Bad Oil New Tractor

[wvpolekat]

Ok, there are a bazillion misconceptions in this thread.

1) MFG CANNOT require you to use their oil/filter. PERIOD. Oil has SAE/API ratings, if you match their ratings, you are good and they cannot refuse a warranty claim because of this. This is nothing new. ANY dealership that tells you that you must use their oil is lying and they know it. In Texas, this was required to be posted in the service department. Now, that does not mean that they have to sell another brand, or let you bring your brand. They also cannot require you to have service done at a dealership. See Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for details.

2) There are 2 parties at fault here. #1- The oil company IF the oil was mislabled. #2- The user who ran the tractor ANY after seeing that they were obviously 2 different fluids in the 2 pails.

3) "For use in Kubota" on the package means nothing. If the SAE/API ratings are the same as Kubota's specs are what means something. I have no idea what ratings (if any) Smittys oil has nor what the Kubota in question requires. If the oil does not list an SAE/API rating, probably safe to say that it doesn't meet the specs. I also think it

At the end of the day, he will have to pay to get his tractor fixed. That's all there is too it. Too much has transpired since the incident, between the flush/change and usage, nobody will be able to say what was actually put in there with enough certainty to place blame.

If something like this happens, AS SOON as you realize something isn't right STOP and don't do anything else until you have talked to the relevant parties and sought legal advice as to what to do to preserve the evidence to establish what happened.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Ok, there are a bazillion misconceptions in this thread.

1) MFG CANNOT require you to use their oil/filter. PERIOD. Oil has SAE/API ratings, if you match their ratings, you are good and they cannot refuse a warranty claim because of this. This is nothing new. ANY dealership that tells you that you must use their oil is lying and they know it. In Texas, this was required to be posted in the service department. Now, that does not mean that they have to sell another brand, or let you bring your brand. They also cannot require you to have service done at a dealership. See Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for details.

2) There are 2 parties at fault here. #1- The oil company IF the oil was mislabled. #2- The user who ran the tractor ANY after seeing that they were obviously 2 different fluids in the 2 pails.

3) "For use in Kubota" on the package means nothing. If the SAE/API ratings are the same as Kubota's specs are what means something. I have no idea what ratings (if any) Smittys oil has nor what the Kubota in question requires. If the oil does not list an SAE/API rating, probably safe to say that it doesn't meet the specs. I also think it

At the end of the day, he will have to pay to get his tractor fixed. That's all there is too it. Too much has transpired since the incident, between the flush/change and usage, nobody will be able to say what was actually put in there with enough certainty to place blame.

If something like this happens, AS SOON as you realize something isn't right STOP and don't do anything else until you have talked to the relevant parties and sought legal advice as to what to do to preserve the evidence to establish what happened.

I think most everyone in this thread understands this. The problem was that the OP kept insisting he used the correct oil as far as Kubota would be concerned because the package said so. Kubota would look at it as he used the wrong oil and not because it wasn't their own but because it was not the right type of oil regardless to what the bucket said. The OP messed up and I doubt we will ever hear the results of this as he was looking for us to tell him he was right and instead we told him to own up to his mistakes.

 

[Uncle Doug]

The OP might try an insurance claim on the tractor. When I bought my Kubota new it came with an insurance policy that covered major damage as long as the unit was still being fianaced by Kubota. Also certain home owner policys might cover if it had been added to the policy.

 

[two_bit_score]

1) MFG CANNOT require you to use their oil/filter. PERIOD.



Why do so many want to constantly restate the obvious? That's not even the issue.

The issue is he noticed that something was wrong with what he put in but used it anyway and now wants to find some support for sombody else paying for the problems caused by it.

 

[Skyco]

Ok, there are a bazillion misconceptions in this thread.

1) MFG CANNOT require you to use their oil/filter. PERIOD. .

That is incorrect.

Actually like I already posted a manufacturer of a product CAN require you to use a certain product to maintain a consumer warranty. BUT they generally have to provide it free of charge if they do. PERIOD

But like two bit score said it is really irrelevant in this case.

 

[wvpolekat]

1) MFG CANNOT require you to use their oil/filter. PERIOD.



