'96' Protege...need help,help,help!

[Teri N]

About a year ago I had my car in the shop for maintenance. I then went down south about 300 miles and on the way back my car was smoking under the hood really bad. A couple of people stopped to help me and told me the car had no oil. I took it back to the shop as soon as I got into town and the mechanic (the same mechanic that had previously worked on it) told me he had put a defective oil cap on it. I didn't realize oil was everywhere and in everything (and he didn't tell me) until I changed the air cleaner myself. It weighed a ton from the oil in it. Soon after my O/D light went on. No one would give me a written est. as they said they wouldn't work on it because it could cost more than it was worth...the Mazda dealer would start it at $2000. to repair. I had 5 diagnostic tests done trying to find someone that would fix it. All said they would until they got the money for the diagnostic from me and then said they could try but couldn't guarantee anything. Well, now a year later the light suddenly went out itself and it kicks into O/D went I push the button and works like a charm. Could the oil have gotten into something and after a year dried out and maybe that is why it is again working? This is a small town and it seems like no one wants to say anything against a fellow mechanic.