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<center><big><big><b><i><font color="#3333ff">Giammalvo Files</font></i></b></big></big></center>
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<p><i><font color="#000000">Mark Giammalvo specializes in driveability
diagnostics </font><font color="#000000">at his family business,
Sam Giammalvo's Auto Sales & Service, Inc. in New</font>
<font color="#000000">Bedford, MA. </font> </i>
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<i><font
color="#000000">Mark, who has been with the business for
over 20 years, is an ASE Master Technician and Parts Specialist.
He also holds the ASE L1 certification, and has an
associates degree in business</font> <font color="#000000">management.
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Mark is also a writer for Motor Age Magazine and is the past secretary
of the Alliance of Automotive Service Professionals, (AASP).</font></i>
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<center><font color="#000000"><b><font size="+2">Terminal Neglect</font></b></font></center>
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<p><small><i><font color="#000000">(Printed in the Journal of The Alliance
of Automotive Service Providers, AASP) </font></i></small></p>
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<div align="justify">Recently I was standing outside in front of our
shop admiring a beautiful afternoon. It was nice to finally see the
sun after the rainy summer we have all endured. A Subaru wagon pulled
up that looked vaguely familiar. As it turned out, the person driving
it was the son of a customer that I had not seen in quite some time. The
young man quickly came over to me to summon my assistance. He stated that
recently the engine began to make some loud noise that had him and his
parents concerned. I opened the hood, then started the engine. The engine
was quite noisy at idle and even worse when raced up. To me it seemed to
be an unusual amount of lifter noise. Probably the worst I have heard in
my 18 or so years of service. I shut the engine and pulled the oil dip
stick. The driver was quick to advise me that the oil was full. He was right,
he just forgot to mention that it was jet black. I asked him if he knew
when the last oil change was. He had know idea and reminded me that his
parents had all their service performed by our shop. I noticed that
our lube reminder was still on the windshield, the sun had faded both the
mileage and date. I ran to a terminal in the shop to look up our last recorded
oil change service. The repair order stated that the oil was changed on March
30, 1999 at 37,337 miles. I went back to check the odometer on the
vehicle to find that the car now had 65,721 miles. I asked the driver if
it was possible that the car had been serviced elsewhere since March of ‘99.
He did not think so and seemed surprised at where this little investigation
of mine was headed. The final evidence reared its head when I laid down under
the car to take a look at the oil filter. Sure enough, it was our
brand and looked like it had gone through a birthday down their. I got up,
wiped off my clothes and looked the driver right between the eyes. My
statement was fast, swift and to the point. "Based on the fact that this
engine may have been running with the same oil for over 28,000 miles,
I would say the cause is terminal neglect." Not a word was uttered
from the driver. Like an old friend told me once before: "Silence is golden."<br>
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I told the driver that we would change the oil and fill the base
with a combination of oil and a cleaning agent then change the
oil and filter again. I told him that if the planets were aligned in his
favor he just may not have seriously compromised the engine. Otherwise,
I advised him engine repair would be necessary. It still amazes
me that, at times, the motoring public will have no problem remembering
to purchase aftermarket wheels, radios, and the like, yet can't remember
when to change their oil. (And all our customers get oil change post card
reminders from us). <br>
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