• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Porsche with problems from oil change Outcome was a $10,767 motor replacement

F

FiLeZz

Diamond Member
My wife went to a major oil change place and got an oil change. She called ahead before she went to make sure they would take the car. The let her know they would have everything for the Porsche Boxster when she got there.

When she arived they did the oil change and put in 6 quarts of oil and relized they did not put enought oil in.
It is not just oil it is mobile 1 synthetic. Oil they do not have on hand. They had to go buy more oil for the car as it takes 9.2 qurts of oil. My wife had to wait till they left and came back with the oil.

Once the oil change was done the wife paid up with the sum of around $100 for the oil change.

Well on the trip home the car died out. The wife was stuck on the side of the road.

I drove by and thought to myself hey that looks like my car.
Sure enough it was. I stopped and was able to get the car started to get home about another 1 mile, with the oil light on. I knew at this point with the car making all sorts of knocks that the motor was a gonner. I checked the oil level it was perfect.

I called the place back and let them know, thought something had gone wrong with the oil change. The guy asked all the normal questions does it have a leak, does it have oil in it. Yes, Yes, to both, I told him.

So the next day I had the car towed to the Porsche dealer to inspect the car. The dealer is about 50 miles from my house. It is the only dealer in Atlanta.

They took a look at the car and said the filter was put in incorrect. The filter is not like a screw on filter. It is a metal housing that is used over and over. You just replace a filter inside the housing. There are also a few seal that go in there in a order. They basicly had all this out of order and thus starved the motor of oil pressure. So now the car needs a new motor as the motor is dead.
I was given a claim number for the car to have a new motor put in it. The insurance ajuster has to go inspect the car at the dealer today.

Anything I should do?

Update: they have agreed to pay all but $1000 of the repair....
Total cost of the repairs is $10,767

the new motor will come with a 2 year unlimited mile warranty..
What do you guys think?

Car is back in my hands with a new motor, but $1000 out of my wallet.



 
If I owned a porsche and knew about all those requirements, I would not even think about bringing it to a local garage for an oil change.

What mechanic does not have more than 6 quarts of mobil 1?!?!?

I barely trust the garages that change the oil on my Civic as it is!
 
Originally posted by: J0hnny

I barely trust the garages that change the oil on my Civic as it is!
Click to expand...

Civics are easy, try an older Saturn. The filter is behind the right wheelwell cover and has to be pryed out of the way!

Or an Element, where the filter is mounted half way up the block on the backside right next to the exhaust headers.

Mid 90's Cavilers are fun too (just ranting now that my job as an oil changer and tire jockey is done)
 
Originally posted by: dabuddha
Did you take it to Jiffy Lube?
Click to expand...

Hah, that was my first thought.

Have fun with that one if you did!

That sort of thing happened to my brother... they put the wrong filter on... it fell off somewhere on his commute to work... was dry as a bone and stranded along the highway by the end of the drive.

After denying responsibility and not returning phone calls for a couple of weeks, their claims department agreed to cover the cost to replace the engine on his car. It was a 5 year old car, and they were going to replace it with a used engine with unverified condition.

He went on for a few weeks telling them to get an engine of at least equal mileage/condition, no way in hell "unverified" would cut it... finally, he had to cave because he needed his car.

Long story short, the engine they bought and the guy they required to put it in both suck, his car sounds like crap and has had a string of problems since.

I've never been to an express-styled oil change place since. Always to my local mechanic.

They're faster, friendlier and they don't just hire kids and teach them how to do the job.... they know what they are doing.

Have fun! 🙁
 
Couldn't you place responsibility on the oil place? Shouldn't they be responsible for causing the engine to malfunction?

--Mark
 
rofl u took your porsche to get the oil changed at a jiffy lube type place? not to be an ass but like a poster above said, i'm afraid to even take my civic there
 
Originally posted by: FiLeZz
So the next day I had the car towed to the Porsche dealer to inspect the car. The dealer is about 50 miles from my house. It is the only dealer in Atlanta.

They took a look at the car and said the filter was put in incorrect. The filter is not like a screw on filter. It is a metal housing that is used over and over. You just replace a filter inside the housing. There are also a few seal that go in there in a order. They basicly had all this out of order and thus starved the motor of oil pressure. So now the car needs a new motor as the motor is dead.
I was given a claim number for the car to have a new motor put in it. The insurance ajuster has to go inspect the car at the dealer today.

Anything I should do?
Click to expand...

