Wonder what some folks might think:
Short:
Chain store changed oil in car. 50 miles later main seal dropping oil like a sieve. What do you think?
Long:
Mother-in-law needed a car. I sign over my old trusty ’93 Accord 3 months ago. Last week it needed front brakes. Since it has about 160k, I imagined it was probably time for rotors & suggested instead of slipping in some new pads, take it to a shop for new rotors & pads. She lives about 75 miles away, and took it to a chain shop, NOT my mechanic of choice. I have also done all the oil changes on this car for at least the past 6 or 7 years with Champ filters and usually Havoline or Superflo 5w30. Sometimes Super Tech 5w30 to top-up.
They sell her an oil change during the brake service.
After the brakes & oil change are done, she picked up the car, went to work, & drove home. Next day, she drives to work. Half-way to work, the oil light came on. She barely makes it back to the shop, and now has NO oil in pan (I can hear a rod bearing knocking, but forego the idiot light on/keep driving lecture).
The shop dumps in 4 quarts, fires up the motor and oil is pouring out of the main seal! They sign her up for $400 to replace the main seal, but neglect to replace the oil-soaked drive belts. (Shop got real nervous when I showed up the next day asking friendly questions & wanting to see the problem? I wanted to see if while it was apart if anything else should be replaced) When she got home, she noticed about 1 qt of oil on the floor, she didn’t notice while backing out of the garage. (This shows the seal failed within 50 miles of the oil change, maybe less.)
When I gave her the car, I had the rear pads & rotors replaced by my mechanic, that I have favored for over 15 years. I looked over the entire car with one of the mechanics, to find no apparent leaks from the engine, AT, PS, AC or brakes.
THE BIG QUESTION:
Does anyone think something went wrong with the oil change to make the main seal go from NO leaks to flowing like Niagara Falls??? I have never seen a main seal have such catastrophic failure. I’ve seen leaks & fast leaks but not a pumping-out, puddle-after-10-seconds-of-running kind of leak.
Collapsed oil filter?
Too much oil?
Dry-start…then added oil?
Just time for the seal to go?
Short:
Chain store changed oil in car. 50 miles later main seal dropping oil like a sieve. What do you think?
Long:
Mother-in-law needed a car. I sign over my old trusty ’93 Accord 3 months ago. Last week it needed front brakes. Since it has about 160k, I imagined it was probably time for rotors & suggested instead of slipping in some new pads, take it to a shop for new rotors & pads. She lives about 75 miles away, and took it to a chain shop, NOT my mechanic of choice. I have also done all the oil changes on this car for at least the past 6 or 7 years with Champ filters and usually Havoline or Superflo 5w30. Sometimes Super Tech 5w30 to top-up.
They sell her an oil change during the brake service.
After the brakes & oil change are done, she picked up the car, went to work, & drove home. Next day, she drives to work. Half-way to work, the oil light came on. She barely makes it back to the shop, and now has NO oil in pan (I can hear a rod bearing knocking, but forego the idiot light on/keep driving lecture).
The shop dumps in 4 quarts, fires up the motor and oil is pouring out of the main seal! They sign her up for $400 to replace the main seal, but neglect to replace the oil-soaked drive belts. (Shop got real nervous when I showed up the next day asking friendly questions & wanting to see the problem? I wanted to see if while it was apart if anything else should be replaced) When she got home, she noticed about 1 qt of oil on the floor, she didn’t notice while backing out of the garage. (This shows the seal failed within 50 miles of the oil change, maybe less.)
When I gave her the car, I had the rear pads & rotors replaced by my mechanic, that I have favored for over 15 years. I looked over the entire car with one of the mechanics, to find no apparent leaks from the engine, AT, PS, AC or brakes.
THE BIG QUESTION:
Does anyone think something went wrong with the oil change to make the main seal go from NO leaks to flowing like Niagara Falls??? I have never seen a main seal have such catastrophic failure. I’ve seen leaks & fast leaks but not a pumping-out, puddle-after-10-seconds-of-running kind of leak.
Collapsed oil filter?
Too much oil?
Dry-start…then added oil?
Just time for the seal to go?
