My 99 Camry was driving perfectly until I took it in for an oil change with a guy who had a bad temper. Since then, my car hasn’t been running with as much power and the oil is low for the last two weeks. What are the possibilities of my problem? What could he have done to sabotage my car? Thanks.
Maybe you should tell us what the guy’s bad temper had to do with an oil change, and why you let this particular guy change your car’s oil.
Changing the oil shouldn’t affect how the car runs. If the filter or drain plug was not tightened correctly there could be a leak.
There are hundreds of other possibilities, but without more information we’re only guessing.
How Have You Determined That The Oil Has Been Low For 2 Weeks . . . Dipstick, Idiot Light, Etcetera ? How Low (Oil light on, not showing on stick, etcetera) ?
Please describe any and all symptoms associated with " . . . my car hasn’t been running with as much power . . . "
Are any warning lights illuminated or gauges out of “normal” range ? Any sounds, smells, or visual indications ?
CSA
If your oil light has come on do NOT start the engine again. Check the level on the dipstick and bring it back up where it should be.
If you’ve been driving with the oil level low there’s an excellent chance that you have at the very least shortened the remaining life of your engine. I wish I could suggest how you could get satisfaction from the guy, but short of small claims court I know of no way, and even then you’d need to prove it. The good news is that the level of proof needed is relatively low. Having sworn affadavids from others that are willing to suport their affadavids by testifying is the only way.
“the oil is low for the last two weeks”
If I am interpreting your post correctly, you have been aware of a low oil level in the engine for two weeks, but you have continued to drive it without refilling the crankcase to the correct level. Is that correct?
No matter what this “bad-tempered” guy may or may not have done to your car, your own negligence may spell an imminent demise for the engine. Rather than first debating whether the oil change person is guilty for the low oil level, the responsible thing to do is to get a qt or two of the correct viscosity oil and add it–slooooowly–a little bit at a time while you check the dipstick for the level of the oil. Too much oil in the crankcase can be as damaging as too little oil.
Assuming that you have not already done fatal damage to the engine by running it for two weeks with a low oil level, I strongly urge you to replenish the oil before you do anything else.
After you have replenished the oil supply, please come back to this thread to tell us how much oil it took to bring the dipstick to the “full” level. When we have more specific information like this, then we can be more specific with our advice.
Put the angry guy to rest by getting another oil and filter change by some other shop, one with a good reputation. Tell them what you told us.