That sucks. Be professional and nice about it, but do NOT cave on anything. It also might be in your best interests to have an attorney handy. Also make very good friends with the porsche dealer, as they will be your only recourse / proof that the oil change place screwed up.

My understanding is that this is a *relatively* "common" thing for oil change places to have to deal with, although obviously it is more common for them to have to replace a 1982 pos engine than your boxter. Also be aware that it is a common scam for someone to come in with a pos car, let them change the oil, go a mile down the road and then drain it out and ask for a new engine. Obviously this is not the case here, but if you meet a lot of resistance/suspicion, that is why.

They will probably offer you a used engine - what year / how many miles on your boxter? Insist that the porsche dealer handle everything. Remember that THOSE guys are your friends. Honestly I suspect that boxster engines aren't that hard to come by, you should be ok... And if it makes you feel any better, I don't see anything wrong with oil change places - now that I have room, I do my own oil changes - but my previous car (with a pricy $12,000 engine) I trusted to jiffy lube etc - the good thing about them is that they don't DO anything other than oil changes, so they can't "accidentally" find any other broken parts while they are in there - or at least there is no motivation for them to do so. Now the downside is, the people working there are sometimes only slightly smarter than the average loaf of bread...
 
engine rod bearings scored due to no oil in engine. No oil pressure due to valve on oil filter installed incorrectly. Dealer has write up to fax but i need fax number

Parts and Labor for repair of engine: $10,635
Repair complete probably by end of next week. There is engine in town. Will start repair as soon as adjuster gives go ahead.
 
Originally posted by: malbojah
Originally posted by: J0hnny

I barely trust the garages that change the oil on my Civic as it is!
Click to expand...

Civics are easy, try an older Saturn. The filter is behind the right wheelwell cover and has to be pryed out of the way!

Or an Element, where the filter is mounted half way up the block on the backside right next to the exhaust headers.

Mid 90's Cavilers are fun too (just ranting now that my job as an oil changer and tire jockey is done)
Click to expand...

by older if you are talking any of the early to mid 90 SC/SL series Saturns, you jack it up, remove the passenger wheel, there are two plastic rivets and that cover comes off. The filter is right there then...easy, Early saturns were a clean slate design for easy maintenance.
 
Whatever the place is, theyre liable. I've seen it happen a few times where an oil change place like Jiffy Lube or even a dealership Fx0rd the oil change. They pay for the motor swap out of their pocket to avoid any extra legal fees.

You're getting a new engine?? That sounds a tad cheap for a Porsche engine and labor. I would figure the engine alone is 10gs brand new with ~1.2k in labor. I hope you're not being stuck with an old one.
 
Having driven a Volvo 850 Turbo for a number of years, I know to do certain things at these places in the following order:

1) Dealer (expensive, but they get it done right and warranty their work)
2) Specialist mechanic (knew a Swede-owned garage in Charlotte that specialized in Volvo/Saab. All his mechanics were Volvo-trained and he has a great rep. Sometimes more expensive than the dealer, but he does a lot of extra stuff for free. Scheduling is a bitch.)
3) Sears (great price, great mechanics. YMMV but in the Carolinas I've had good luck with them.)
4) Firestone (again, YMMV)
5) Try it myself (not a mechanic but I'm sure I can find someone who can teach me how to do an oil change. Never done it before though, and would only try it after exhausting all the above options.)
6) Don't change the oil
7) Drive the car into the ghetto, leave the keys inside and say goodbye
8) Drive the car off a cliff
9) Other discount oil change places/random mechanics
10) Jiffy Lube.

Hope this puts things in perspective!
 
Originally posted by: Rallispec
Originally posted by: Viper GTS
9.2 quarts in a Boxster?

Dayamn.

Viper GTS
Click to expand...

yeah, porsches are known as oil hogs.. a coworker of mine with a 911 says his takes 9 quarts as well.
Click to expand...

That's nuts. My VW takes 2.5 quarts :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: malbojah
Originally posted by: J0hnny

I barely trust the garages that change the oil on my Civic as it is!
Click to expand...

Civics are easy, try an older Saturn. The filter is behind the right wheelwell cover and has to be pryed out of the way!

Or an Element, where the filter is mounted half way up the block on the backside right next to the exhaust headers.

Mid 90's Cavilers are fun too (just ranting now that my job as an oil changer and tire jockey is done)
Click to expand...


My car has the same engine as the element (thus same filter placement). It's easy to change assuming you're not too short to reach the filter from the top, and if you have a filter cap and rachet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top