[chubbybubba1]

I read your post this morning and thinking how to respond all day. Not once have I had the dealer or anyone else for that matter, change the oil on my 04' Quest. No where does it say that I will get oil change at any particular retailer. I by my products at the parts store and do it myself. No where does it say I have to keep those purchase receipts. Now, being that it is a lease, that might be a different story. Have you reviewed your lease agreeement?
Does it cover maintenance. For christ sake, the owners manual has a do it yourself section that covers oil changes. It gives you the fluid capacities, fluid types to use etc......

Why are they pinning a blown head gasket on the oil changes? As long as you didn't run the engine dry of oil, that has nothing to do with a blown head gasket. If the engine was dry of oil, there will be excessive engine wear such as bearings, bearing races etc....You could have an oil sample taken to see if it has excessive iron or other materials in larger than normal amounts present.

The head gasket might not be blown, but just leaking enough to cause the engine to smoke. That leak might of been out of your control. But on the other hand, if you have been having a shop do your oil changes and they "top off" your fliuds, they could of been adding straight coolant to your system and that causes the coolant concentration to be high. That can lead to the coolant acting as a corrosive which has been known to destroy gaskets.

My friend, you have a big fight on your hands. Makes me wonder about if this was happening to me. A good relationship with your service advisor is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself out of these situations where you are trying to defend yourself. The guys at Nissan shjop I go to know me well. Even if I just go to the parts dept. I make a point to say hi, and call them by name. And hell, all they have really ever got out of me was warranty work.

I hope I've given you a few ideas how to respond to the dealer.

Mike