Fuken Mazda Dealership... My Engine bay caught on fired today sigh...

[wongster]

fuken mazda dealership
I went to do a oil change today, and when they were done with it.. they gave me the keys i was driving off.. and than they called me back saying they forgot something on the car.. so i drove back.. they worked with it for a bit.. and me and my gf were infront of the garage.. and then all of a sudden we hear a loud boom we looked inside any my car's engine bay is on fire!!!!

they gave me a yaris as rental

Well apparently they forgot the motor oil cap so when i drove it back.. they put the cap back on.. and they wanted to clean the oil that spewed out.. so they sprayed brake cleaner.. as soon as that happen.. it caught on fire..the manager wasnt present.. so they going to call me tomorrow on whats going to happen and if i have to pay one penny to repair.. i will freak

From the looks of the engine bay all that was damaged was the wires on the left side. The fire just burn up the brake cleaner and the heat melted the wires.

Sigh.....

[Blake]

Holy Fawk

[TheMAN]

I think the guy that did your oil change just got fired

[Jliao]

How long did you had the car for? I would try to request for a new car by saying even though the damage wasn't that sever. But knowing a new car (CX-7) had been caught on fire will always in the back of your mind and it makes you uncomfortable. If the dealer refuse, bring it up to Mazda HQ..

At least this is what I would do...

[spike blue]

i will do the same!!! try to get a new one!!! Is they fault not yours!!

[Prodigy]

Wow.... that's one of the dumbest things I've heard a Mazda dealership do.
First, they forgot the friggen oil cap!
Second, Brake cleaner (flammable aerosol) + hot engine = fire... duh.

[Kooldino]

You won't have to pay a dime for that mess. In fact, If I were you, I'd push for a free extended warranty for the trauma.

[ZoominMX-5]

If it makes you feel any better, I picked up a 99 miata 3 years ago from a dealer used, and not 10 miles down the road, the engine blew.

[ebmp5]

damn dude that sux, i would push for a new car aswell, or have them pay that one off or something cuz tecnically that is a salvage title there. well it has to be reported to your insurance company.

get a new ms3 out of them!!!

[CX7nCali]

since it has to be reported to insurance and will be on the carfax history, not to mention the potential for salvage title, I'd say absolutely have them give you a new CX-7. If they refuse, call your insurance company first, then they'll let you know if you need an attorney or if the insurance company will handle it.

[lasermp5]

New car. Nothing less. You don't deserve the headache because of their idiocy. End of story.

[TheMAN]

guys, nothing gets reported if the dealer pays for the repairs out of their pockets

[02589]

remvoed

[mixmasterlove]

Where & what dealer ??

[randyscycle]

If the dealer is worth his weight, he should be bending over backwards about now for you on this one.

I'd also keep in mind that although it was stupid mistake on the part of the tech, I'd see how the dealer handles it before I got after them.....

[wongster]

You see the problem is... its my friends who worked on my car at the mazda dealership.. and he made a mistake.. and I dont want him to lose his job over this.. He told me he will take care of this.. So I give him till today to let me know how the manager is going to deal with this situation. Before i even freak or not...

[Hughes412]

guys, nothing gets reported if the dealer pays for the repairs out of their pockets

You are right, and they WILL NOT give you a new car. And I would not call your insurace. That's never a good thing. The dealer will take care of it.

But in all, if this was my friend that worked on my car he'd understand the ass whoppen I was giving him.

[Vision67]

fuken mazda dealership
I went to do a oil change today, and when they were done with it.. they gave me the keys i was driving off.. and than they called me back saying they forgot something on the car.. so i drove back.. they worked with it for a bit.. and me and my gf were infront of the garage.. and then all of a sudden we hear a loud boom we looked inside any my car's engine bay is on fire!!!!

they gave me a yaris as rental

Well apparently they forgot the motor oil cap so when i drove it back.. they put the cap back on.. and they wanted to clean the oil that spewed out.. so they sprayed brake cleaner.. as soon as that happen.. it caught on fire..the manager wasnt present.. so they going to call me tomorrow on whats going to happen and if i have to pay one penny to repair.. i will freak

From the looks of the engine bay all that was damaged was the wires on the left side. The fire just burn up the brake cleaner and the heat melted the wires.

