Thread: The $4000 Oil Change

I'll keep my eye open for you on judge judy

theres a few prius inverters on ebay
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Toyota Prius DC Inverter w Converter G9200 47100 | eBay

Originally Posted by zedcars

Hey fellas since you are a long way from where I am maybe attitudes are different let's see.

On Friday last we get a call, a Gen 2 Prius is coming in on the hook--dead in the water!
Once in the shop we discover its overfilled by about 1.5 litres of engine oil.
Now these cars are sensitive to high oil levels, in fact you have to use a burette to fill one. If not any carelessness and its designed to shut down!

A further diagnosis shows that the inverter (that's that suitcase box you see when you lift the lid) is shot!
Cah ching Cah ching, a $3500 hit plus about $500 in labour to change it out.

On Saturday the irate owner wants to know wazzup!

I get the story:-
Seems the bloke bought a 10 pack of oil change coupons from an oil change shop ($12,50 an oil change special!! --mucho cheapo!!).

They, the lube place drained and filled it, but then overfilled it!
I suppose the lube tech as they call 'em up 'n over here, put in an extra quart and a drop for extra luck!

The bloke drove off until the car cut out down the road. He then flattened the automotive battery by repeated frantic starts so eventually all the systems went dead & shut down.

Then in a mad fit he had someone jump the car , BUT there is a jump start procedure which wasn't followed so he blew out the inverter. In short stuffed it! Crooked good and proper!

I called the oil change shop and let the owner know what had happened.
The Prius owner then got on the phone and wants the lube shop owner to pay the whole tab.

Lube shop bloke says "Look I will put the level right for free, even comp the guy for the towing, but for the inverter? No way that's his problem for being stupid!
Asked what's my opinion I say

"Look what are you taking a complex car to a cheapo lube place that probably has never seen a Prius, its takes a bit of extra knowledge to service such a car, you need to accept some responsibility for not pre-qualifying the shop before presenting it.

As with most things here the bloke is talking to a lawyer, he said I was taking sides with the lube shop owner. Which I am not, just trying to stay out of the ensuing scrap that is about to take place
What do you blokes think?
Dennis
zedcars

I suspect there are a lot of differences between Australia and US litigation law.

I am not a lawyer, but I suspect that most courts in Australia would deem the original shop liable for damage cause as a DIRECT result of overfilling the oil. i.e. the fault of the failed jump start etc would lie with the owner.

Was it still under warranty? If so, wouldn't the warranty require him to take it to a Toyota dealer or void the warranty?

Just a suggestion to save you wasted space and time, suggest that you will get the prius towed to his place or another mech, of his choice, as this guy sounds like anything you do will either be not good enough and/or to expensive. He may also not have the $$$ to pay for all the new gear required to fix the car so you could end up with a prius sitting around the yard/shop till after he loses the legal case. Use the excuse your bloke who specialises in those prius hybrids is on hol's or your booked out past christmas to avoid a painful customer.

Siding with the lube shop bloke or not, you didn't overfill the car or incorrectly jump start it.
I doubt there's anything you can get done for.

In my eyes...

Lube shop should pay to fix the oil level and the tow.

The owner should have to pay for the inverter as it is his fault for jumping the car the wrong way. Plus not taking the hint that if you try to start your car for so long the battery goes flat... there is something wrong!

and your shop has nothing to do with any of this.

you have simply diagnosed the problems at hand.

of coarse that's just using common sense...
a lawyer/judge might see it some other stupid way

Originally Posted by zedcars

Then in a mad fit he had someone jump the car

I recon that someone bloke is responsible

yep ... Tiss all his fault






Might av been a Sheila tho ...





BTW ... it's the owners fault ... due to NOT reading the owners manual .....

My last employer would get involved with these situations and make a quick dollar.his opinion was anyone stupid enough to get in this situation was good for an easy picking.[own worst enemy].

as an employee all it did was give you crap to repair and agro customers that would come back and back.


had similar situation today.long story.
few months ago workers at a distant depo had a flat battery in a hilux due to beacon lights and radio.it was late afternoon they called an auto electrician without permision that is settup for road service and towing.

a few days later they had a flat battery and called me.they had tested the battery as dead cell and rany me for an autherisation.

I fitted a new battery and could hear a bearing noise--replaced an idler that was shot.still noisey.
sent alternater to our auto elect and the diode pack was fried and plastic parts in the rear had melted.

replaced with new alternator-cheepest.
ECU light on.several electricians argue over cause as the voltage is controlled by the ECU.original elctrician claims not his fault as it didnt die the day or week he started it and the ecu was probably faulty before.

the vehicle is fitted with several brands of alternator the harness pulled apart and the claim is the ECU is faulty.

A good friend tells me its common fault with aftermarget alternators not being compatible with toyota product.the light is an efficency code warning.--alternator is too good.but the voltage was spot on spec...

.vehicle goes to our main depo and they swap a alternator from a dead hilux-------and it works.

then the cant get that hilux to work correctly and its sold as unroadworthy.ecu light on is a rego defect.cost our organisation heeps.

to the end of long story---yesterday they rang me to tell me the depo hino needed batteries.the other cities road side truck repairer had been down with a jump pack and it would not start and the batteries are stuffed.

talking to the repairer office-they unable to tell me what if any issues the truck has.
they had batteries at $180 each.they also needed the truck--now.

turns out the ignition key was left on for a week and the ruck had self locked-these new trucks have to have purfect voltages or the ECU wont turn on the comonrail injectors.checked it over this today and fixed the stop lights working all the time--just have to hope it hasnt got any other issues.