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I had an oil change at a chain and had a bad experience customer service wise and would not go back there.
This was two days ago and I noticed a small halph dollar size amount of maybe oil under the right side of engine 2010 Altima. This was after parking over night and once fir about six hours.
I was wondering if before I go to mechanic to see if oil leaking should I just get another oil change first somewhere else and see if it resolved. I am afaid if I go to shop and say there might be oil leak when I am not sure they can find a problem when there may not be a probkem. I do not have a shop I trust at this time so is my plan to first trouble shoot with another oil change two days after original oil change at different locations a good idea?
I am also driving to Florida from Wisconsin in couple days so this is causing anxiety.
It may just be residual oil from removing the oil filter. Not a great design, when you remove the filter, oil gets into the subframe, and unless it is sprayed off with a cleaner, you will have drips for a few days.
Check it again overnight and check the oil level before you leave on your trip. Best of luck!
Every time I get an oil change in both my vehicles at the dealership, I have oil drops on my carport the next day. It is because the tech does not clean off the area after the oil change. I have complained about that more than once but next oil change, it is there again. I just get under the car and wipe it off, problem gone.
Could be just residual oil from a sloppy drain job dripping off. I've had cars that every time you pull the filter off, it leaks all over the subframe and drips for a day or two.
Still with a road trip upcoming, I could see wanting to check it out. Could be a loose drain plug or oil filter.
I'd just take it to the dealer (or independent mechanic) and pay them for another oil change. Stay away from chain type oil change places. I had friends who worked there when i was younger and I could tell you some stories
Getting another oil change is a waste of money Put a pieces of paper or cardboard under it and wait a few hours, or a night. Any dripping will be visible and might help you figure out where it is coming from.
It is most likely either an improper seal on the oil filter - in which case you can usually remove and reinstall the filter in a matter of minutes and solve the problem. Sometimes just tightening it a bit will seal it.
It could be a loose drain plug. If it is you can solve it by tightening the drain plus and adding a bit of oil if needed. Don't over-tighten it and be sure it is actually loose before tightening it. To be safe, you could loosen it a bit and then re-tighten, then put paper or cardboard under the car again.
The other and perhaps more likely is a stripped out oil drain plug. This is a harder fix and more expensive. You should make them fix it or pay for it. There are two quick solutions for this. 1. There is a sort of rubber flat washer made for this purpose That can help is only a few threads are stripped. There is also tape simlar to plumbers tape you can wrap the threads with and sometimes sold the problem (I am not sure regular plumbers tape will work, it might dissolve in oil). 2. Just drive it and watch the oil constantly. Check it every time you stop. Even if the first nine times you check it there is no significant loss, keep checking, It can get worse suddenly.
Be sure to check the oil first of all. If it is gone check the drain plug to see if it is there. I had a place forget to put the plug back in at all No oil dripping because it all ran out while driving home. Hooray for idiot lights.
BTW do you know those oil change places charge you double what a small repair shop typically charges and they are much more likely to mess up because they hire under qualified people and pay them nothing?
I had an oil change at a chain and had a bad experience customer service wise and would not go back there.
This was two days ago and I noticed a small halph dollar size amount of maybe oil under the right side of engine 2010 Altima. This was after parking over night and once fir about six hours.
I was wondering if before I go to mechanic to see if oil leaking should I just get another oil change first somewhere else and see if it resolved. I am afaid if I go to shop and say there might be oil leak when I am not sure they can find a problem when there may not be a probkem. I do not have a shop I trust at this time so is my plan to first trouble shoot with another oil change two days after original oil change at different locations a good idea?
I am also driving to Florida from Wisconsin in couple days so this is causing anxiety.
Thank you.
From what you describe that oil leak right after a change could very well mean that the drain plug is either loose of stripped both of which mean that it must be attended to NOW!!!
Failure to find that leak could cause the plug to drop out or leak worse meaning over time you WILL HAVE NO OIL IN YOUR ENGINE!! No oil in the engine means sudden death for your engine.
Thanks for advice I had to go back to chain original place because I actually found a rachet wrench under my hood today by the winshield wipers they said it was not thiers I could not argue or prove they also said they stand by work and think the oil was just like others explained residual oil.
They offered to look but I lost all trust and decided to go and have another place check it was just an oil change place. They said filter and drain plug looked good . I am going to watch for couple days if still dripping will go to a mechanic or dealer . Should have gone to dealer in first place but I stopped going because I was tired of the aggressive upsales but maybe it's worth not having to worry.
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