This is F'd up... can I do anything about it?

[R1ckyB0bbyyy]

So I have a 1998 Honda Accord LX with 126,000 miles on it. And after my last oil change oil started dripping on my exhaust pipe and I was losing a good amount of oil over 1,000 miles or so. I would get so low that my oil light would come on and my car would not rev past 4,000 RPMs. I would just add a quart or two of oil and it would run fine and dandy.

So on my way home from school thinking I had enough oil to make the two hour trip I drove, yes what a dumb thing to do apparently. Well with 40 miles left in the trip my oil light came on, I figured damnit... I can't just pull over and get towed I don't have AAA or ANY cash on me or in the bank (severely broke college student)... so I drove it out, car almost home shut down, zero power and all my dash lights came on. The car would not start, I let it sit and added a quart of oil I forgot I had in the trunk and added it... gave it a minute and it started, idled normal but had a funny squeeky noise, I shut it down after a second I just wanted to see if it started.

The car got towed home, my mother paid for it... I added 2 more quarts when I got home and the car started, ran AND drove. I took it around the block but any step on the peddle besides grandma driving and it would purrr like a kittehhhhh... I said oh fack, the CE light was still on too. I shut er down at home and went to autozone with it the next day to get the codes read and one that stood out was "vtec system malfunction" "misfire 3 cylinders"... and on the way home the car pooched for good. It got towed home

The diagnostic said, yep dude... bad bearings you need a new motor it's the cheapest way. So I found one with 86,000 miles on it for $375 and a guy to do it for $375. I just got a phone call from the guy, he asked me when and where my last oil change was. I said prompto, and he said it was the reason I was in the trouble I was in because they put the air filter on wrong and didn't seal it properly. I do NOT have a recipt from the oil change but it MIGHT be on my credit card, and I do have the sticker from when it was changed at prompto on my window...

What can I do here? Do you think it's their fault? Do I have enough evidence to prove it? The mechanic that is doing the swap on my car is telling me it was...

[RRGOO7]

Originally Posted by R1ckyB0bbyyy

So I have a 1998 Honda Accord LX with 126,000 miles on it. And after my last oil change oil started dripping on my exhaust pipe and I was losing a good amount of oil over 1,000 miles or so. I would get so low that my oil light would come on and my car would not rev past 4,000 RPMs. I would just add a quart or two of oil and it would run fine and dandy.

So on my way home from school thinking I had enough oil to make the two hour trip I drove, yes what a dumb thing to do apparently. Well with 40 miles left in the trip my oil light came on, I figured damnit... I can't just pull over and get towed I don't have AAA or ANY cash on me or in the bank (severely broke college student)... so I drove it out, car almost home shut down, zero power and all my dash lights came on. The car would not start, I let it sit and added a quart of oil I forgot I had in the trunk and added it... gave it a minute and it started, idled normal but had a funny squeeky noise, I shut it down after a second I just wanted to see if it started.

The car got towed home, my mother paid for it... I added 2 more quarts when I got home and the car started, ran AND drove. I took it around the block but any step on the peddle besides grandma driving and it would purrr like a kittehhhhh... I said oh fack, the CE light was still on too. I shut er down at home and went to autozone with it the next day to get the codes read and one that stood out was "vtec system malfunction" "misfire 3 cylinders"... and on the way home the car pooched for good. It got towed home

The diagnostic said, yep dude... bad bearings you need a new motor it's the cheapest way. So I found one with 86,000 miles on it for $375 and a guy to do it for $375. I just got a phone call from the guy, he asked me when and where my last oil change was. I said prompto, and he said it was the reason I was in the trouble I was in because they put the air filter on wrong and didn't seal it properly. I do NOT have a recipt from the oil change but it MIGHT be on my credit card, and I do have the sticker from when it was changed at prompto on my window...

What can I do here? Do you think it's their fault? Do I have enough evidence to prove it? The mechanic that is doing the swap on my car is telling me it was...

I would recommend just paying the $375 for the engine and labor ....it will be far more of a hassle to prove the other company fucked up when they changed the oil....

[M3BALLER08]

Sounds like your screwed RickyBobby. Pay for the new engine and labor and call it a day.

Oh, start changing your own oil. As a broke college student it will save you a few bucks that can be put in the beer fund.

[AJayE92]

Originally Posted by RRGOO7

I would recommend just paying the $375 for the engine and labor ....it will be far more of a hassle to prove the other company fucked up when they changed the oil....

+110000

[Xiaofeng]

Originally Posted by R1ckyB0bbyyy

The diagnostic said, yep dude... bad bearings you need a new motor it's the cheapest way. So I found one with 86,000 miles on it for $375 and a guy to do it for $375. I just got a phone call from the guy, he asked me when and where my last oil change was. I said prompto, and he said it was the reason I was in the trouble I was in because they put the air filter on wrong and didn't seal it properly. I do NOT have a recipt from the oil change but it MIGHT be on my credit card, and I do have the sticker from when it was changed at prompto on my window...

Your air filter wasn't seated and sealed? Are you sure he didn't say your oil filter wasn't seated and sealed? That would cause the oil to leak out, as in your situation. The air filter shouldn't have anything to do with your oil.

As for driving with the oil light on, that was very ill advised. When that light comes on, it usually means your engine is already a quart low. Continuing to run with the light on would mean the engine is lacking sufficient lubrication, so metal is rubbing on metal. In your case, it sounds like you burned through your connecting rod bearings. Always keep an extra quart of oil in your trunk, in case of situations like this. (How'd you forget you had a quart in the trunk anyway?) At the first sign of low oil, pull over and top off the crankcase. Remember, oil is the lifeblood of your engine.

If you can get your entire engine swapped with $750, it'll probably be easier to just pay and get it done. A bottom-end teardown to fix the bearings would cost several times that. I'm not sure you'll be able to get anything from the oil change place though, plus the legal fees required to take them to court or even arbitration would probably be more than the entire swap project. With that said, you can try talking to the shop and see if you get lucky, but since ultimately you are the one that drove your engine into the ground, I'm not sure how much responsibility the shop will take, if any. I'm not a lawyer though, so take this for what it's worth.


In any case, take this as an expensive lesson, and good luck with the repairs.