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Automotive/Oil pan damaged during oil change
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QUESTION: I just had a place attempt to do an oil change on my 2002 Saturn SL1 and they broke the oil pan bolt and the weld in the pan which meant I had to have the pan replaced at great expense. $536.00
I am being told this is a common problem and it just happens without warning. I think not and want the garage to change the pan or pay for the repair to be done. Does that make sense.
PS They have changed the oil for me for the last few years.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
ANSWER: I would certainly argue the point with them, if I were you, given that it was they who broke the bolt and the weld!
Incidentally, I cannot speak as to the prices of parts for Saturns, but do know that I paid an amount that was sufficiently small that it did not warrant being remembered when I replaced the pan on the 351W in my E250 van. That replacement was made simply because it was less hassle than straightening out the sealing surfaces of a pan that had warped over time. The price does sound to be a bit much but, then again, I am not aware of the specifics of either the hardware or the mounting configuration of the Saturn pan, and do not want to simply assume. Could this be another case of a what should have been a simple job being made extraordinarily difficult by virtue of design-for-sequential-robotic-assembly taking precedence over down-the-road maintenance or repair?
One more unintended conseqence ... or it it?
Good luck ... EGK
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I finally wrote a registered letter to both owners of the company after their customer relations was slow and unresponsive. I suddenly received a call back from customer service with an apology. Their original offer of $250 was raised to $375 after the letter to the owners. I took the money and skipped small claims court fearing less money and or plenty of wasted time in small claims court. Do you think that was fair for all parties involved ? By the way the pan cost approximate $125, oil change $40 and the rest labor. (this is Long Island New York prices.)
Good site, I will be back !
In the overall scheme of things, it sounds as if they opted to charge you for the part price of the pan and for the oil (naturally!), but pay you back for the labour - that rather implies that they at least felt that they had some justifiable issues with the pan design, and were not going to "eat" that particular cost! Again, I know nothing about the Saturn, so my comments are purely conjecture. My sense however is that you are right in that this is probably the best point at which to leave this issue behind. It might be informative to do an information search on Saturn oil pan problems however. If there WAS a problem with the original pans, one hopes that an engineering or manufacturing change went into effect for the pans produced since, both for the production line and for the replacement parts markets, meaning that the problem you had was only a one-shot "flash in the pan" - sorry, I couldn't resist! Otherwise, there could be a repeat performance of the problem, and who wants that!
Regards ... EGK
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Answers by Expert:
Ernest (Ernie) Kenward
Expertise
The challenges I most enjoy are thoughtful technical questions of a trouble-shooting nature in both electrical, power electronic and mechanical systems, mainly automotive but also machine control and small-machine PLC applications. Please note, however, that I am NOT a walking shop manual! I DO, however, make it a point to have those manuals and other service literature for those vehicles I DO own, and highly recommend that anyone serious about maintenance or modification of their vehicles do the same; MOST of your answers WILL be found there. For that matter, I do NOT go out of my way to acquire shop manuals for any vehicle I do NOT own! That being the case, any general query to me along the lines of "What is the meaning of this code read from the ECU of my 2015 XYZ?" or "Where is the fuse for the windshield washer pump found?" (try your car's electrical distribution panel for a start!) will not go far. What I do offer is a pretty good collection of literature, insights and hands-on experience with 1950s to 1980's Ford products (plus a developing database of information and practice with the Mercedes diesel cars), along with an engineering perspective and the ability to design and implement custom control, electrical and mechanical subsystems for vehicles. For that reason, I am happy to make my thoughts and efforts available to those who are of like mind and/or are seriously making a point of learning about their vehicles. Use the Opportunity to Learn!
Experience
A key skill in my work and hobby pursuits both is STRATEGIC TROUBLESHOOTING. I am a senior instructor in Electrical Engineering Technology at a leading Canadian polytechnic, my areas being Electrical Power and Industrial Control, electrical and electronics design and manufacturing, and AutoCAD and related CAD/CAE software - plus equipment problem-solving and new equipment design and prototyping.
Hobby-wise, I have 30-plus years of experience in auto restoration, mostly in electrical and mechanical systems. Ongoing projects include a 1959 Edsel Corsair, my 1978 Ford E250 class-B motorhome conversion, and the care and upkeep of my Mercedes 300CD.
My vehicles become engineering test beds for electrical and mechanical upgrades as ideas present themselves. This includes the design and production of circuit boards to restore or enhance features for which no OEM replacement parts are obtainable, or where better specifications or reliability can be had via newer concepts. Regarding the E250 RV conversion, I designed and continue to revise a custom power distribution system, managed by a Programmable Controller (PLC); this has made most revisions as easy as uploading new firmware as I develop it.
The "mini" PLC is a powerful device for custom automotive control systems. One good example (there are many) would be the Moeller "Easy Relay"; these offer a wealth of control, monitoring and variable-and-status display options for such projects. A good example project which has worked well is that one for my RV noted above, which has been on the job - revised in firmware only - for a decade now. It is a load management and charging control system to avoid the sulfation-induced early failure that often befalls deep-cycle batteries used in RV power applications. The battery installed in 2003 lasted long enough to more tnan pay for the PLC that contributed to its longer life ... and the PLC will be there for the next battery as well!
Organizations
IEEE - senior member ... past WCC Student Activities;
SME - senior member ... past chair, greater Vancouver chapter chair 318;
Edsel Owners' Club - have served in various capacities on chapter executive during seventies;
have been Power and Driveline resource on the Edsel Owners' Club "E-team" for more than a decade.
Education/Credentials
Graduate of UBC
Awards and Honors
Certificates of appreciation from IEEE and SME for work in student and chapter activities
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