Woman brings car to mechanic complaining about a minor problem. Then he discovers her car had been screaming for attention

A mechanic recently shared a story on TikTok about a customer who thought the warning light on her dashboard was just a computer problem. She was actually 9,000 miles overdue for an oil change. This is seriously concerning because ignoring that light can completely destroy an engine.

The mechanic, who posts under the handle @gtohockeyguy on TikTok, explained what happened after the woman brought her car to his shop. She said she had recently gotten an oil change somewhere else, but a warning light was still on her dashboard. She thought the previous shop just forgot to reset the system after the service.

According to Motor1, he zoomed in on the car’s dashboard in his video to show viewers the exact symbol she was talking about. He called it, “Her little Aladdin light came on down here,” pointing out the small icon.

The engine was already showing signs of serious damage

The mechanic quickly figured out the computer had been reset, but not recently. He said the system showed the last reset happened about 9,000 miles ago. That means she was driving for thousands of miles past her service window, thinking her car was fine.

The mechanic noticed the engine was knocking and making loud noises, even though there was still some oil in the car. Engine knocking is a terrible sign. It means the metal parts are grinding against each other because the oil has failed, and that leads directly to expensive damage. This kind of neglect can have consequences beyond just car problems, similar to how missing early morning transportation can cost you.

The small genie lamp icon on your dashboard is actually one of the most serious warning symbols your car can show. That icon is directly connected to your engine’s oil system. When it glows red, it means there’s a problem with lubrication, and lubrication is what keeps your engine’s metal parts from destroying themselves.

When the Aladdin light shows up, your car is screaming for attention. Common reasons for it to appear include low oil levels due to leaks, very dirty oil, a failing oil pump, or even just a bad sensor. If you notice the red oil light flashing, you should stop driving immediately, as this can make the situation worse fast. The safest move is to stop the car, shut off the engine, and have the vehicle towed to a shop.

The overdue oil change wasn’t the only problem the mechanic noticed. He pointed out that the gas gauge warning light was also on when he took the car for a test drive. For him, that showed deeper maintenance problems than just a missed computer reset. “If you bring us a car to test drive for issues,” he said, “don’t leave the f— check gas gauge light on.” 

Several viewers agreed they always make sure to leave enough fuel in the tank when their car needs service. Mechanics deal with frustrating situations regularly, and waiting for parts that turn out useless only adds to their challenges. Of course, others joked that the fuel level didn’t matter much in this case. Given the state of the engine, one user joked that the woman didn’t need much fuel because “it’s not going to be driving much longer.”