Penzoil servicing installed incorrect filter. Low oil pressure light coming on now

jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
I just spoke with my mechanic and they pulled the filter and verified it's the incorrect filter. They installed one from the dealership.

Advice on how to handle this and any potential knock on effects (if there are any, hoping it's all fine).
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
How many miles was the incorrect installed for?
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
~200. It's been two weeks and the light just started flashing. Penzoil corporate started with the: It's an independently owned business.... It's got your logo plastered up there.

I just spoke with the shop manager and he's going to waffle on taking care of the mechanics bill since he's saying that the invoice states I should bring the car to them first. Ugh.

1. There are a number of reasons the oil light can come on in a car. I took it to my mechanic to diagnose. Why wouldn't I?
2. It's been two plus weeks. If I had driven out of the oil change place and the light was on then sure I would have pulled back around.
3. It's the WRONG filter. Plain and simple.
4. People make mistakes, I get that, people also correct those mistakes.


I hate having to go to small claims.

Here's what I want:

1. Take care of the mechanics diagnostic and labor and parts.
2. Refund me for the botched oil change
3. Most likely unrealistic, and I don't think there is any damage done, but if there's damage because of a direct result of this, take care of that too. But good luck in me actually proving it causal.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
Now that the correct filter is installed, is the engine working normally?

How many miles are on the car?
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
Now that the correct filter is installed, is the engine working normally?

How many miles are on the car?
Mechanic called and said the corrected filter solved the issue. 110K. I think it will all be fine as far as the mechanicals go. But I'm not a mechanic.

It's $123 for the bill all in. I'm going to be upset if the oil change shop balks at this. The offered me a free oil change. I don't want them changing the oil. I brought two cars to them that day. The 2nd one they started up with out refilling it with oil!
 
Last edited:
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
I know folks tend to think there are certain procedures which almost anyone can perform on a vehicle, but that's really a truism. An oil change has steps which have to be performed accurately. For example, how much torque is applied to the oil pan drain bolt. Choosing the correct filter and oil. Knowing you need to replace a crush washer. Properly tightening the oil filter or the canister (for cars which have replaceable filter elements in a reusable canister). How much oil to fill. Screw up any of these steps and you could end up with a costly repair.

Just mounting a wheel/tire takes some knowledge. Over-torque the bolts or nuts and you can bend the wheel or even warp the brake rotors, under-torque and you might lose a bolt or a wheel, or cause a shimmy.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
Mechanic called and said the corrected filter solved the issue. 110K. I think it will all be fine as far as the mechanicals go. But I'm not a mechanic.

It's $123 for the bill all in. I'm going to be upset if the oil change shop balks at this. The offered me a free oil change. I don't want them changing the oil. I brought two cars to them that day. The 2nd one they started up with out refilling it with oil!
I wouldn't let them touch any of your cars again. I'd ask for $128, but small claims court and collecting is a pain, so if they refuse I'd just walk away and chalk it up to a lesson in choosing mechanics wisely. For some cars only a dealer is trustworthy unless you know the mechanic well and can judge his work. I do most of my own work, but I understand that's a bridge too far for many people.
 
TheWarrior

TheWarrior

Audioholic Ninja
Consider yourself lucky to still have an engine. Wrong filters tend to blow off, drain the oil out, and then cause catastrophic failure.

Annihilate them with reviews online, and yeah, do not go back, even if they refund you. Small Claims is a waste of your time.
 
panteragstk

panteragstk

Audioholic Warlord
Consider yourself lucky to still have an engine. Wrong filters tend to blow off, drain the oil out, and then cause catastrophic failure.

Annihilate them with reviews online, and yeah, do not go back, even if they refund you. Small Claims is a waste of your time.
Online reviews like this would be pretty bad for the shop's reputation. Especially if there are multiple bad reviews. Screwing up something as simple as an oil change is a big deal. That's why I refuse to take vehicles to Wally world.
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
I know folks tend to think there are certain procedures which almost anyone can perform on a vehicle, but that's really a truism. An oil change has steps which have to be performed accurately. For example, how much torque is applied to the oil pan drain bolt. Choosing the correct filter and oil. Knowing you need to replace a crush washer. Properly tightening the oil filter or the canister (for cars which have replaceable filter elements in a reusable canister). How much oil to fill. Screw up any of these steps and you could end up with a costly repair.

Just mounting a wheel/tire takes some knowledge. Over-torque the bolts or nuts and you can bend the wheel or even warp the brake rotors, under-torque and you might lose a bolt or a wheel, or cause a shimmy.
I'm aware of all that and I have a Torque wrench yay Newton Meter! When you purchase the filter you generally will get any needed o-ring and crush washer. Weather permitting I do my own oil changes.

So while the shop manager wasn't willing to take care of the $123 (a mere pittance) mechanics bill I just got off the phone with the owner and he's cutting me a check. I also let him know about the 2nd car they didn't fill with oil and cranked over the engine. I didn't want to throw anyone under the bus but two mistakes in the same day for the same customer is a problem.
 
everettT

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
I just spoke with my mechanic and they pulled the filter and verified it's the incorrect filter. They installed one from the dealership.

