Yesterday I had an oil change at the BMW dealership (I drive a 2003 Z4). After leaving I drove the car to work (about 20 miles). On my way home the yellow oil lamp lit. I immediately called the dealership and was told that once the car is turned off and restarted that the light would probably reset. About 10 miles into my trip home, the red light flashed. I drove it directly to the dealership and, by the time I got there, I could smell the oil and hear a faint "tapping" in the engine.

It turns out that I was correct. The oil cap was not tightened and there was oil everywhere!

Of course the dealership assures me that they will "take care of everything", but what are the potential ramifications of this incident? And, what should I look for to be sure that they have "taken care of everything"?

Thanks to you all - you've always been a great resource for me!

Maria

Of course the dealership assures me that they will "take care of everything", but what are the potential ramifications of this incident? And, what should I look for to be sure that they have "taken care of everything"?

Thanks to you all - you've always been a great resource for me!

Maria

If there is any internal damage you are at the mercy of the dealer. Even though it was their fault you will have to take their word for what they say is or is not wrong. If they say there is no damage but it turns out there is after you drive it away you may have issues. Is your dealer honest? What did they tell you they would do to completly check over the engine? Seems to me they better pull the valve cover and do some internal inspecting at the very least.

Make sure that they COMPLETELY document this on the service ticket. Details like "all the oild drained out, engine overheated and was making ticking sounds, dealr said Drive it back here..."

Document everything and get a copy of the service ticket. Also register a complaint with US customer service and get an incident number. Ask for an emailed response or letter documenting that too.


Then just wait and hope nothing happens. If it does, you have all the ammo you possibly could.


Note though that if only a quart or so drained (a quart spread thinly looks like a HUGE amount...), you're probably going to be fine...

Why didn't they send a tow truck for you instead of driving it back with no oil? :confused

If you could not smell any oil fumes in your cabin until you actually arrived at the dealer, there is a chance you might not have lost enough oil to cause long-term internal damage. In hindsight, once the red light came on, you should have contacted the dealer (and perhaps you did), and as suggested above, they should have paid for a flatbed without question. When it comes to the oil indicator, red means stop. And they know that.

In addition to what others have mentioned regarding the internals and documentation, they need to completely clean not only the engine bay, but also toss your car on a lift and spend a good hour on the undercarriage as well. I've seen what a quart and a half does after leaking out over a few miles, and it gets into areas you wouldn't believe.

If it were me, I'd be pulling the stick now to get a general idea of how much was lost. I would also be there when they do the work and see exactly how much oil had to be replaced first-hand. If you actually find you were only down a quart or two, I'd feel fairly safe that nothing long-term is at issue based on the miles you indicated.

If they have to add a significant number of quarts, then you might need to look at other options. Either way, don't take their word for it after the fact.

Oh boy...

the yellow lamp lit = low oil level, top off when convenient.

flashing red lamp = danger to engine, not enough oil- stop car and shut off immediately.

If it were me, I'd be pulling the stick now to get a general idea of how much was lost.


That's going to be tough... you really can only tell by draining and checking how much drained out. At the yellow light, it should be about a quart low... that is the range of the dip stick. His red oil light started flashing... so she lost quite a bit more.

Do not leave the dealership without a brand new engine.
They are at fault, and liable for it.

Do not leave the dealership without a brand new engine.
They are at fault, and liable for it.

+1.

I'm surprised your engine didn't run rough for the whole time.

Do not leave the dealership without a brand new engine.
They are at fault, and liable for it.

Holy Crap!!!

+2

Later, Kasper.

I doubt you'll get a new engine out of it... especially since the engine was still running and able to get you back to the dealership.

Hi All,

Red light means stop the Car............ How far did you drive it with the red light on ??? Dealer could use that against you. Good Luck !

regards,

George

Similar thing happened with a Nissan I bought used and had serviced before I gave it to my son for college. After the red light came on, he filled it with oil and found the oil filter had been left very loose. The car went another 40K (to 95K), then the crank bearings went. All our other Nissans went 250K with no problems. I think you could have shortened the life of your engine.... I had a new GM car that they left the cap off of & blew out most the oil on a twenty mile ride on the freeway. Now I always check everything after I have a car serviced, pretty sad that you have to do it. Good luck.

If you smell burnt oil, then gaskets can be damaged and your engine may start leaking. Check under the car regularly.
Getting a new engine is the best, however considering that your dealer couldn't change oil properly, replacing engine can be more trouble. So get a new engine installed at a different dealer.

If you smell burnt oil, then gaskets can be damaged and your engine may start leaking. Check under the car regularly.
Getting a new engine is the best, however considering that your dealer couldn't change oil properly, replacing engine can be more trouble. So get a new engine installed at a different dealer.

+1

Oh boy...

the yellow lamp lit = low oil level, top off when convenient.

flashing red lamp = danger to engine, not enough oil- stop car and shut off immediately.

+1

If the tapping noise comes back, head towards the dealer. make sure all oil is cleaned up.

If you smell burnt oil, then gaskets can be damaged and your engine may start leaking. Check under the car regularly.
Getting a new engine is the best, however considering that your dealer couldn't change oil properly, replacing engine can be more trouble. So get a new engine installed at a different dealer.

How could he convince another dealer to replace his engine?

wow engine replacement REALLY?!?!?