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Need help with a Oil Pressure Question. (Involves Shady Shop)

LiftedXJ86

NAXJA Forum User
Location
NC
I replaced the RMS by myself. But while getting the Oil Pan off, I bent one rail just a small bit. I am anal, so Instead of dealing with it, I sealed it up and filled it with oil and then brought it to Merchants Tire and Auto (8 miles from my house). When I sealed it back up, the Oil pressure read about 40psi. Same as when I bought it.

When I took it up there, they took the pan back off and fixed the Passenger Side Rail and resealed it. I also had them tighten the torque converter because it was loose. When I got it back, it was leak free but the Oil Pressure only read 10-15psi under load and 0psi at a stand still.

Like 40 miles after, it developed a LOUD knocking sound. I thought it could be a loose starter or the flexplate that didnt get tightened down enough. So I brought it back to them today to take a look at. I talked to the mechanic and he infact said it was a rod knock. They said that just replacing the Oil Pan Gasket wouldnt effect the Oil Pressure. I thought I remembered you had to check the Oil Pressure after replacing the pan to make sure it came to spec.

My question is, what should I do? It didnt have a knock before and now does. Should I go above the stores head to HeadQuarters, the BBB, or Lawyer? Am I even in the right or completely in the wrong? The previous owner will even attest to it not having a knock.



Cliffs: Shop changed a Oil Pan Gasket, Pressure Never came to Spec, Loud Knocking Came, Took It Back, It Has A Rod Knock, Didnt Have Knock Before the Shop. What Should I do? Lawyer, BBB, Or Headquarters?



I then replied, it didnt knock before I brought it to you.
 
sounds t me like their at fault. only 40 miles and now there is a problem. hell mabye they didn't even put oil back in. did you drain it to see how much oil came out? if not i would leave it alone and contact some people. pull the dipstick and see where your at. how many miles on the engine? year? assuming its a 4.0
 
its a 4.0.

oil level was fine.

i watched him put it all back together. i could have done it but i didnt want the hassle. i am mechanically inclined so i know my way around. jeeps are new to me but i know well more then the basic guy.

i checked the oil level as soon as the knock happened. everything looked ok. But he didnt check the oil pressure before i left. i know this because i watched him fill it up and then i started it and then told me to pull it out.

i am not familiar with the specs, but i know when i first bought it, it read ~40psi or whatever the middle line is. now it reads like ~12psi.

see the thing is, when i brought it in, there was NO note on the ticket saying it had a knock from the mechanic because there was NO knock when I brought it in. so i asked the manager:

"Why would I bring my truck in here *IF* it had a knock for a Oil Pan Gasket to be replaced? Thats pretty much pissing away $300 for the labor and parts only to pull it off AGAIN to see if a bearing is bad?."

Only thing he had as a reply was: "well the oil pump has nothing to do with changing a oil pan gasket."

I think they are pawning it off on my because the cost to replace the motor or even bearing if possible.
 
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If you still had oil in the engine, I don't see how it would be their fault. Have you checked the Rear Main Seal again? If you did it wrong and lost pressure there, that could be the start of your problems. Oil pan gasket and oil pressure have nothing to do with eachother...unless you lost all of your oil because of it...which would be pretty hard.
 
The only experience I have is with my '90 4.0.

When I changed the RMS, I had to reach in and unbolt the oil pump. IIRC it was a pain.
Is there the remotest possibility that you did unbolt it did and not torque up the oil pump putting it all back together (or the shop didn't??). It sound to me like an oil pump issue, just the gasket would not affect the pressure.

If I was only getting 10-15 psi - under load - I wouldn't drive it til the problem was fixed.
 
Everything was fine when I replaced the RMS. No leaking and Oil Pressure went to normal.

Only reason I took it to the shop was to straighten the pan to reduce to possibility of leaking.

And No, I didnt have to even touch the pickup.
 
sounds like mabye the pickup got screwed up mabye loosed up and was to close to the pan and not getting sufficient oil.
 
I gonna agree that the pick up tube was probably bumped during the re-seal at Merchants. If the oil pressure never came up to previous level (when you drove it in) I'd be willing to bet the tech knocked the tube loose and it is now pulling air into the oil galleys. Kinda poor of him not to check before he sent you away, but I can see it happening. As for those who say the gasket cannot affect oil pressure, that's how it can. If Merchants wants to play hardball, you can try to get them to agree to pull the pan and measure the clearance from the pick up to the bottom of the pan (use a gob of clay and bolt the pan back on-- the thickness of the clay would represent the gap between the two-- too big or too small can cause your problem.
 
^X3
If the oil pick up tube from the oil pump was knocked loose then it might have a clearance issue. I've also seen some that even by simply turning the oil pick up tube causes problems by the o-rings in the tube at the pump letting it suck air in instead of oil. Either way it is their fault that it happened and should be held liable for all necessary repairs. I would try contacting their HQ first and see if a resolution could be brought about that way and if not then go to a lawyer, the BBB can't do anything but just have info on companies.
 
dave92cherokee said:
...I would try contacting their HQ first and see if a resolution could be brought about that way and if not then go to a lawyer...

You will spend a helluva lot more on a lawyer than you'll ever spend on an XJ. If you had any kind of case on this you'd be directed to small claims, and then you'd have to prove that they screwed up, and then you'd have to prove that them screwing up caused you damages. So far you have a bill, and a knock.

You may be stuck with going back to square one on this unless you can get them to agree to a do-over from HQ. If you took it to another shop and they found a problem with Shop #1's work etc. I still wouldn't drive it till it's fixed though.
 
the beauty of small claims and civil cases is the need only for a "preponderance of evidence" not guilt beyond reasonable doubt-- depending on the willingness of the regional bosses to make amends, I'd consider fighting the battle in the "court of public opinion." Get your local news station to run an "expose" on how you got "taken" at this shop. Any competant business man will understand the cost of the repair is much less than the cost of replacing the possible customers disenfranchised by the news piece.
 
Shorty said:
the beauty of small claims and civil cases is the need only for a "preponderance of evidence" not guilt beyond reasonable doubt-- depending on the willingness of the regional bosses to make amends, I'd consider fighting the battle in the "court of public opinion." Get your local news station to run an "expose" on how you got "taken" at this shop. Any competant business man will understand the cost of the repair is much less than the cost of replacing the possible customers disenfranchised by the news piece.


bingo!
 
I also just realized they put the tranny cooler lines back with zipties instead of the bolts on the pan. i talked to the regional manager and he isnt going to do anything so i am taking it to civil court.
 
LiftedXJ86 said:
I also just realized they put the tranny cooler lines back with zipties instead of the bolts on the pan. i talked to the regional manager and he isnt going to do anything so i am taking it to civil court.

Thats what I would do. If they bent the pickup, its 95% their fault. However you slice it, they were the last ones to work on it and the knock came after their "disservice". The places where they tell you to f**k off should be sued, no question. Its a sloppy way to run a shop, and it pisses me off.
 
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