Sigh.....

This is just one more example of service center incompetence. Anybody who would spray a volatile, flammable substance on a hot engine is a walking brain donor.(pissed)

Over the years I've heard of a dealer service center leaving the oil cap on top of the air cleaner then slamming and buckling the hood, another one started the engine with all oil drained and NOT refilled. Another one stripped the oil pan plug. And some used cheap bulk oil and filters to improve profits.

So I still change my own oil. I use Mobil 1 and Wix filters.

Mobil 1 oil, $20. Wix filter $5, peace of mind, Priceless!:)

[wongster]

This is just one more example of service center incompetence. Anybody who would spray a volatile, flammable substance on a hot engine is a walking brain donor.(pissed)

Over the years I've heard of a dealer service center leaving the oil cap on top of the air cleaner then slamming and buckling the hood, another one started the engine with all oil drained and NOT refilled. Another one stripped the oil pan plug. And some used cheap bulk oil and filters to improve profits.

So I still change my own oil. I use Mobil 1 and Wix filters.

Mobil 1 oil, $20. Wix filter $5, peace of mind, Priceless!:)

sigh.. yea i guess i am going back to changing my own oil lol.. sigh..

[maestro]

bad luck on that man. That's horrible to see on a new car, or any car honestly.
Dealerships aren't neccessarily the problem. People carelessness or incompetence are the issue regardless of the job they are doing, Doctor, Lawyer, mechanic etc..
And for those that would expect a new car when more than likely in a worst case scenario a new wiring harness, some paint and cleaning will have the car back in great condition, WTF!!!?
I've never heard anyone accidently damage someone elses car, new or not and reply "wow I should get you a new car", " I know the damage can be fixed easy enough but... let me just get you a new one instead". Consider the definition of a salvage title, it is a percentage of the vehicles total value and not a small percentage either.

Hope you get your vehicle back in good order and your friend needs to pay closer attention to what he is doing.

[pb4ugoout]

a salvage title doesn't always have to be a percentage of the cars value. look at flood damage. that will give you a salvage title. in most cases you replace the carpet and some rusty seat pans and it's fixed. $2000 at most to fix that.

first off this is why i never take my car to people i am friends with. i use a reliable auto shop that i have no bias towards. in this case i wouldn't give a shit if my friend lost his job. HE CAUGHT YOUR FUCKING CAR ON FIRE! thats a total lack on common sense on his part. It happened once, it WILL happen again and frankly I would never take my car to that dealership knowing that he worked there, being his friend or not.

secondly, I would expect, even on my car, that if this happened then it get reported to insurance. That way you have a paper trail. So the dealership fixes it out of pocket. What happens 5000miles down the road when something fucks up as a direct result of this fire? If it's a shifty dealership then they can say fuck you I have no clue what you are talking about and you get the shaft. At least with insurance involved you have something to fall back on.

this is just a bad situation for you. I would expect it to either be fixed or replaced. In any case you should get insurance involved. This is what they are there for

[lasermp5]

I would be very weary. Reason I said try and get the new car no exceptions is when you start getting ghosts in your electrical system a year from now as a result of the wiring... are they going to have your back then or not?

[Mike R]

Prolly wasn't brake cleaner, it has a very high flash point. Prolly carb cleaner....

Either way, that fuggin sucks!

[1Sleepy93]

Push for a new CX. You might have stuff pop up years from now as a result of that.

[Hughes412]

a salvage title doesn't always have to be a percentage of the cars value. look at flood damage. that will give you a salvage title. in most cases you replace the carpet and some rusty seat pans and it's fixed. $2000 at most to fix that. Well don't take this a picking at just you, but even this post is wrong. There are many reasons flooded car gets a salvage title. In most cases the wirering will need to be replaced, the ECU's most of the time will need that also. When I looked into buying a new MP3 ecu they quoted like 3k for it. And don't for get the exhaust, the cats will have to be replaces also. Any ways there is a lot more that needs to be done to get it right.

first off this is why i never take my car to people i am friends with. i use a reliable auto shop that i have no bias towards. in this case i wouldn't give a shit if my friend lost his job. HE CAUGHT YOUR FUCKING CAR ON FIRE! thats a total lack on common sense on his part. It happened once, it WILL happen again and frankly I would never take my car to that dealership knowing that he worked there, being his friend or not.