Why do so many want to constantly restate the obvious? That's not even the issue.

The issue is he noticed that something was wrong with what he put in but used it anyway and now wants to find some support for sombody else paying for the problems caused by it.

Several people have repeatedly said that if you don't use the MFG oil it will void the warranty. Several people have also said that it won't. I posted the facts, including the relevant law. It removes opinion and makes it clear cut.

It is important to me to inform people what their rights are as consumers, so that they don't get taken by a dealer who wants to tell them that they must buy their oil/filters from them or take it to them for service. Several people in this thread commented that they were told just that by their dealer. This is bad information.

I provided the link so everyone can go read themselves. If they do not trust the information there, they can at least use the name of the applicable law to do further research into it.

This law was put in place specifically to address things like dealer requiring you to use them for service. As long as the products you use meet their requirements, they cannot deny a warranty claim because you used XYZ oil instead of ABC oil.

I spent several years as a service manager at a Yamaha dealer, and the ONLY time the question of what oil was used ever came up in regard to warranty claims was for 2 strokes. If they put 10w-30 in their oil injection and seized the motor, they were out of luck on warranty for that.

Either way, the OP's problem is not and was not a warranty issue, but a possibly mislabeled product by the oil company or use of the incorrect product by the OP. The only role Kubota should play in this is advising what the specs of the correct oil are to help the oil company and/or OP determine if the product the OP chose met those specs.

All of the verbal "Sure you can use Smitty's oil" from the parts folks and the dealer mean exactly nothing. As someone else said, all of them will not recall the conversation when it comes down to brass tacks. At the end of the day, it is ultimately HIS job to insure that he bought the correct product, either by going to the parts house and tell them he needs API CH-4 (or whatever) oil and then VERIFY that the oil they provide meets or exceeds that spec by reading the label himself. HE is the quality control of the operation because HE is the one pouring it in. The exception would be if the label said it was CH-4 (or whatever) but it was actually filled with 3 in 1 oil or something. At that point, he acted in good faith within his ability and liability would fall on the oil company because of the improper labeling/filling. None of us would be expected to be able to identify what standards the oil in the pail meets, we must rely on the label to tell us that.

An insurance claim is possible. Really no different than any other accident like running it into a tree or rolling it over. Just can't see the damage on the outside.

 

[wvpolekat]

That is incorrect.

Actually like I already posted a manufacturer of a product CAN require you to use a certain product to maintain a consumer warranty. BUT they generally have to provide it free of charge if they do. PERIOD

But like two bit score said it is really irrelevant in this case.

True, if they provide it free of charge, they can require it. Although, I have never heard of anyone doing this. I know some newer cars come with free oil changes for some period of time, but I do not know how they are or are not applying this to warranty. That adds an interesting twist that I had not even thought of.

 

[Scooby074]

If your going to work on your equipment, you got to have some knowledge. The oil didnt look right, you put it in. Suck it up. Pay for YOUR mistake and stop trying to blame someone else. If I dumped green engine oil in my truck, you better believe i wouldnt run it no matter what the guy at the counter said. Its called common sense!!!

Im not saying you have to use OEM, but id stick to one of the majors (Shell, exxon etc). Personally i like OEM. If this happened with a OEM fluid (which i doubt) it would be fixed already.

And YES, while OEM's dont have any refineries, the ones they hire are expected to produce a certain grade product, possibly with specific proprietary additives, that the refinery may not even know the contents of.

Heck the OEM and retail oil could come down the same line, but the retail meets a lower spec and wont be bottled as OEM. I KNOW this is a fact. One place i worked made OEM and consumer products (not oil), and the product shipped as OEM was held to a higher standard.

 

[LBrown59]

If your going to work on your equipment, you got to have some knowledge. The oil didnt look right, you put it in. Suck it up. Pay for YOUR mistake and stop trying to blame someone else. If I dumped green engine oil in my truck, you better believe i wouldnt run it no matter what the guy at the counter said. Its called common sense!!!

He knew it didn't look rite and used it anyway is the part I don't understand.

 

[Soundguy]

He knew it didn't look rite and used it anyway is the part I don't understand.

that's the part we all don't understand..

soundguy