friend didn't listen- went to jiffylube- now what?

[mpvue]

I've been doing the oil changes on a friend's '00 saturn SW2. the saturn 1.9 is a known oil consumer. 2 years ago, I converted it to amsoil (ran the amsoil engine flush according to recommendations)and car seemed fine, for a while. consumption was about 1qt/1500miles. I kept it topped off, all seemed well.
one day less than a yr ago, she comes to me, tells me the oil light was on (not the OLM, but the pressure light!) how long? 'oh, for awhile, and it's making funny noises'. checked the dipstick, bone dry. quick threw a few qts in, she drove it home, quiet again.
I then did a MMO soak on it (cheap trick, sometimes frees up the rings) changed the oil (fresh cheap dino) w/ the idea I would get back to it soon. in the meantime, I told her to get a case of oil to keep in the back (good idea for any saturn owner) and showed her how to check the oil. she's been keeping it topped off.

last night, I told her I wanted to change the oil and filter (I was going to put a bottle of ARX in). she tells me she just got it changed at jiffy. says she got 'some kind of flush'. they told her she was burning oil real bad and showed her the (supposed) oil cap all sludged up (Be eS, there was never any sludge issues in this car). she left out of there $80 lighter.
anyway, is there any point now in doing an ARX treatment? the car has over 110K, been run low on oil at least twice, been run overfull a few times as well (before I started to work on it)and now it got a jiffyboob flush.
truly, no good deed goes unpunished.

 

[d00df00d]

On whose dime, yours or hers?

 

[Quest]

I'm with d0gf00d on this part.

Afterall, it's her $$$ and not yours so get over with it.

Q.

 

[drivewaytech]

Question is.... did she actually get an engine flush or just charged for one?

 

[chet2]

sounds you have gone above and beyond...i think she should just add a quart when needed...the onus is on her to actually open hood...screw the arx

 

[addyguy]

Walk away....this car is starting to have some real issues, and the worse they get, and the more you 'have to do' with the car, the more you will get blamed.....

 

[Donald]

What is the most Jiffy Lube could have done, dump in a can of engine flush, run the engine for 10 minutes and change the oil. It might have even done some good, but risky. If the flush loosened enough to clog an oil return line to pan, you have a car in need of an engine.

I do go to Jiffy Lube for an inspection, but in NY they must remove a wheel to check brake pad. I am always worried they will under or over torque it.

 

[wantin150]

If it consumes that much oil, just change a filter now and then. She'll be adding enough to keep the add pack up!

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
On whose dime, yours or hers?

the jiffy visit is all hers. but, she is a good friend, and in the past, when I only asked her for cost of materials, she paid for that and some extra (she gave me $100 when I did the 1st change) so it's not like I'm being taken advantage of.

I'm of the mind too to just keep it topped off, and change the filter twice a year. funny, the car runs REAL well, just makes lifter noise when it drops to a qt or so (can sneak up on you real fast in a saturn).
I think I'll let it go a couple thou' from the jiffy change and then change the filter (I already have one she paid for).

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Walk away....this car is starting to have some real issues, and the worse they get, and the more you 'have to do' with the car, the more you will get blamed.....


+1 run like the wind from her junker...let JL take the credit.

 

[Papa Bear]

Is she a "friends with benefits" friend ??

 

[mpvue]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Is she a "friends with benefits" friend ??

um,... no.

there's a little TOO much cushion there for the pushin, I'm not interested.

 

[twentynine]

TOO much cushion for the pushin------

A good bull don't cull no cows------

The car burns oil, cheap car--- use cheap oil.

I wouldn't worry about the ARX or anything else, check the oil for her when she visits. Keep it topped off with whatever is on sale. The thing will probably be all right and cost every one a whole lot less money.

 

[JustinH]

Those things are oil burners.

I have been looking at a S series for my girlfriend for the past few months.

Every single one was down on oil...

And they market that car towards females.

I agree with the post above, use what's on sale, and keep it topped up.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Quest
I'm with d0gf00d on this part.

Afterall, it's her $$$ and not yours so get over with it.

Q.

Originally Posted By: mpvue
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
On whose dime, yours or hers?

the jiffy visit is all hers. but, she is a good friend, and in the past, when I only asked her for cost of materials, she paid for that and some extra (she gave me $100 when I did the 1st change) so it's not like I'm being taken advantage of.

I'm of the mind too to just keep it topped off, and change the filter twice a year. funny, the car runs REAL well, just makes lifter noise when it drops to a qt or so (can sneak up on you real fast in a saturn).
I think I'll let it go a couple thou' from the jiffy change and then change the filter (I already have one she paid for).


My post referred to the questions about the ARX treatment. What I was going to say was, if she was going to pay for it and wanted to keep her car, ARX wouldn't be a bad thing. But if the OP wanted to do something for her as a friend and pay for it out of his pocket, I was going to advise just letting it be.

 

[mpvue]

good advice, all. I hope nothing happens to the car, but she IS responsible for it. although the saturn S series drinks oil, it holds up incredibly well.

 

[Audi Junkie]

I vote for ARX too. Leave it in there as long as possible.

 

[Anduril]

I think soaking the pistons with MMO/Seafoam would have a more immediate effect on this engine.

 

[Donald]

You cannot walk away from a friend. But you need to convince her JL hurts more than helps. In NY they do not have a car repair license, only an inspection license. They cannot repair cars, what does that say. They can recharge the AC but cannot fix it. So if you have a leak and bring it to them, they will recharge a leaky AC system without fixing the leak. All they can replace are fluids, filters, light bulbs and belts.

JL is better than never changing your oil, but not much.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Is she a "friends with benefits" friend ??

um,... no.

there's a little TOO much cushion there for the pushin, I'm not interested.


Ok run faster than the wind..........