Got my oil changed this afternoon. Drove out and caution light came on, "low engine oil pressure." Turned around, walked back in. Guy says they figured out the problem. They only put 3.5 quarts in, not 4. So they went ahead and put 4 in. What do you think really happened? This place has a great reputation and I've been going there for years with this car. Feeling bewildered.... And is 1 mile too far to have driven it back? Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
A half a quart low would not be a sufficient deficiency to make this happen. Your car probably had 2 quarts or less (probably less) in it. Don't go back there again, that's a no brainer.
So did anybody actually -check- the oil level using the dip stick? Preferably after running it, to fill the oil filter.
you should learn how to check your oil, before a major catastrophe happens. 1 mile probably didn't do any damage.
The low oil pressure light comes on when the oil is more-or-less gone, if I'm not mistaken? Did you get any documentation regarding this, or it just says you've had an oil change? I would contact the dealership's service manager, tell him what happened, ask for a document describing the incident, with the date and the car's miles. The engine may have suffered damage, that's going to show up down the road. Also, just for giggles: have a look at the underside, and through the openings in the underpanel, see if there's any evidence of a massive oil loss, say from a loose oil pan drain bolt or mis-installed oil filter. Oh yeah, when they tell you it's because they only put in 3.5 quarts, they're lying through their teeth. If "they" so far is just service writers, all the more reason to talk directly to the service manager, they're likely cover up for each other.
One more thought: the distance between the high and low mark on the dip stick represent 1.6 quart. The Owner's Manual says if the level is nearing the lower mark, top it up. So for the service writer to say 1/2 quart low would cause the Low Oil Pressure Light to come on? Come on...
Plain and simple, they obviously forgot to fill it with oil. I would have a heart to heart talk with the service manager. Stuff like this is all to often swept under the carpet before the service manager is even aware that it happened. Then, if he won't make some kind of assurances I wouldn't hesitate to talk with the owner. No employer wants this kind of incompetence in their dealership.
Thanks! This is a small shop; the owner and manager were there. Yeah, I felt like they were lying to me with the 1/2 a quart explanation. I contacted them via their web site last night and asked for a more detailed explanation in writing of what happened. They pride themselves on being a "Christian" shop where ethics is their number one priority. My ex is going to check it out this afternoon. I also asked them to check all my fluid levels, but now I feel like I can't believe anything they said they did..... Thanks for everyone's comments. I've learned about home repair; now I guess it's time to turn to car maintenance issues.
This almost sounds rehearsed: maybe not the first time they've used this line. There's precious little that needs checking, and that's almost inviting more problems. Washer fluid, you can do yourself, no point in paying a mechanic for this. Coolant reservoir levels (two) drop VERY slowly, easy to check. Brake fluid level: it drops for a reason, as the brake pads wear, and it does NOT normally need top-up, unless there's a leak, and then you have bigger problems. Topping it up only invites overflow, when you put in new pads. And they may use incompatible fluid... I would just stick to getting something on paper, acknowledging they returned the car to you without oil. They've done two things: 1. Possibly messed up your engine, via oil starvation. 2. Tried to lie their way out out it.
I know for a fact that my 2010 II was down to 1 liter of oil and the light "did not" come on. Guy on top forgot to fill.
Or messed up the O-ring on the filter? The latter would be evidenced by an oily mess on the inside of the underpanel. It has some sound absorbing panels that could not be easily cleaned, by a service department trying to cover their tracks. I'm guessing it's not that, but who knows.
I don't trust quick lube shops. Nothing beats doing it your self as you will always know it's done right and you save money. I'm in between a DIYer and a Mobile Mechanic since I work on other people's cars on the side. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
The only way that could have happened is if the oil pan was empty. They never put oil in it, as previous posters have said. A loooong time ago I was at a Jiffy Lube when a lady with a Ford LTD pulls in and the engine is knocking like crazy. She asked the manager if he could check her oil because her oil light was on. Long story short, she just came from the now defunct Board Ford in Whittier (about 3 miles away) where she picked her car up after they replaced the water pump and put a pan gasket on it. She said she didn't notice the oil pressure light was on until she heard all the noise. Board Ford ended up replacing her engine.
Doesn't prius ecu have the smarts to disable gas engine upon loss of oil pressure. I'm pretty sure all general motors cars do. How about toyota. Did you notice any excessive engine noise operating without oil or perhaps the engine was disabled for lack of oil pressure and maybe you were driving on battery power.
I didn't notice any unusual noises. So addendum to this story - owner calls me and apologies after I faxed them a very lengthy letter. He said he would give me a free oil change. Wow, so impressive...... I told him I needed to get the car checked out to see if any damage had been done to the engine and I would send them the bill. He also admitted that they were not transparent, i.e., lied. He also said they absolutely should have had me towed in. So now what do I do? I THINK I can trust the guys that work on the car, but who knows? What would they need to be checking for and how do they do that? If damage occurred, would it be noticeable immediately?
