Garage didn't replace oil filler cap

sparkychris

Morning team.

Looking for advice really....

Took my car for an oil change last week. On Friday evening my oil light and battery light came on and I noticed some oil drops on the road outside my drive so assumed I had a bit of a leak.

Just popped the bonnet to have a look and it seems the the garage either didn't replace the oil filler cap properly or they just forgot.

There is oil all over my engine bay and a huge puddle under my car...

Looked in all the gaps to see if I could lcoate my filler cap and noticed that a couple of belts have slipped off also. Am not a mechanic so don't know what the belts are for.

Am obviously reluctant to drive it!

The garage is 25 or so miles away in the town that I work.

I have AA cover.

What happens now?!

tacpot12

I would call the garage and get them to send someone to refit the belts. The car shouldn't be driven without the belts in place. The mechanic can then drive the car back to the garage and get it cleaned up properly.

If you've not been able to locate the oil filler cap, they need to bring one of those to you before the car is driven.

The car hasn't broken down as such so I would expect that the AA would not come to you, even if you have Homestart.

sparkychris

tacpot12 wrote: »

I would call the garage and get them to send someone to refit the belts. The car shouldn't be driven without the belts in place. The mechanic can then drive the car back to the garage and get it cleaned up properly.

If you've not been able to locate the oil filler cap, they need to bring one of those to you before the car is driven.

The car hasn't broken down as such so I would expect that the AA would not come to you, even if you have Homestart.

Thought as much.

Think it might be worth giving them a call and asking? If I could get it towed there, I could then get to work and borrow a van. The garage is just by where I work. ..

Otherwise I'm stranded....

peter_the_piper

Is "Asking" the correct word? Surely it should be Telling!!

poppasmurf_bewdley

If the AA won't come out, they're not worth paying for, and they should be kicked into the long grass when it comes to renewal, as I would want the car to be taken back to the garage that cocked everything up for them to sort it out and clean up under the bonnet.

Mistakes can be made. My local garage once forgot to bolt up my gearbox following a clutch renewal, but that was one mistake in 30 years of business with them.

sparkychris

Bit of an update.... my AA cover is vehicle based and, stupidly, I didn't update it when I changed car. Unnecessarily snotty woman on the phone just told me that if I change it while I report my breakdown, I will incur a £49 charge.
But she did say the situation warranted a call out as the car is 'broken down'
Think I'll get the train to work tomorrow, go and see the garage and see what they say.

poppasmurf_bewdley

sparkychris wrote: »

Bit of an update.... my AA cover is vehicle based and, stupidly, I didn't update it when I changed car. Unnecessarily snotty woman on the phone just told me that if I change it while I report my breakdown, I will incur a £49 charge.
But she did say the situation warranted a call out as the car is 'broken down'
Think I'll get the train to work tomorrow, go and see the garage and see what they say.

The £49 charge by the AA makes my total Green Flag Recovery payment of £54pa seem like a great bargain!

custardy

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

The £49 charge by the AA makes my total Green Flag Recovery payment of £54pa seem like a great bargain!

You miss the point. As it stands the AA dont cover the OPs vehicle.
It is like phoning up Green flag and asking them to attend a breakdown and joining at the same time.

poppasmurf_bewdley

custardy wrote: »

You miss the point. As it stands the AA dont cover the OPs vehicle.
It is like phoning up Green flag and asking them to attend a breakdown and joining at the same time.

It was said earlier that the AA wouldn't come out as the car was not broken down. I would class a pool of oil under the car as 'broken down'. Then the OP said he hadn't updated his vehicle with the AA, and that was why they were making a £49 charge, even though he is still a 'so-called' member.

With Green Flag, any car I own would be covered because GF has my personal registration on file for whatever car I have at the time.

custardy

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

It was said earlier that the AA wouldn't come out as the car was not broken down. I would class a pool of oil under the car as 'broken down'. Then the OP said he hadn't updated his vehicle with the AA, and that was why they were making a £49 charge, even though he is still a 'so-called' member.

With Green Flag, any car I own would be covered because GF has my personal registration on file for whatever car I have at the time.

If the OP had updated their reg it would have been covered,would Green flag not have the same policy?
The AA also do personal membership that covers the person,not the vehicle.
The AA never said they werent coming out,that was another poster.

sparkychris

Just to clarify....

The 49 quid charge is my own stupid fault and I'm willing to pay it.

I could have chosen to cover myself, and not my car, but didn't. My own stupid fault again!

I've now changed my vehicle online but I imagine there's some sort of delay which will mean I'll be lumbered with the charge.

I may, however, have shot myself in the foot by phoning today to check the situation as tomorrow morning (or whatever) will no longer be an 'emergency breakdown'.

I'll phone in the morning and try again. If I can get it towed back to the garage, that's half the job done. Even if the aa man can get the belts back on, that'd help.... although I doubt he'll be able to without taking large chunks of car off!