I don't know if you read his post, but this is a reliable shop. If friend just made a very very dumb mistake. We've all at some point in life done the same thing. Hell I used B12 to clean my brakes and didn't move my wheel from under the car, no I have polished wheels instead of bronz wheels. Thats ok though, I like it better now. But anyways I highly doubt that this will ever happen again. You kind of remember these things.

secondly, I would expect, even on my car, that if this happened then it get reported to insurance. That way you have a paper trail. So the dealership fixes it out of pocket. What happens 5000miles down the road when something fucks up as a direct result of this fire? If it's a shifty dealership then they can say fuck you I have no clue what you are talking about and you get the shaft. At least with insurance involved you have something to fall back on.

this is just a bad situation for you. I would expect it to either be fixed or replaced. In any case you should get insurance involved. This is what they are there for
Telling the insurance is the worst thing that he/she could do. If anything ever happens to his car he has his Friend to back him up. And you can always get a copy of the work order. No dealer will repair a car with out one.

[jred321]

your insurance company should be made aware. if there is a problem 5000 miles down the road and it is caused by this repair, they can deny fixing the problem because it is the dealer's fault. if you make them aware they are then insuring the vehicle with the known repair and if there is a problem the insurance will cover it and subrogate the cost to the dealer or the dealer's insurance. it won't hurt to have insurance and/or a lawyer involved. the safety of the car is of concern to your insurance company because a small repair can end up costing htem hundreds of thousands in liabilities, so they shoudl help

[wongster]

a salvage title doesn't always have to be a percentage of the cars value. look at flood damage. that will give you a salvage title. in most cases you replace the carpet and some rusty seat pans and it's fixed. $2000 at most to fix that.

first off this is why i never take my car to people i am friends with. i use a reliable auto shop that i have no bias towards. in this case i wouldn't give a shit if my friend lost his job. HE CAUGHT YOUR FUCKING CAR ON FIRE! thats a total lack on common sense on his part. It happened once, it WILL happen again and frankly I would never take my car to that dealership knowing that he worked there, being his friend or not.

secondly, I would expect, even on my car, that if this happened then it get reported to insurance. That way you have a paper trail. So the dealership fixes it out of pocket. What happens 5000miles down the road when something fucks up as a direct result of this fire? If it's a shifty dealership then they can say fuck you I have no clue what you are talking about and you get the shaft. At least with insurance involved you have something to fall back on.

this is just a bad situation for you. I would expect it to either be fixed or replaced. In any case you should get insurance involved. This is what they are there for

actually my friend has been doing a very good quality job up until yesterday.. i have always trusted his work and had been dealing wit him with my other cars for years... thats why i decided to take my first oil change to him.. but remember he is human... people are bound to make mistakes once in a while.. unfortunately it had to happen to me..... i am still waiting for his answer, as he is talking to the manger to find out whats going out.. I trust him that he will take care of this...

I will prob leave the insurance out of this.. as they dont really need to know, but i will make sure i get ever paperwork from them as evidence that there was a fire in my car and that if anything happens they are going to fix it..

[wongster]

so talked to my friend... and looks like i wont get my cx-7 for 2 weeks!!! because since this car is fairly new.. they have to get the parts from japan..... sigh.. great.. i get to drive a yaris for 2 weeks.. sniff sniff..

