I go in for an easy oil change. They were real nice about it all. Oil change is
done, and I leave..too easy. I drive down the free way, as I am on my way to
the gym. I notice the oil light on, and just hope that it's something that will
turn off after a while, or when I restart the car. Not being a very technical
guy with cars, I continue to the gym, until I hear a very terrible high pitched
screaming, and my car starts to stutter. Pull into the gym, because luckily it
was right at the next exit, and immediately turn my car off. Call the guys at
Jiffy Lube, and they send me to the closest Jiffy Lube near my gym. I start the
car up again, and once again I make my move hoping my car does not kill itself
before I hit the Jif. Almost getting there, all my car lights(Battery,Oil,Check
Engine..etc) come on and I feel the car turn off. Rolling luckily on a hill I
pull off to the side safely with my alerts on. Once again luckily the Jiffy
Lube is only a block away. I walk down there and speak to the guy there,
explaining my situation. Real nice guy helps me out following me to my car.
Checks underneath the car and finds that the filter had fallen off. Takes my
reciept and walks back to the station to grab another filter. The one he comes
with doesn't exactly stay fit on the car, so he checks the sizes for my car,
and realizes it was the wrong filter installed. He goes back to the station
grabs the right one with some oil, and finally my car starts back up, but now it's
making a terrible noise. Turns out I had been driving without any oil at all
for a while, and my car is smart enough to shut down before the engine has
blown. I leave the car in shop for them, while I enjoy my time away in Austin,tx. They offer me $650 while I am in Austin, but my car is my tool to access income and studies, so I decline.
I come back to Portland, OR to pick up my car, and the shop hands me the paper work stating my car needs a new engine, adding another piece of evidence to my case.Two weeks later they offer me $1000 next, and I still decline, as I have been doing more and more research and feel I have a case. Now it's week 5 of the whole situation, and because I decided to get in touch with them, the best they can do is $1,232 for the cost of the average cost of the engine ($546)+ the average cost of the labor(9.8hrs x $70 per hour of labor), which makes sense in some odd way, but I am still skeptical because like I said, it is my tool to income and studies so the choice I make, must be a well thought out logical one. I drive my car yesterday and finally the rod knock wound to my engine has caught up with my car, and the car runs as if it's on it's last breathe.
Basically, I need a working car to get from point A to point B to fit my daily schedule timely and conveniently. I have heard from my mother that I could get it repaired and whatever balance that is over $1,232, could be taken care of by jiffy lube, but I am looking into the details. I am low income and have never dealt with such an overwhelming situation, so luckily I qualify for legal aide, meaning I have a meeting with an attorney September 24th. I have the following evidence:
1.Broken Car
2.Receipt with Wrong Oil Filter Placed in Car
3.Receipt from Shop Stating the Engine Needs Replacement.
Any support/ideas?