Air intake system falls off... engine melts.

[pablo-templar]

I recently had a K&N air intake system installed -- incorrectly, as it turns out -- on my 2003 Supercharged Xterra. It fell off while my wife was making a rather long drive home from visiting her family. My engine basically melted and is a write off. I've been told that the supercharger helped to take in more air than the computer could handle, and the engine ran too lean, thus causing intense heat. The engine had low mileage, was regularly professionally maintained, and was in perfect running order. I've been told by the installer that it is not their responsibility. What do you guys think?

[Airjer_]

Bogus! If it was running that lean the check engine light would have come on, There would have been a noticeable difference in performance. And it probably would have been flashing the check engine light due to a lean missfire. All of which probably did not occur.

[pablo-templar]

That's exactly what happened.

[Airjer_]

If you ignored the warning signs the vehicle was giving you that why would it be the installers fault. I guess the next time the check engine light starts flashing you might take it a little more seriously than just a flashing light?

[pablo-templar]

You're kind of an angry little guy, eh? You should have focused that anger into something more productive like paying attention. You would have noticed that I mentioned it was my wife driving, not me. Now while I assume you've spent many years only devoting your time to one thing -- that being working on cars, as opposed to developing social skills -- she did not (she raised kids, painted, became a seamstress, remodeled homes, read books...) Hence she is not a mechanic. The check engine light did not come on until a majority of her trip was over. Prior to that there was a loss of power that still allowed her to drive the vehicle. For much of the trip she was driving through the mountains -- by herself, I might add -- at night. Hence, she could get the car worked checked even if she had been aware that there was something seriously wrong. Furthermore, as for it not being the installers fault I can only imagine that the reason you would defend a mechanic who installed a part so poorly that it fell off is because it's a reflection your own handiwork.

[Airjer_]

I think everyone needs to accept some responsibility for there actions! The installer for whatever he did wrong AND your wife for the things she did wrong regardless of the time of day and where she was. I don't think the installer is responsible for the ruined engine, that was your wife's fault, again regardless of the time of day and where she was! She was the driver and is responsible for the vehicle. Ignoring the signs that there is a problem is not the installers fault.

Its amazing how many cars we (and by we I mean me) work on for the first time with hundreds of thousands of miles and after the work is done and the customer has left we get a phone call that my car has never done such and such and it must be your fault!

That's right those people have owned that car for years, driven it for countless hours and miles and we have it for 20 minutes and now everything is our fault.

The truth is when I screw up the customer is the first to know. I have no problem admitting my mistakes and taking responsibility for those mistakes. We all screw up, its a fact of life. Accepting responsibility for the screw ups is the difference between me and you (and by you I mean your wife).