[jred321]

I will prob leave the insurance out of this.. as they dont really need to know, but i will make sure i get ever paperwork from them as evidence that there was a fire in my car and that if anything happens they are going to fix it..i guess i just don't understand what you are trying to gain by not telling your insurance company. if they don't need to know, they will tell you so after you tell them about the situation. if they do need to know, they will give you protection where you need it. unless you work in the insurance industry with matters like this, you don't want to leave that potentially very expensive decision up to your feeling that they don't need to know. it isn't going to hurt to ask

just because they write on a piece of paper that they will fix any problems that come up because of the fire does not make it true unless you are a lawyer and can verify that it is a legally binding document. your insurance company has hundreds of lawyers on hand ready to defend you if need be and make sure everything is done correctly with your car, now and in the future should anything arise. insurance companies hire those lawyers for a reason and you're paying for them through your premium. make use of the protection you pay for

[Hughes412]

so talked to my friend... and looks like i wont get my cx-7 for 2 weeks!!! because since this car is fairly new.. they have to get the parts from japan..... sigh.. great.. i get to drive a yaris for 2 weeks.. sniff sniff..


Now that is where I would draw the line. I would make them give me somethng better to drive.

[02589]

removed

[G-Papi]

Draw a line between friendship and business. Protect yourself and your investment.

[mixmasterlove]

so talked to my friend... and looks like i wont get my cx-7 for 2 weeks!!! because since this car is fairly new.. they have to get the parts from japan..... sigh.. great.. i get to drive a yaris for 2 weeks.. sniff sniff..
Can you tell US, which AND where the dealer is, SO NONE OF US have these problems. Thanks

[BlkZoomZoom]

I once watched a guy fill engine oil with one of those metal filler cans with the long flexible necks on it. He happened to rest the bottom of the can onto the positive battery terminal, then extended the neck to the oil filler hole on the aluminum valvecover. It created a spark which ignited the hot fumes coming out of the open filler hole....BOOM. Split the oil pan in half. Would never have believed it if I hadn't been there and witnessed it.

As far as your situation, I highly doubt you will get a new car. More than likely they will fix the damaged components and maybe give you a few free oil changes. If you bitch enough they may give you a narrow spread extended warranty.

[wongster]

Update : The dealership is making my friend pay for the rental since its his fault.. man.. stupid dealership...

[LinuxRacr]

...fucked up man. You have the winning hand. Use it, and get what you want. But be reasonable.

[Rnajera]

not also will the car have been in a fire... and sorry that it happened but you have some dumb techs some times but i would request to speak to the owner of that mazda dealer and state that you want a new vechile... because that car can be considered a salvage... shit they salvage cars for slight scratches why not a fire... so i say fight for a new car.

[nazgul350r]

Get all the paper work you can on this. duh

I would push for an extended warrenty bc I highly dought you will get a new car, in fact you said they already ordered parts.

[i12drivemyMP5]

1st oil change? Then you must have...maybe 2500 miles on it. Go for new one!

[Crazee D]

Holy crap!
I DEFINITELY think you really really need the insurance involved.

There is NO way of predicting what LONG TERM consequences you may experience.
You WILL end up needing PROOF. FOR SURE!!! Shit, I would report it to Mazda too! Just for the documentation/ paper trail.

I DO NOT trust the dealership to handle this properly. You need professional intervention. You friend is not liable anyway, it is the shop.

That's why we all PAY FOR INSURANCE TO BEGIN WITH!!

That also goes for the shop and their insurance.
DO NOT assume that the dealer will be good for their "word" even if they say they'll fix your problems.
Unless you are a Canadian Lawyer specializing in insurance law and torts, DON'T MESS AROUND!
We (our MAZDA community) doesn't want you to get SHAFTED!
So, listen to the advice given you here, by people who have nothing to gain or lose by your actions (unlike the dealer)!

They probably don't want to face higher insurance premiums, so they will resist reporting it.
*** But it's a DAMN FIRE IN YOUR ENGINE! ***
We're not talking about 'oops, we scratched your brand new paint job'!
Even in Canada, there are procedures, due diligence to perform, etc...

[wongster]

you know what?.. i am going to do some research in canadian law.. because although it was my friends fault.. they should not be making him pay for this....

[evilmonkeyMSP]

if its a stupid mistake on his part, which it is, Im sure they are able to dock his pay

[jred321]

you know what?.. i am going to do some research in canadian law.. because although it was my friends fault.. they should not be making him pay for this....i wouldn't think so either, but i'm certainly no expert. if i were him i'd quit, then i wouldn't think they could take any money from him as when the accident occurred he was acting as a representative of the dealership so ultimately the dealership is responsible. i wouldn't think the dealership would be able to go after an individual for something like that

[-pixy-]

you know what?.. i am going to do some research in canadian law.. because although it was my friends fault.. they should not be making him pay for this....

they can't charge him, they hired him, they trained him, his actions are the dealerships responsibility.

