Engine destroyed after it was at the shop

Aside from this most recent case, I’ve changed my oil every 7,500 miles are so. I didn’t write down the exact intervals between each oil change. Yes, it was at Jiffy Lube. I’ve also had them replace my coolant when they told me it was getting time to do so. I figure it’s not going to be TOO hard for them to get those changed properly. Sometimes they show me an air filter and tell me it looks kind of bad, but I only let them change it every couple years. It’s a filter. It’s supposed to look bad.

"I figure it’s not going to be TOO hard for them to get those changed properly.

You’d be surprised…

Point taken. I’m getting this slight feeling that Jiffy Lube is not very respected. I’ll remember that for the future and not go to those again.

Overall the franchise is not well respected on this board. However, they are indepedently operated and the accuracy and quality of the work is very dependent on the manager and the franchise owner.

I have had good experiences with quick lubes, but still prefer to do my own oil changes. My mother’s car was well taken care of by a Jiffy Lube franchise when she owned one. Obviously that Jiffy Lube seemed to do the right thing and she never had an up-sell. From info on this board, that is remarkable.

I submit that we as a objective based board offering help to the public not get hung up with a personal dislike of JiffY Lube. This dislike is starting to cloud the advice given. You may want to say certain conclusions are valid since the car has been serviced at Jiffy Lube but making these conclusions is straying very far from being objective and using logic not emotion to come to your conclusions.

We need to stop hating on Jiffy Lube as a general policy. Being haters destroys our own credibility.

Latest update: so last night I sent Gill’s an email calling their bluff and telling them I’d take my car elsewhere. I then went on to say that this will affect their online reviews and therefore their reputation.

Just a bit ago I got an email from them saying that I should still leave my car with them, as their insurance will be contacting me to get this resolved. I think that’s a good turn of events.

Accordng to the Gates manual you have a noninterference engine. What this means is that even if the timing belt were mistimed or broke, you would not be subject to internal engine damage.

I’m not convinceed that they know enough yet to say you need a new engine. I’d suggest you have the car towed out of that shop and brought to a reputable independantly owned and operated shop to have it looked at for exactly what the real problem is. It may turn out that you actually do need a new engine, but if they haven’t yet taken it apart and “have no idea why it happened”, then something is seriously amiss.

Frankly, I too went “huh?” when I read that part about changing the throwout bearing without changing the clutch assembly.

Something isn’t right here.

The OP hears “a couple clanks” 1/3 mile after getting the clutch/transmission work.

There may be coolant in the oil, but that’s not what caused this.
Something didn’t get bolted back in place.

Gill’s clearly needs to get this car in drivable condition on their dime.