so....i have a 2006 tsx. all of a sudden the dash light comes on and says.."please check engine oil level" got home, took out the dipstick and found no oil on the stick. thinking that it was not a big deal, and would take care of it tommorrow, i drove the car to get something, parked it and the car never started again.........i tried a few times to start it, but all i heard was clicks...the car would not power on.
the car is now at the dealership(flatbeded there) awaiting inspection and diagnostic. do you think i blew the engine? or is their a kill-switch and that is why the car did not come on because there is no oil? am i in trouble? thanks for any advice.

 

Ouch.

 

Well, that's a BIG problem right there -- what made you think running the car with NO oil on the dipstick was a good idea? Oil isn't optional for an engine to run, it's essential.

I have no idea what to say other than to expect the worst, and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised. At MINIMUM, changing the oil pan is a big job as the front subframe has to be dropped to do so (plus the diagnostic fee of probably $150ish), but at worst, start looking for a new engine.

 

Remember: Old Oil is better than No Oil.

 

Is it really a cracked oil pan or stripped oil drain plug?

 

Hello! Friday night, and im home, mad!!! yesterday, my 2006 tsx died and refused to turn back on! i had it flatbedded to the dealership. they did a full diagnostic on it. they told me that parts of the engine are damaged because there was no engine oil in the motor. i had an oil change last week! the dealership told me the engine oil drain plug was missing. they told me most likely the person that did the oil change (my local Mobile gas station), did not put the drain plug in right, or left it loose. when i went back to mobile to yell at them, they told me they always double check their work and maybe i hit something causing the plug to come out.(however, my oil pan was not cracked, and there is no damage under the car) furthurmore, they said it was possible someone vandalized my car by pulling out the plug or unscrewed it, so all the oil would slowly come out. this is going to cost around $2000 to fix, according to the dealership.i have no choice. it wont even run or turn on! i was told i was supposed to sue the oil change station. insurance wont cover engine damage. WHAT DO I DO? HELP!!!!

 

oh shxt... i thought they would have some indicator that indicates low in engine oil.

Sorry to hear that...

 

the previous night the "low engine oil" light went on. i was going to get it checked the next day....but never made it that far.......

 

Merging with your existing thread....

 

I know you're not going to want to hear this, but this is in part your fault. When the engine oil level indicator comes on, the correct thing to do is stop the engine ASAP. My Dad, as well as many other mechanics that I've known, have always told me to look at that a "the damage is done" light, and to shut it down before more damage occurs.

Now that the damage is done, there's no point in dwelling on it. I would ask the Mobil if they have any cameras on the people doing the oil changes. My old roommate took her car to Valvoline for all of her oil changes. They stripped out the drain hole in the oil pan. She just drove it home from the Valvoline (maybe a mile, tops) and parked it. Next day, she started it up and the oil light came on. She immediately shut it down and sure enough, there was a puddle under the car. She went back to Valvoline and told them about it and asked what they were going to do. They video tape all of their oil changes for just this reason. The manager determined that the tech cross threaded the drain plug which caused a massive leak. They had it towed back, used a tap and die to get a bigger drain plug in there and sent her to Dodge to have the oil pan replaced all at their expense.

Moral of the story is, if there's proof, most reputable companys will fess up to it and do the right thing. I'd ask if they tape their oil changes or not. On the one hand, it seems fishy that it dumped all its oil right after a change. On the other hand, you shouldn't have driven it any more after the light came on.

 

after a $240 acura diagnostic..they said there was no drain plug anywhere to be found when the car was flatbedded to them

 

you are right. i called mobile. they have cameras and will call me back

 

Here's hoping they catch it on camera and come through with a reimbursement equal to (and above) what it costs you to get this FULLY fixed. Without oil in the engine, this might be a very expensive repair in the future (engine wear isn't always immediately noticeable).

Best of luck!

 

ouch... hope all turns out well for you

 

Hate to break it to you, but Mobil is spelled without an "e."

 

I would go after the oil change place.

 

Ugh. That SUCKS. I hope things work out for you.

 

head technician of acura of manhattan said this

"
As per our phone conversation on May 8, 2009 at 10:40am you had you vehicle towed to our facility May 7th 2009 due to the fact that the vehicle would not start. You had stated that you were in reverse backing up and on the display showed check oil level you shut the car off and went to restart and the car would not start. With your authorization to proceed with a diagnostic of the vehicle here are our findings:
Upon Inspection found missing engine oil drain plug from oil pan. We installed new drain plug and washer and tried to start engine. Engine would not run on idle black smoke from tail pipe and ran rough. Inspected for trouble codes and found misfire codes PO 300, 301, 302, 303 and 304 as well as trouble code PO 341 Cam/Crank incorrect phase detected. Remove valve cover and found cam shaft off timing 30 degrees. Removed timing case cover and found no tension on timing chain tensioner due to lack of oil/lubricant causing engine timing chain to jump. Necessary to replace tensioner, guides, chain, gaskets, seals, oil filter, perform valve lash adjustment; replace spark plugs and clean throttle chamber and injectors."

 

Any word from the place you got your oil changed?

 

Sounds about right. That really and truly sucks. And I'm sure that the dealer won't cover any part of that under warranty.

Have you heard anything back from Mobil? I'd go back and review the tape with the manager of the location and go from there before I gave Acura authorization to do the work. Just don't take too long. I don't know about up there, but down here they charge storage fees for leaving a vehicle there inactive for long periods of time. Best of luck to you!

 

Tell the manager of the Mobil station you want to make a claim on their insurance and that you would like the contact information for the Regional Manager. Mobil stations are franchises, but the oil company still has regional managers that oversee such issues.

Next, use Google to find your local "Small Claims Court", and either download or go pick up the forms to file a suit. Most states also have online guides and FAQs for this, which is a simple process. Unless the Mobil station actually starts an insurance claim and you've got a claim number and adjuster's name and contact info, file the Small Claims action and have the suit served on the Station Manager. That will trigger both their response and, ironically, the insurance claim.

 

easy...any update on what happened with the Mobil station?

 

^^ x2
We are interested.

 

mobile sent out insurance adjusters a few days later to the car's location. they say they will pay for it. that is all they said.

 

AWESOME. Glad to hear it!

 

That is great.

 

That's good news.

 

You have learned a valuable lesson - the vehicle warned you - engines need OIL, 100% of the time. Because of your negligence, you are inconvenienced while the vehicle is out of service. Had you checked WHY there was no oil in the pan, you could have fixed the problem by replacing the plug, refilling the crankcase, and been on the road again just like Willie Nelson.

 

my stealership left my drain plug loose on me once. I leaked out most of the oil but not all. when I requested paperwork they told me they'd mail it..
Never got the paper work... thank god nothing happened to
my car though..

 

I'm glad they're making it right and fixing it. Did they ever let you watch the tape of the oil change?