[jred321]

Holy crap!
I DEFINITELY think you really really need the insurance involved.

There is NO way of predicting what LONG TERM consequences you may experience.
You WILL end up needing PROOF. FOR SURE!!! Shit, I would report it to Mazda too! Just for the documentation/ paper trail.

I DO NOT trust the dealership to handle this properly. You need professional intervention. You friend is not liable anyway, it is the shop.

That's why we all PAY FOR INSURANCE TO BEGIN WITH!!

That also goes for the shop and their insurance.
DO NOT assume that the dealer will be good for their "word" even if they say they'll fix your problems.
Unless you are a Canadian Lawyer specializing in insurance law and torts, DON'T MESS AROUND!
We (our MAZDA community) doesn't want you to get SHAFTED!
So, listen to the advice given you here, by people who have nothing to gain or lose by your actions (unlike the dealer)!

They probably don't want to face higher insurance premiums, so they will resist reporting it.
*** But it's a DAMN FIRE IN YOUR ENGINE! ***
We're not talking about 'oops, we scratched your brand new paint job'!
Even in Canada, there are procedures, due diligence to perform, etc...
i agree. there is no reason you should not tell the insurance company and get proper documentation. i at least semi know what i'm talking about

[jred321]

they can't charge him, they hired him, they trained him, his actions are the dealerships responsibility.depends on local laws though and what he signed when he was hired. remember, anything goes in canuckistan

[Crazee D]

Well, still he was on the clock, so his actions are the responsibility of the employer. Unless Canadian law is cockeyed.
But that is beside the point.

A. Friend is forgiven
2. Dealership is liable
III. U need a paper trail, comprende?

[Jliao]

Call your insurance agent and ask them? Don't file a claim but just ask them what you should do in this case.

Also, G-Papi said "Draw a line between friendship and business" and demand what you want and not what the dealer wants. Treat your friend as part of the dealer and try not to have friendship feeling involve, or else you're taking the damage upon yourself. If your friend is a completetly at fault, just say other tech that was with him should've known and should've stopped him. Regardless, you SHOULD be the one in control in this situation and NOT the dealer. Even if it comes down to driving a rental car, demand a better car than Yaris.

My $.02

[Renesis8]

Dont just let your friend figure this out, the dealership will definatly screw you over when your car has a problem. You bought a 40k?? Canadian car, it is your money. You should report it to insurance, your friend's job is probably on the line anyways, for making a mistake like that. Its ultimatly his responsibilities, dont share it with him, you're inviting yourself trouble. Given his experience, you said you took cars to him to service for many years? he can find a job else where easily.

[BeNegative]

Shet! I'd demand a new car. Even if they fix it for free, to you, who knows what damages they will over look that the fire may have caused. Problems from that will probably appear later on in your cars life.

Our law here, the company is not allowed to dock your pay because of that persons error. It is the companies loss in not properly training the employee and/or taking precautionary classes, etc. The messed up thing is if they signed some sort of contract before this happened regarding damagaes they may cause, then they will have to pay for damages. Heck, if they signed a contract stating they will pay for the damages they have made after the fact, they will have to pay for the damages. As for your friend, it all depends on the law there. Good luck to both of you.

Honestly, this is why I do my own oil changes. This is insane!

**EDIT**

Here's another mess up: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2747007#post2747007

[varek]

