Saab 2003 9-3. Took it in for routine main. (Oil change, lub, etc.) They also did a software upgrade and put an oil pan heater in. (We live in Alaska.) When I went to pick it up from the shop, it sounded VERY loud and vibrated so much they wouldn’t let me drive it home. They tweaked it some and the sound was better, but it still sounds like it is auditioning for Dukes of Hazard. They say nothing is wrong and that it is supposed to sound/vibrate like this. All I can say is that it is NOT normal. Ideas?
Take the vehicle to another mechanic and tell them exactly what they did. This is not “normal” and the “yahoos” that worked on your car know what they did and are covering it up. The software upgrade may have been botched as well as a few other things. A second opinion will get you back to a known quantity. I hope it’s a simple problem.
I’d avoid using the vehicle until this is looked into. While my first thought was a software problem, my second thought was the oil pan heater. If what they installed is being hit by the crankshaft or connecting rods, damage could be done. And, if it is a software problem, you could be in the process of burning holes in your pistons.
Do you have any information on the specific oil pan heater they installed? I lived in North Dakota and am unfamiliar with one that requires installation.