What Would You Do?
 

Took my car in to swap out transmission and convert from v-belts to serpentine as part of a supercharging project. Shop kept the car for two weeks, during which time, they (without my knowledge) took the engine to a car show. When I finally got the car back, I had a very small leak from the right cam tower. Now they want several hundred dollars to fix the leak.

I'm not sure what they did, if anything, that would cause the leak, but I am fairly sure that it wasn't leaking when I took it in. No oil on my garage floor, no smell of burning oil (which I now am experiencing since the oil drips onto my exhaust) and no low reading on dipstick. The engine was rebuilt about 20k miles ago.

I will add that I have been taking my car to this wrench for quite awhile and have always believed them to be honest. At least until I found out they were carrying my engine out to display at car shows!

What would you do? Thanks for your input.

-e.

Tell them you won't charge them a display/rental fee for borrowing your engine if they won't charge you for fixing the leak they may or may not have caused..

I would ask them, nicely, to fix the leak on their own dime - after discussing with the owner that you had no idea they were using your engine for purposes other than making your car go forward under its own power with even bothering to ask. You can suggest that you might have OK'd the use of the motor that way, but that you would like to be consulted first. If they refuse, thank the owner for listening, then take your keys and your car somewhere else for further repairs/modifications.

Consider yourself to be on the hook for the oil leak, since you can't prove that they caused it.

This is along the lines of what I was thinking. I like your style.

-e.

+1
Also be sure to tell us who your former mechanic was.