Texaco Xpress Lube oil, change, engine, damage, filter, cooler Palm Coast Florida

One, YOU wrote the oil was coming out of the tailpipe. If you can't tell the difference between a tailpipe and the bumper, that is your problem. When I see something coming out of a pipe, I'm pretty sure it's coming out of a pipe.
Two, I never assumed you were a mechanic. I gave you options for repair based on what YOU said..."coming out of the tailpipe".

I am sure the dealership is happy to help you. Since the oil ISN'T "coming out the tailpipe" but instead just leaking past the filter housing seals, it should be a quick easy fix. Personally, I have never seen one leak there, but I've only been fixing cars for 25 years. As for ASE certified mechs, I have news for you and everyone else.

They know no more and alot of times less than real mechanics. I have known Master Techs who could cite chapter and verse on nearly every repair. Put them near a car with a tool box and they were lost. Saw one take 3 months to put the head back on a Porsche 944. He couldn't remember how to do it. Took me about 6 hours to find everything and finish the job.

I have worked with others. Seems I ALWAYS made more $$ than any of them. Not only because I was paid a higher percentage, but because I was faster than they were. I wonder why I, who hasen't bothered recertifying in 22 years, was always the highest paid wrench at any shop I worked at? How many of you know that to become ASE Certified, you only need 2 years of experience, OR, 1 year of experience AND 1 year of school. That should make you feel warm and fuzzy.

I don't bother recertifying myself for one reason. I never needed to. I made the big $$ without it. I never found an employer who was willing to front the $440 to take the tests either. Everyone I ever worked for had the ASE signs everywhere but I was NEVER asked if I was still, or ever a Master Tech. My shop has the signs. They were here when I took the building over.

The guy I have working for me hasn't bothered going either. He is the best guy in Jacksonville for electrical problems and fuel injection. I spend an inordinate amount of time telling other shops they can't have him. I pay him well. Hell, I don't even know or care if he graduated High School. He fixes cars and that is ALL I care about. I know that a bunch of "test-takers" are going to write in saying how brilliant they are and how horrible I am.

Hell, the best mechanic I know doesn't even fix cars. He is a service manager at a Chrysler Dealership. Good luck with getting your V-Dub fixed. Good luck also on getting Texaco to cut you a check to cover it.

This issue has been resolved amicably. Without having to go to court.

The concept of a garage on a corner that does nothing but oil changes is great! The reality is something less than perfect.

The quick oil change shops seem to be magnets for the untrained and the careless. My own experience with these kinds of shops was cross-threaded and/or stripped drain plugs in two different vehicles in three different shops. I know of no one who has not had a problem with quick oil change shops.

The last time I had a car serviced at one of these establishments, I went for the oil change plus lube. I noticed, however, that the car was driven over a pit and that the technician could not possibly reach the grease fittings on the upper ball joints from below. But then, I never saw anyone with a grease gun anywhere near my car. A few weeks later the universal joint in the drive shaft began making noise. When I pulled it out it was dry as a bone. The one grease fitting on the entire car that they could have lubed from underneath had not been touched.

My advice to one and all is to stay away from quick oil change shops.

For starters their warranty allows 30 days or 3,000 miles. Well over a 1,000 is not 3,000. As far as the oil coming out of the tail pipe I couldnt tell you for sure if thats where it was coming from as the oil was all over the back of the car. Up the trunk etc. Im not a mechanic.

Part two. Im not a mechanic. So I've no idea what you're talking about. It means nothing to me. I called this company to report my issue after having it towed home from South Carolina. They refused to look at it so my only recourse was to send it to the dealer.

The dealers assesment was "Oil cooler had spun and seal jumped out of its seating ring. It looked like the cooler spun counter clockwise when oil filter was being removed. This condition happens when filter seal is not lubed when being installed, then oil cooler spins with filter when being removed." Im not a mechanic.

With all due respect I've spoken with several ASE certified mechanics who are familiar with this condition and the only report I can trust is Volkswagens as Texaco refused to look at it.

To their credit the Xpress Lube has finally started talking to us.

You say you had oil coming "out of the tailpipe" and "all over the engine". Ignore the oil on the engine for now. The oil coming out of the tailpipe indicates a seal went bad inside the engine. It may have been a valve seal or the rings broke. I am betting on the rings since you said oil was all over the engine. That would occur if there was an inordinate amount of BLOW-BY caused by bad rings. Either way, you put some miles on it before anything happened. I have a home in NC and it is 492 miles from Jax Fl. You live south of me so I can guess you put well over 1000 miles on the car before things went wrong for you. If the oil change was at fault, your engine would have gone down immediately after being done. As it is, you drove with no problems for 2 weeks. Have a competent mechanic look at the engine. Pay him to do a tear down and see what really went bad. I have seen plenty of VW 2.0 motors lose it because of faulty valve seals. Most are fixed and sent back out with noting more than new seals and a valve cover gasket. Driving at 80mph on an interstate highway doesn't help matters. Alot of damage occurs in a very short amount of time at those speeds. Good luck.