Wednesday, June 3, 2009

What's Under Your Hood?

I hate to even tell you guys about my saga of getting an oil change the day after I moved, but before I cleaned the old apartment. It's not a pretty story, and I hate to be Debbie Downer twice in one week, but heck, if I had to live it, you can share in the pain. That's what friends are for, right? Um....you are my friend, aren't you? Don't answer that...just pull up a chair and crack open a bottle of Ripple because this is a doozy.



Remember how I traded in my 01 Ford Escape for a brand new 09 Limited V6 because I love my huge carbon footprint power under my hood? Well, I really love my new SUV, just like I loved my old one. Yeah, that's me and Carlous, the salesman.

Well, two weeks ago I brought my car to a Kwik Kar oil change place for an oil change. I know it's the lazy way out, and I should go to the dealer, but I quit doing that years ago with my old Escape because I had a great mechanic who kept it in tip top shape, and he picked up and delivered it from my place of work...and he washed it! But back to the Kwik Kar place.

I had just an hour before leaving for Waco for a baseball tournament for A-Ron. The Kwik Kar guy said he didn't have my oil filter in stock, and neither did the local auto parts store....he would have to go get one at Ford. I was slightly irritated, but said OK, as long as he could do it ASAP. A few minutes go by and he comes into the waiting room to tell me Ford wants a premium of $15 extra for the filter. I tell him to forget it, I'll go to Ford for the oil change. He closes the hood on my car and I leave.

When I get to my daughters, she tells me to ride with her because they won't be spending the night. Normally they do, and I drive back to stay with JJ....
oh the fun!!

The next week was moving week, so I was back and forth schlepping stuff over to the new place. Since my new apartment is a new complex, it was apparent to me that my car was leaking oil on the new concrete. I'm the only one in my building and my vehicle was the only one parking along the red curb, which means loading and unloading no one should park there.


Friday, after I'm finally moved, I decide to go to the Ford Dealer and get an oil change and mention the oil leak. Surprisingly they told me I could wait, and the oil change with filter was $29.95. Yippee.

Within five minutes the Ford guy was in the waiting room, asking me who worked on my car last. I told him no one, and relayed the "almost oil change" at Kwik Kar. He asked me to come with him to look under my hood.



Holy moly! Evidently the Kwik Kar guy didn't put the cap back on the oil thing. Then the Ford mechanic raised the car up for me....


This is the view from beneath my car.




This is inside from the top. Luckily, no permanent damage was done, and my warranty wasn't affected. They steam cleaned my engine, and wrote a detailed and itemized documentation of what they did. It was $60 for the clean up. I took it to Kwik Kar and they couldn't reimburse me fast enough! Lesson learned, in the future, I will only go to the Ford Dealer.


The final cherry on top of my week was a lovely housewarming gift waiting for me when I got home.......


From the local Hospice!

15 comments:

Pumpkin Delight (Kimberly) said...

Oh, that's awful. I hate the whole fixing the car thing because I'm such a dummy about it how the heck would I know if there was anything wrong. I'm so glad your new car wasn't harmed and that it was an easy fix.

mdvelazquez said...

Of course we're your friends. The bright side is that your got a reimbursement.

A hospice?!

Pat Jenkins said...

providence you not driving to waco huh grandma j! that would of been disaster!!.. have you thought about changing the oil yourself?.... he he...

Unknown said...

Once again: Work ethic. I've been preaching it to my kid all week.

Once I hit a bird in my Jeep Commander and it punched thru my grill, but I could never find it.

When they went to replace my transmission fluid a year later, they pulled the cold air intake and found the dead bird....yuck.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

That is infuriating and reminds me of a time when I took my car to a quickie place. Later, when the engine failed, the mechanic at the dealership said something about whoever did my oil change didn't do something or another right and that as the cause. I was madder than a wet hen.

Well, that's a pain in the a** but at least no serious damage was done and at least the oil change place paid you back.

Also, you can thank your lucky stars you don't need hospice! But the flowers are beautiful.

Busy Bee Suz said...

So glad it was not worse for you. Those KWIK guys can really make a mess...you know when they are trying to be KWIK. Glad all is well...how are you going to clean up the parking space now?? Cat litter maybe???

Hospice? Do you volunteer for them? OR maybe you WILL be???

Unknown said...

I have written at least 10 reports on Kwik Kar Oil Change Centers all over Texas and each and every one of them was an environmental hazard.

We always take our car to the Ford Dealership...each and every time.

I Am Woody said...

I am so glad no permanent damage was done. It would have been real easy for all the oil to blow out and your engine to die from lack of oil!

M said...

Wow...and I thought my week was crazy! At least you're not dying! Perhaps an illiterate meant "hospitality," and you were being welcomed...it's worth a shot....Happy Thursday!

Jen said...

UGH!

Hospice; I guess they need to adverise too.?

Pleasing Procrasinator said...

What a pain in the a** these places are. I have to wonder why anyone would want to use them? They are careless and when I used them a couple times before I always ended up at the mechanics. Thank goodness it wasn't worse tho. Here they were trying to overcharge you and they ended up having to pay...too funny:)

mom x 2 said...

Ugh! Why is it so hard to find a good mechanic. We had problems with Jiffy Lube doing a similar thing with us, except it involved lug nuts, TWICE. Now we just go to the dealer. The saying "you get what you pay for" is so true when it comes to your car :)

At least there was no permanent damage and your waranty isn't voided. and you got your money back-

And of course we are your friends- DUH! ;)

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

Better days ahead girlfriend! I only let Cdub change the oil in my car anymore.

Unknown said...

Oh dear goodness. The HOSPICE?!?!?!?!?!?!

Ummmm, are you sure you are at a spa?

So sorry about the oil change. So sorry about your stress. Here's a hug from me! XO!

The Good Eater said...

Criminy! Hospice? Is it a retirement spa?