What? how can a signal from an oil sender stop a manual fuel pump? (typicaly used on carbureted vehicles). Now I can see a signal from an oil level sender(or pressure sender)disable the ignition,happens everyday with small engines these days.
You have it ALL wrong,the OP drove 50 miles with the problem occouring during this 50 miles,it did not take 50 miles for the damage to be done and everyone should check their oil level after a oil change, and there is no Tooth Fairy either.
Maybe the drain plug is leaking because someone reused a drain plug gasket or failed to use a gasket at all. That kind of drip can lead to substantial oil loss which can creep up on you pretty quickly.
I wasn’t trying to infer in an earlier post the GF was stiffing the OP on this deal by knowingly sellng them a junk car; only that a financial transaction between 2 non-mechanically minded people can lead to honest mistakes or misunderstandings. Just clarifying that.
This was based on the fact the GF decided she needed a new car right after the oil change was done so the impression was that it’s time to dump the old and now damaged car and get something else.
The OP is guilty of operating the car with the oil light on but if PT botched the oil change due to a leaking drain plug they should cover this in my opinion. Part of an oil change is also making sure there are no leaks.
If this Precision Tune is part of a chain such as the ones located in a major metro area in OK then I wouldn’t trust them period. I’ve gotten involved in repairing several of their screwups over the years.
They used to advertise a dirt cheap Tune-Up (misnomer) and it was a farce. The car went on the scope and any cylinder that exhibited a problematic firing line got another spark plug; just not a new plug. My understanding is they kept boxes of used ones sitting around and stuck whatever would fit the hole in there and I can certainly believe this. I’ve seen those botched tune up jobs with 4 different types of plugs in a 4 cylinder engine and 5 types of plugs in a 6 cylinder. In a few cases some of those plugs used were short reach plugs inserted into a long reach hole.
In one case I spent over 3 hours wrestling the plugs out of a Subaru due to their having been cross-threaded so badly and rammed in tightly; apparently with a 3/4" impact wrench. Pretty shaky operation in my opinion.
“how can a signal from an oil sender stop a manual fuel pump?”
With a relay. It was an electric pump under the back seat.
And I suppose he should have pulled over and checked it every five miles along the way, just in case? Give me a break. He paid someone to change the oil. If it was the plug, checking it right after the oil change would have shown that it was full and wouldn’t have indicated a problem. He’s not allowed into the pit to look at the plug after the oil is changed and the engine is supposed to be run while the tech inspects for leaks. Any shop that doesn’t do that is negligent and incompetent both.
He drove it fifty miles, with oil leaking the whole time. He could easily have gone fifty miles with a dripping plug before losing five quarts of oil. It seized after the oil was all gone, not while there was still oil in it. No tooth fairy required.
Actually the op never said he drove with the light on for 50 miles. There is no way the no oil scenario would have let him go 50 miles. This whole thread is beyond logic. The engine would go what 5 minutes no oil? If the light was on for that time just after the fill it would be a bad pump or sensor and the guy who drove it out of the bay would be 100% on the hook for letting it leave the lot. Why? Because as a certified mechanic he is required by the insurer to only release cars in good working order.
I think oldschool’s point is that the oil light started off flickering as opposed to staying on all of the time. This flickering can be caused by oil slosh (when low) due to acceleration and deceleration, cornering, etc.
At that point the engine should have been turned off then and there.
There’s about a dozen or so questions I have about this incident, both before and shortly after the oil change.
This story progressed from the original post of no oil leaking to to oil being blown back all the way to the rear axle.
Any issue with the oil change would actually be between the GF and the facility because the car was owned by the GF, not the OP.
My 73 Vega had this setup…Carburetor with a electric fuel pump…There was a oil sending unit that if it sensed low oil pressure it would kill the fuel pump…The connector to this was also prone to fall off…Great when you’re traveling 65 on the highway…
Oil has great surface tension, so oil leaking out of a plug would have no trouble reaching the rear axle as the air passing under the car carried it back along the floor pan and suspension, especially if he was driving over 30 MPH. There may be other inconsistencies in the story, but oil on the rear axle only reinforces the claim that it was leaking the whole time prior to running dry and seizing. The oil light would have come on at the point that pressure or level reached some point determined by the manufacturer. He should have pulled over right then to prevent damage, so he’s not totally in the clear. But anyone can drive five or ten minutes before noticing an oil light, depending on the position of the steering wheel and so forth. Some warning lights are easily blocked by the steering wheel, and you would only notice them at night or when you turn the wheel. Since he said he was on an exit ramp, I presume he was on the highway when it started making noise, which means he was driving in pretty much of a straight line and at relatively high speed. I don’t think there would have been any sloshing on the highway either. Unless the guy is totally lying about the circumstances, this is the result of the shop’s error, and his failure to catch it soon enough. Failure to notice the problem would apply to most drivers, and is peripheral to the original fault.
ROFL Oldschool… I agree. If I had good luck like him I’d be flying to Vegas promptly. I have to agree with the poster above though who stated “dual responsibility” in this case. I doubt the shop will ACTUALLY ever pay for a dimes worth of repairs. Sayin it and doin it are two different things.
[i] They owe you nothing. You and your girlfriend knew the oil light was on and continued to drive it. [/i]
Sorry but that about says it all in my book. You may get lucky and they might do some kind of split. Your choice would see an attorney, but then that is going to cost you and may not do you any good.
I believe a 50 - 50 spit would be fair.