Advice on how to handle this and any potential knock on effects (if there are any, hoping it's all fine).
I've seen a bmw x5 run almost bone dry a few years ago, and no damage whatsoever.
The owners wife did something similar.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
I'm aware of all that and I have a Torque wrench yay Newton Meter! When you purchase the filter you generally will get any needed o-ring and crush washer. Weather permitting I do my own oil changes.
Good choice.

Not all manufacturers include the crush washer with the filter. Porsche, for example, doesn't. They piss me off by not only selling the washer separately, but use an alloy washer, not copper like sane OEMs do, and it takes some considerable torque to get it to crush (which it really doesn't, it just gets a ridge), and applying that much torque to a $600 or whatever oil pan makes we wonder.

I'm anxious for electric cars to mature more so I can be done with ICE maintenance, ICE cooling systems, and transmissions. I won't be nostalgic for them either.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
~200. It's been two weeks and the light just started flashing. Penzoil corporate started with the: It's an independently owned business.... It's got your logo plastered up there.

I just spoke with the shop manager and he's going to waffle on taking care of the mechanics bill since he's saying that the invoice states I should bring the car to them first. Ugh.

1. There are a number of reasons the oil light can come on in a car. I took it to my mechanic to diagnose. Why wouldn't I?
2. It's been two plus weeks. If I had driven out of the oil change place and the light was on then sure I would have pulled back around.
3. It's the WRONG filter. Plain and simple.
4. People make mistakes, I get that, people also correct those mistakes.


I hate having to go to small claims.

Here's what I want:

1. Take care of the mechanics diagnostic and labor and parts.
2. Refund me for the botched oil change
3. Most likely unrealistic, and I don't think there is any damage done, but if there's damage because of a direct result of this, take care of that too. But good luck in me actually proving it causal.
I have to say there is a very good chance that mistake has significantly shortened the life of that engine. Anytime an oil light comes on for any reason, an engine should be immediately shut down and the cause found. The internal bearings a very fragile of soft white metal. The oil pressure keeps the bearings apart. 200 miles is a long way with the wrong oil pressure. The way filters are designed, the chances are high the pressure was below normal even when the light was not on.

I would recommend that you have a test done, where an actual oil pressure measurement is made after removing the oil pressure sending unit. That is what I would do.

If the oil pressure is at all below spec. than I think you have a justifiable claim for a new engine. I would personally have done this myself on the vehicle and parked it if the absolute oil pressure measurement was below spec. That is the best advice I can give you.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
If the oil pressure is at all below spec. than I think you have a justifiable claim for a new engine. I would personally have done this myself on the vehicle and parked it if the absolute oil pressure measurement was below spec. That is the best advice I can give you.
With a newer car or one with low mileage that might work, but I suspect with 110K miles a rebuilt engine and the labor will be more than the car will be appraised at. I know it's not fair, but I've seen cases vaguely similar to this before, and the settlement offers are surprisingly low. The alternative is a lawsuit, and attorneys fees will swamp the recovery.
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
I have to say there is a very good chance that mistake has significantly shortened the life of that engine. Anytime an oil light comes on for any reason, an engine should be immediately shut down and the cause found. The internal bearings a very fragile of soft white metal. The oil pressure keeps the bearings apart. 200 miles is a long way with the wrong oil pressure. The way filters are designed, the chances are high the pressure was below normal even when the light was not on.
The light only started flickering at idle on Friday. Light was fine otherwise. I spoke with the mechanic before I drove it home, an 8 mile trip, and he explained what could be causing it at idle RPM and that if it didn't flicker at higher RPM it's because the pressure was up and I should be fine for the trip home. The mechanic is less then a mile from my house so I did drive there and they did drive to replicate the problem.

So I don't know if the oil pressure's been incorrect for 200 miles but I believe the oil sensor is doing what it's designed to do and that I've had adequate static pressure up till that point.
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
With a newer car or one with low mileage that might work, but I suspect with 110K miles a rebuilt engine and the labor will be more than the car will be appraised at. I know it's not fair, but I've seen cases vaguely similar to this before, and the settlement offers are surprisingly low. The alternative is a lawsuit, and attorneys fees will swamp the recovery.
Pretty much what I was thinking was my worst case scenario. I think the car is fine. I'm planning on getting something in 6 months anyways.

Any one want a good deal? :) Oil changed regularly and sometimes by paid professional incompetents.
 
P

pewternhrata

Audioholic Chief
I wouldnt read to far into it, get the $ back and that's that. As far as potential issues, it would depend on the car. Typically a larger oil filter can be installed without issue, most vehicles can actually utilize multiple sizes. In regards to the light, could have been the wrong amount of oil added; a car should run relatively fine for awhile being 2qts low, a quart too much however would, and should, throw the oil light. I wouldnt lose any sleep on it.
 

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