Needed a quick oil change. Wish I had gone to the dealer.

[x5TA1NERx]

As the title says, took it to a quick lube shop for an oil change since I was already 200 over and going on a trip this weekend. Dealer was full. This was Friday.

Yesterday, driving down the highway, a friend sends me a pic of the cover hanging down from under my car that needed to be removed I'm guessing to do the service. Within a few minutes, I had to stop and remove it as it was dragging on the ground. When I stop, the parking brake pops up on screen issuing a fault.

Unless a weird coincidence these two events seemed linked to me but I'm not familiar enough with the parking brake system to say immediately. Does anyone know anything about how these two things could be repeated? The cover is about 2ft x 3ft and no telling how long it was bouncing around under there. It was holding on by 1 bolt and has some drag marks so it wasn't just a minute I'd guess.

Before anyone wonders how I wouldn't be able to hear it, it was snowing a lot in Michigan yesterday. Lots of road noise from the weather.

I need to call this place but want to be armed with proper information when placing blame.

 

[BrianA]

There is no blame to place. They will say they had it on when you departed. All that cover does is isolate noise. It is held on with 4 10mm screws, if memory serves me correct. I left mine off on my 12' f150

As for your brake issue I would say that is coincidence. Changing a filter and 6 qt of oil has nothing to do with that system.

 

[Benztech]

I disagree on no blame to place. I would definitely place blame on the service center if it was removed to do the oil change. Take picks and call ASAP to minimize potential for denial. As for the brakes, I can't see how they would be related.

 

[Deadman]

The lube shop simply stripped the bolts holding that cover or never tightened them. they usually use power tools and strip the small bolts out. Hard to prove, but 99% likely.

 

[ccssid]

thats why at 74 y.o. I am still crawling on my belly under a vehicle. In fact, just purchased this earlier today:

300 lb. Capacity Low-Profile Creeper, Green

Amazing deals on this 300Lb Capacity Low Profile Creeper, Green at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Ugh_J]

To be fair to independent shops, the ONLY two times I have ever ended up with overfilled oil (which I caught the next weekend) or overfilled transmission fluid (which I noticed after the entire underside of the car had been spraypainted with it during a highway drive) were from Ford dealers.

 

[SilverStealth]

I wouldn't disrespect independent shops by throwing them in with the quick lube places. I trust independent mechanics over dealerships all day. I only use dealers for warranty work and even then I'm hesitant to use dealers. NEVER go to the quick lube places! There are tons of "hidden video/investigative reports" regarding quickie lube places. All the problems I've ever had with my vehicles occurred after last second oil changes at quickie lube places... stripped plug bolts, overfilled oil, wrong fluids used to top off, etc etc. Just don't go to quickie lube places ever.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Just remember, dealerships don't have their most expensive, highly trained and most experienced technicians doing oil changes. Seen enough to not trust them any further than the quick lube places. My local independent shop does a lot of work with like three guys. They all know their stuff and do excellent work. Even still, I do my own changes anyway.

 

[2020-MAX-Limited]

As the title says, took it to a quick lube shop for an oil change since I was already 200 over and going on a trip this weekend. Dealer was full. This was Friday.

200 over plus a weekend trip is no need to do a panic oil change. There's a lot of "play" in those time/mileage recommendations.

 

[Mr Big]

This is why I have always performed my own oil changes. I don't have to jack up the vehicle, remove the shroud, the drain plug, or climb under the Ex, except to remove and replace the filter. I use a pump sump that sucks all the oil out of the crankcase, through the filler tube. I change the filter, and refill it with 6 quarts of synthetic. Check the level with the dipstick.