filter changed at the place I bought it from (an authorized Suzuki dealer) . On the way home I noticed the oil light was on . I pulled over and parked ....... shut off the engine ........ and opened the hood . I could see oil sprayed near the bottom of the engine (V-6 with 4-wheel drive) . I crawled under the vehicle and found the oil drain plug was GONE , and no oil in the oil pan !
I don`t know how far i drove that way . It could have been anywhere from a hundred yards up to 6 or 7 miles . I phoned the dealer and told them to get their aasses down to where Iwas and do something ! They came down and filled it with oil , and a new plug , and I drove it back to their shop .
They took it in the shop and %26quot;checked%26quot; the engine and said it appeared to be OK.
Obviously it was in their best interests to say that . I demanded they mark down on my bill that the oil plug fell out after they changed the oil , and they did .
My problem is that prior to this incident , my oil level on the dip stick would barely move in between oil changes , in part because I put on very few miles on the vehicle . Now , it`s dropped about1/3 or more from the %26quot;full%26quot; mark since the last oil change , and it`s not even time for the next oil change .
Is there a possibility the engine as damaged ? When the vehicle is running there`s no bluish smoke coming out the exhaust at all . The coolant level doesn`t drop . The engine appears to run as it did before except for the oil usage . Is it possible the rings/valves can be damaged and yet not see any smoke out the exhaust at any time ??
Could the difference in oil level on the dipstick be my imagination , although I doubt it . What should I do ? The dealer is reluctant to do anything other than have me bring the vehicle in once a week so they can record the oil level . Are they just stalling for some reason ?
What happens if I let it go , and my engine falls apart next week or next month , or wears out prematurely ?
Any help would be appreciated .I have a 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara with just over 60,000 miles on it . A couple of months ago I had the oil and?you might want to take it to another suzuki dealership and have them do an inspection to see if they find something. But don't tell them about the problem with the other suzuki dealership or they might be reluctant to speak upI have a 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara with just over 60,000 miles on it . A couple of months ago I had the oil and?Definitely keep track of the oil usage. If the dealer is offering to track it for you, then they do at least seem to be concerned about it. Obviously they don't know how much it was using before, but most any dealer will tell you that using a quart between oil changes (3k-5k miles) is normal. Read through your owner's manual and it probably will mention a figure (1 quart every 1k or 2k miles) that is considered acceptable. You don't mention how many miles you have, or how long your oil change intervals are normally, so I can't comment more specifically on your situation, but it sounds like the dealer is doing the right thing. The fact that you pulled over and shut it off as soon as you saw the light tells me that you probably didn't do any damage.I have a 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara with just over 60,000 miles on it . A couple of months ago I had the oil and?Do as the dealer says to do, this way if something happens, you stuck to the schedule they gave you and they should be responsible for any repairs. Document each visit and save all receipts from the dealer or part store in case you need to add oil in between visits. If it gets worse , then demand the dealer repir or replace that engine. You may have to fight for it and maybe visit a lawyer, (1st consultation visit is free) and get legal advice.
good luck.........
