[speeder]

What did the oil look like on the dipstick? You could have saved a whole internet thread by looking at it with him and all of your questions would be answered.

Also, it's normal to do a rudimentary maintenance inspection to any vehicle that winds up on your rack. As someone else pointed out, the customer would blame the mechanic for not noticing that the car was out of oil or had 3 stops worth of brakes left. It is also how honest mechanics sell additional services and it is legitimate. House painters and plastic surgeons do the same thing.