[6t7goat]

My daughter called and asked if i could change her oil. Single mom and money is tight. Of course i say yes. She brings car over today. 2012 Camry. I drain the oil and pull the filter canister to change the paper element. No filter!!! I look at the sticker its from a quick lube place I could not believe she has been driving this car with no oil filter for 10k miles. I have the oil and was considering sending it to be analyzed. I didnt call the place today because i knew I wouldn’t get anybody with any authority. I will be calling tomorrow but dont know how much luck i am going to have. What would you do?

[getmygoat]

Life is too short, let it go. Just don't take it there again.

[Heybuck]

Cut your losses and forget about it. You won't win because they will simply deny it. If you had taken the car in to them for another oil change, they might have said there was no filter and at that point you could have made a serious noise that it was THEM that did the last change.

Right now you are in a better place. Your daughter is trusting you to look after her. Remind her that her last effort at not inconveniencing you has raised a problem. From now on, I suggest she continues to trust you to the task. In the end, this has turned into a win-win situation

Good luck

Ian

[MUSLCAH]

A canister element ? I thought those were extinct....like my old 63 Chevy had a canister.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by MUSLCAH

A canister element ? I thought those were extinct....like my old 63 Chevy had a canister.

This was part of the Al Gore and his buddies idea to rid the landfills of partially filled oil filters leeching into the soil. Some major manufacturers bought into the idea right away, like Toyota, GM on many models, Chrysler too. Others have steadfastly refused to use the cartridge style, Honda, Ford are a few examples. I thought it was the dumbest idea ever until I got used to changing them. Many of them are on the top of the engine and very easy to get to and change, especially on a hot engine. Some, like Toyota are underneath and a hot mess to change. Toyota went a step further and made the end cap on many of them plastic rather than the original aluminum design. They are prone to crack and leak when they get over 100K miles and many engines have been lost by running out of oil and a huge mess. I replace the plastic ones with an aluminum cap when I change one over 100K. Doorman makes an aluminum replacement one now as well as the dealer. Overall I am OK with the canister vs a spin on. Depends on the location. Cost is about the same, which means their is more profit in a canister element. Drain back and bypass valves are in the housing, not the element.

[getmygoat]

Volvo has the canister type also. Seems ok. Its all about the position, so when unscrewed the oil can run right to the pan.

[U47]

Originally Posted by getmygoat

Volvo has the canister type also. Seems ok. Its all about the position, so when unscrewed the oil can run right to the pan.

You mean to tell me there is no drain plug on the canister like 1955-59 Pontiac V-8 so that the job is without a mess!

[Simple Man]

I might call them, and explain the situation. Maybe get a free oil change.

[Chief of the 60's]

Good thing it is a Toyota.

[Firedup6975]

Any chance it was installed but wasn’t tight and fell off?

[72pontiac]

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

Any chance it was installed but wasn’t tight and fell off?

it is a cartridge the gets replaced inside of a removeable canister that is attached to the engine. apparently no cartridge was installed.

[John V.]

And I always thought the biggest worry was having an idiot strip out the drain plug threads!

No chance your daughter had somebody else change the oil since the quick lube shop did it? Surely nobody stole it out from under her car!

Assuming not, I would definitely not let this just go. No telling how much engine life has been lost by someone's stupid decision. I'd call it a mistake, but hard to believe even a newbie didn't realize he was reinstalling an empty canister.

Maybe get them to pay for the oil analysis and pray that the oil is still clean.

Then have them refund the price of at least 2 oil changes. Not coupons for free future changes, but actual cash money, Why would you ever take it back to their shop??!!

If your daughter has used this shop multiple times, try to get a refund for EVERY oil change they ever did for her, most shops have records and will know how many times they changed her oil. Who knows when they stopped installing cartridges in her car?

If they aren't profuse in their apologies and offer as much or more than you ask for, suggest that you'll be talking to your good friend Eddie Farah.

I always believe you play the cards you're dealt and would never think of going the legal route. But this goes beyond the pale. An oil change shop that can't get it right on a Camry shouldn't even be in business. And an engine that has been excessively worn due to poor maintenance has a real cost in terms of depreciation that would be measured in hundreds of dollars if not thousands.

I hope you (and your daughter) gets some satisfaction. Good luck!

[Half-Inch Stud]

Go tell the MGR the "heads up", maybe he needs to know, and spring for the complimentary oil change.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

Go tell the MGR the "heads up", maybe he needs to know, and spring for the complimentary oil change.

Why would anyone want to get a "complimentary oil change" from a place that is so incompetent?

[Elarson]

My guess is that the tech took the old filter out and tossed it in the trash, then discovered that they didnt have a new one. With the cartridge, it's easy to just put the cap on and not say anything. You couldn't get away with that with a spin-on filter.

Eric

[Firedup6975]

I remember one time we took my suv to get inspected and oil change to the dealer. Brought it home, Mike looked under the hood and the old filter was still on the car. We went back, and the new filter was still sitting on the mechanics bench that was working on it. Here he went to lunch, and never put it on.

[455'73inElCamino]

Wife went to oil change place to get oil changed and inspection.

Next day I get pulled over because of no inspection sticker.

I tell the cop I just inspected it at the ___ around the corner. He gives me the ticket anyway. Says that once ticket is written he has to give it to me.

So I go to the oil change place and they said that the "computers" were down so they couldn't do the inspection. They said this happens all the time. But they didn't say a word to my wife and just sent her on here way without an inspection sticker. Fortunately I put all that info into the ."not guilty" plea on the ticket and they let me off.

If they can't do the inspection, they shouldn't be taking the inspection stickers off!

I suspect this must happen a lot!

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by Elarson

My guess is that the tech took the old filter out and tossed it in the trash, then discovered that they didnt have a new one. With the cartridge, it's easy to just put the cap on and not say anything. You couldn't get away with that with a spin-on filter.

Eric

This is by far the most likely scenario. The average low-paid oil change "tech" doesn't care enough to worry about telling his boss that they're out of filters, so instead they mindlessly just put it back together without one like the dumbass they are.

[salem1912]

Originally Posted by Fullsize455

This is by far the most likely scenario. The average low-paid oil change "tech" doesn't care enough to worry about telling his boss that they're out of filters, so instead they mindlessly just put it back together without one like the dumbass they are.

Could have been on his cell phone and got distracted. I see young guys all the time yak-yak on their phone has they are putting on lug nuts ,doing tune ups etc. One guy put the nuts on but forget to tighten lucky it never made it out the shop.

[Chris65LeMans]

The only time I ever went to a "Econo Lube & Tune" -type oil change place, about 15 years ago, I had replaced my air filter myself the night before. The clown pulled it out and waved it in front of me to "prove" how dirty is was, and that I needed another. (It was brand new.)

The last time I was at my local GMC dealer, I saw them doing the "wave the filter theatre" for some customers - I'll need to be wary when I go back there for my truck. (too big for me to do myself.)