Oil Vey!

So I took my car for an oil change this morning before work at the Mazda dealership. Turns out I have a minor seal leak in my power steering pump, so they're ordering a new one to replace under warranty. No big deal, I pay for the service, grab my car and head to work. About a 1/2 of mile from work, I notice a strong oil smell, and smoke coming from my hood - definitely not something I would expect from a brand new car.

So, I pulled off the side of the road, popped the hood and of course, the engine compartment is covered in oil, and my crankcase is staring me with a big hole; the kind that says: "Where is my goddamn oil cap!". Of course, the crank case's question is really rhetorical. We all know where it is. It's sitting on top of the coolant tank, where everyone puts it when they're changing the oil. I'm pissed, I'm late for work, and worried about my car. I put cap back on, put on my BT headset and call the dealership as I drive back over the bay to have them fix it.

I surpressed my urge to be a real dick, because the manager was very apologetic and upset that it happened (and that the mechanic wouldn't apologize). They got me a rental for the day (another story), and the manager had the engine compartment cleaned, changed the oil again, and had the car detailed. After I went back to pick it up, I pointed out that the hood lining (heat shield) was stained (thanks for the tip, Eric!) and he said he would replace it.

So, despite the fact that I lost a couple hours of work which I've been making up this evening, and the fact that it happened to begin with, I think the manager handled it as best he could. However, they've got one more chance to give me hassle free service. The last time I brought it in, they failed to rotate my tires despite charging me for it, and I had to call them on it.