Rag Left in Oil Pan

scape41 · August 1, 2017

I left my truck at the dealer for nearly 6 weeks awaiting the new condenser for the broken AC. While the truck was there I had asked them to investigate a small oil leak. They called to tell me the truck was ready and that the oil pan gasket had to be replaced. I was excited to get the truck back until I pulled out on the highway and a warning message popped up that said to shut off truck due to no oil pressure! I pulled in and got it back to the dealer service department assuming they had forgotten to put oil in it.

As we walked around the truck I saw a ding in my front fender that wasn't there when I dropped it off. We opened the hood to find both the brackets that run from the fenders to the radiator support were left hanging and....it had oil!!!

They just called me to say that the tech had left a rag in on the oil pump, but not to worry as the rag was in tact.

Holy Cow!! I'm worried. What are your thoughts? How worried should I be? Have 50,000 miles on this truck.

Sierra706 · August 1, 2017

About as worried as if the surgeon called and said he left gauze in you.

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2017_whitez71 · August 1, 2017

That's crazy! Can't believe you could leave a rag inside of an engine. I understand everyone makes mistakes, but that's pretty major. Also sounds like a lot of other stuff was done wrong. I think I would be finding a new dealership to take my truck to if possible.

dmorrisL86 · August 1, 2017

Could have been a very costly mistake! When my truck was in for its first oil change and check up last month, they rotated the tires as well. When I got home I noticed the driver side had been rotated, but the passenger side tires were left untouched. Textbook definition of half-a$$.

ewiski · August 1, 2017

yea all that fun stuff other people do to your property. how you leave a rag in the oil pan is beyond me. though discount tire seems to tighten 5 of 6 lug nuts to different torques and 1 loose enough to remove with your fingers. never under stood that either.

qwank · August 1, 2017

It'll be fine. They found the problem and the rag is out of there. Just drive it.

Gotsumpnferya · August 1, 2017

The dealerships have many 'techs' that are greenhorns and a few veterans . You got stuck with a rookie working on it .

In my years of working on large diesel engines I have found several tools left by others in the oil pan and one laying

along the pushrods of a Detroit 8V92TI that had been there for over ten years . 'Tony B' left his 7/16" combo wrench

when he was tuning it . I still have it . A rag is a bad thing , and it sounds like the guy working on yours needs supervision

or 1-800-Be-a-Chef .

Silverado Steve · August 2, 2017

Not much you can do. Youncan worry about it, or be glad no catastrophic damage was done. Perhaps aske them to offset your inconvenience, maybe refund half of what you paid for the condensor repair?

gilleydog · August 2, 2017

what is the name of the dealer ? warn others

Knightfall · August 2, 2017

This is a good one. Best stories I've heard are ones where someone's vehicle falls off the lift. You're truck is probably fine, OP.

Thomcat · August 2, 2017

.02 The rag was intact???? More likely about as intact as if you tried forgetting it in a blender!!!!!

Crankshaft and journals spinning at 2000+ rpm with an oil soaked rag sloshing around in 8 qts of 200F oil getting repeatedly kicked onto the lower cylinder walls! Unless that was a magical rag made materials harder than chain-mail, more than likely fragments of it clogged the oil filter, oil galleries, gears/relief valve in the oil pump, oil control ring sets on the pistons and will eventually wind up screwing up the AFM discharge valve and hydraulic lifters.

My guess is they tried to fix their mistake by removing as much shredded crap as they could locate from the lower end, put on a new filter, oil pan seal and filter and said Bon Voyage. If I was the OP I'd ask to examine that magical rag that could sustain such punishment and yet remain intact - my rags pull apart when caught on the bumpers and emblems when waxing the car.