Well took my van to a local place for an oil change this past Sat. I picked it because I got a coupon from AAA (I am a member) and they were AAA approved. Well took them about an hour to complete and got home and let the van sit for a few hours to let the oil drain back down and went out to do a check to make sure they put in the right amount and such like I do after every time I get an oil change. Well I open my hood and siting on my fuse box is a cap to something. I don’t recognize the cap from my van, I check all the things on my van that requires a cap and they are all there. So I have what appears to be a rather new cap to something. The place I had the work done was closed by then so this morning I sent them an email letting them know I have an extra cap. I will be interested to see if they know what it is to as I am almost sure it’s not from my van. Not sure if I will be going back there after this…
That’s no reason not to return. I’ve found all sorts of things under my hood after its been at the shop. Its not common. But it happens. And if you’ve done a lot of work on cars then you’d not think twice about it - because you’d know how easy it is to do.
What kind of shop is it? The AAA thing means nothing, btw. If they dispensed oil from a jug rather than a bulk tank it might just be the cap to an oil jug. I’ve left those under my own hood - big ones from the 4 gallon jugs and small ones from the quarts.
Well…count yourself lucky. A lot of oil change places will forget to add the oil. At least you came out with something extra which means someone probably went home with no oil cap and a very messy engine. I would find a good independent mechanic that you can trust. I avoid places that use coupons.
If, sometime in the future, you get an oil change and when you get home find that your oil cap is missing you can rest easy knowing that it all averages out eventually.
A picture would be very helpful here.
It’s not a oil cap, that I am almost sure as it’s not sturdy enough. I will try include a pic later on as it’s out in my van and I am at work…
It’s easy to leave stuff in a customer’s car. I have even found my own tools under a customer’s hood during unrelated return visits (good thing I’m not a surgeon). On one occasion, I had a customer call back the next day, after having her battery replaced among other things (car had been towed in for no start), to inform me there was something in her backseat floorboard that wasn’t hers. It “looks like a suitcase with cables coming out of it”. That is when I realized I was missing my $300 Matco jump starter. I was very happy to have that back.
Figured out what it was, it was the cap to the driver’s side front headlight. while doing the Oil change and checking fluids and such they noticed the front light out, they checked and saw it was loose so they fixed it and forgot to put the cap back on…
Good thing you caught it before any damage was done. I bought an F-150 a couple months ago, used. The previous owner apparently replaced at least one of the headlight capsules and did not reinstall the threaded retaining ring. The capsule fell out, laid on the edge of the headlight housing, and melted into it, ruining it. Fortunately, there is a U-Pull salvage yard a half hour from my house with very reasonable prices, so I was able to replace everything for less than $20.
I have even found my own tools under a customer’s hood during unrelated return visits (good thing I’m not a surgeon).
Happened to me too…A complete socket set in case. Woman came back in about a week later for gas…I popped the hood and the socket set was still there all intact.
For those who are familiar with a serpentine belt tensioner tool I bought one but how have 6. They seem to rest so comfortably over the radiator. BTW, mine has a 3 foot pink streamer on it, as does my hood props and AC pressure jumper.
“3 foot pink streamer”
I’m just a DIY shadetree, but I think I need to start doing that…
Heard from the shop owner today, he stated that this was unaccepatable and my next oil change will be free and he will oversee it himself. I am impressed when someone steps up like that, he could have just brushed it off…
I too am impressed. And I commend you for doing the ight thing. It’s possible that they’ll recognize the cap, contact the customer, and return it to him/her, and I’m sure he/she will be appreciative. If not, they just might get a call from the customer saying “hey, where’s my XXXX cap?” and they’ll be able to return it.
I tip my hat to both you and the shop for doing right.
I bought serpentine belt tensioner tool. Paid good money for it. Stupid thing broke the first time I used it. Back to the breaker bar.
By the way, I did not overpull on the thing. It was just a bad weld. Overpulling on the tensioner nut can pop the nut off the tensioner, making for a bad day. The goal ios just to release the belt tension, not to test one’s strength.
smb, the cap belonged to bertrand. It was from his headlight.