to put in, but now the standard bolt won't ever work again.

jawzforlife1

It's been said before, but, thats why I change my own oil or do anything on my car. If something goes wrong I can only blame my self.

mcconahay37

iTrader: (3)

First, I just say that I always do my own oil changes after hearing plenty of horor stories and witnessing some of them firsthand. I used to think the techs new what they were doing, but after working in the Wal-Mart automotive dpt fora year, I decided some of the people they hired to do oil changes couldn't unwrap a pack of bubble gum without screwing something up. I'm not convinced the quality of employees is better at any other place.

Second, we always left standard cars in gear when on the lift. I'd say at least 50% of cars have non-functional e-brakes. It's heartstopping to see a 95 Z28 start rolling back off the lift and hoping the upper bay tech can stop it before it rolls off.

Third, the tech was a lazy moron to have you do anything with your car in the shop. If he had just gotten someone else that worked there to start it, it wouldn't have been an issue, because it should be standard practice to leave the car in gear on a lift.

Jokerman

That sucks man, but the guy was only human and not many people have driven anything with a stick let alone a V8 anymore so they tend to forget about leaveing it in gear and such. On the subject of why would you take your car to one of these places well there are several reasons, 1 cold weather. As strange as it may be we don't all have heated garage's to work in. 2 parts that are on to tight and just don't want to risk messing it up trying to take it off from below (like my oil filter that was on so tight that trying to loosen it i started to bring in the side of it. I could have beaten and banged it off, but just in the off chance that all i did was maul it and have a leaky filter meaning i would have to have it towed, i figured let somebody with more tools and a better vantage point do it.), 3 its just quiker somedays to just spend the 15-20minutes at the jiffy lube than to go to the parts store, pickup the oil and filter, go home put it up on the jack (ramps, what ever) and then change and refill. I am still careful and try to change my oil myself when i can though because i have heard many a horror story as well. One thing i have learned from others mistakes though is that the local tire, allignment shop is not the place to have your oil changed, the almost always screw up. (gee tireshop doesn't do well with oil change. hmm well it is a tire shop.)

elevario

Not to be mean but part of your mishap was your fault as well. When you first jump in the car don't you look and see if it's in gear?