🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <335f6489.91558159@news.airmail.net>, rdavis@airmail.net (Rick
Davis) wrote:

> On Sun, 06 Apr 1997 12:34:13 -0500, debbie mulcahy <irdm@msg.ti.com>
> wrote:
> 
> >I took my elderly (10 yr old) car in for an oil change last week.  The
> >fellow that was taking care of it told me that the car was making a
> >clicking noise & that something was wrong with some bearings or 
> >something (gee, don't I know alot about mechanics!) and that he couldn't 
> >change the oil because it would ruin the engine.  Since I'm pretty 
> >ignorant about cars, I don't know whether or not this is true.  He 
> >immediately followed this info with the name of a nearby garage where 
> >his friend could fix it for me ("Ask for him by name since he's the only 
> >one who'll give you this special deal...etc.").  
> >
> >Maybe he was just being nice & helpful, or maybe he was trying to send 
> >his friend some extra work.  Any ideas if changing the oil might really 
> >wreck the engine?
> >
> 
> No, the guy's full of crap. *If* there is bearing damage, changing the
> oil might even help to prevent the damage from spreading throughout
> the engine. The metal particles that are ground away when there is a
> bearing failure will contaminate the oil in your engine and will be
> circulated to other internal parts of the motor. 
> Of course, if there is actual bearing damage it needs to be repaired
> ASAP or catastrophic failure is just a matter of time. So if the guy
> is being honest with you, he only saved you the price of an oil
> change.
> 
> There are quite a few things that will cause a "ticking" sound in a
> motor other than internal damage to the engine. Diagnostics is best
> done by a real mechanic and not some quickie lube guy.
> 
> Rick

If the the guy thought that catastrophic failure was on the onset I can see
why he wouldn't want to touch the car from a liability perspective. 
Explains why he would send you straight to a mechanic.