Took my cx7 to a Mazda dealership for a oil change. They delivered the car to the Mazda waiting room where I was located. I took the car for a spin back to my house. I noticed a strong oil oder ventilating through the air conditioner vents. Lucky I only drove about 3.5 kilometers after I stopped at the stop light I notice white smoke coming out of the hood of the vehicle. I immediately opened the hood and found oil splashing everywhere all over the engine. I took the CX7 back to the dealer, I was pissed off cursing out every employee present. The mechanic in charge of my oil change did not properly close the oil cap. I noticed that they immediatley started pouring new oil bottles in the engine. I was asking them why were they pouring 10w 30 oil instead of the recommended oil 5w 30 per CX7 manual. They answered back stating the oil that they poured in my engine is the same oil they use for all of the other Mazda models. They also stated since we live in a tropical climate that 10w 30 oil is the recommended one to use. They cleaned my engine with a bio degradable lemon degreaser cleaner and used a water pressure gun to rinse it off. The only part that they could not clean and had to request a replacement order for my vehicle was the rug foam part under the hood. I currently have 90 miles since the incident and no problems have been detected as of now. They apologized for the mistake. Is it true what they said about the 10w 30 oil (warm weather) vs 5w 30 (colder weather)? (fu$%ing newbies)

[1Sleepy93]

Took my cx7 to a Mazda dealership for a oil change. They delivered the car to the Mazda waiting room where I was located. I took the car for a spin back to my house. I noticed a strong oil oder ventilating through the air conditioner vents. Lucky I only drove about 3.5 kilometers after I stopped at the stop light I notice white smoke coming out of the hood of the vehicle. I immediately opened the hood and found oil splashing everywhere all over the engine. I took the CX7 back to the dealer, I was pissed off cursing out every employee present. The mechanic in charge of my oil change did not properly close the oil cap. I noticed that they immediatley started pouring new oil bottles in the engine. I was asking them why were they pouring 10w 30 oil instead of the recommended oil 5w 30 per CX7 manual. They answered back stating the oil that they poured in my engine is the same oil they use for all of the other Mazda models. They also stated since we live in a tropical climate that 10w 30 oil is the recommended one to use. They cleaned my engine with a bio degradable lemon degreaser cleaner and used a water pressure gun to rinse it off. The only part that they could not clean and had to request a replacement order for my vehicle was the rug foam part under the hood. I currently have 90 miles since the incident and no problems have been detected as of now. They apologized for the mistake. Is it true what they said about the 10w 30 oil (warm weather) vs 5w 30 (colder weather)? (fu$%ing newbies)


No. You aren't getting any extra protection with a 10w 30 in warm weather. The first number is the oil's cold weight, ie start up weight. The lower the number the easier it flows before the car warms up. I'd demand they put the 5w in because they don't know what the hell they are talking about and your cold start protection is going to suffer. If you wanted better warm protection you'd get like a 5w 40. (bang)

[varek]

No. You aren't getting any extra protection with a 10w 30 in warm weather. The first number is the oil's cold weight, ie start up weight. The lower the number the easier it flows before the car warms up. I'd demand they put the 5w in because they don't know what the hell they are talking about and your cold start protection is going to suffer. If you wanted better warm protection you'd get like a 5w 40. (bang)

Thanks for your response. I´m going to report the oil type issue & incident to the local Mazda central distribution center and Mazda USA. Ï´m also going to request an extended warranty program , just to play it safe.

[BeNegative]

Uh, why would you want to extend your warranty after this incident? They've already proved poor service. You want them to work on your car more? Sorry, but I do not see this as a wise decision. I understand you are now concerned that other problems may appear because of this incident; however, I think that's going a bit far there for something you will mostly likely not be very pleased with. Btw, like I mentioned before, I highly suggest getting names, titles, times, what was said or agreed upon, paper work (receipts) etc.

Thanks for your response. I´m going to report the oil type issue & incident to the local Mazda central distribution center and Mazda USA. Ï´m also going to request an extended warranty program , just to play it safe.

[Crazee D]

Any update from the Wongster?

[wongster]

yea.. they fixed the car for me.. and my friend still has his job.... he is still working who is payin meanin either he is or the dealership...

the only damage was just the wires, as it was melted from the fire burning the brake cleaner.... after having it back for a week.. the car drives good as it was, and dont see any problems yet.

[Crazee D]

Um, JUST some wires? Do u realize how easy a tiny melted wire could go undetected and short out something, like...um, say....

AN AIR BAG !! (maybe it could go off at any time)

OR YOUR LIGHTS OR EVERY OTHER SYSTEM IN THE ENTIRE VEHICLE !!

Seriously, I hope you dont regret this later...