The dipstick comes out of the engine and gets wiped on a white paper towel. What it leaves behind is a few small brown spots and not much else. That moment, filmed under the hood of a Honda with an i VTEC engine cover, sits at the center of a 65 second Instagram reel posted on September 10, 2026, by @michaelbespinoza, who labels it Part 1 of a running story about an oil change gone wrong.

“PART 1 & looking back I wasn’t crashing out enough because how do you forget to refill engine oil after doing an oil change,” his caption reads. “This was the moment I had stopped at auto zone because lights had come on. I end up confronting the shop who was at fault in PART 2.”

The first 40 seconds are shot inside the AutoZone store, among the shelves and a yellow wet floor sign. Text across the footage puts his version of events in one line: “Grease Monkey forgot to fill up customer’s engine oil after oil change.” That is his claim, written by him on his own video; the shop’s side of the story is not part of this clip.

The video then moves outside to the car. Under the hood, the silver engine with its black i VTEC cover comes into view, and the on screen text changes to a question for viewers: “What would you do in this situation?” The dipstick is wiped, and a close shot shows the orange dipstick handle being worked back into its tube beside the engine cover. The paper towel with its few small spots is the clearest piece of evidence the reel offers for his claim that the engine was left low. How the dispute ended is not in this part.

If a warning light comes on after an oil change

He says he pulled over because lights had come on. On Honda’s owner information site, the low oil pressure warning section says running the engine with low oil pressure “can cause serious mechanical damage almost immediately.” It tells drivers to “immediately park the vehicle on level ground in a safe place,” shut off the engine, let it sit for about three minutes, then open the hood and check the oil level, adding oil as needed. If the warning stays on for more than 10 seconds after a restart, the manual says to “immediately stop the engine and contact a dealer for repairs.”

The check he did at the parts store is one you can do in a minute yourself, the same way: on level ground, engine off and settled, pull the dipstick, wipe it, push it fully back in, pull it again and read where the oil sits against the marks.

Make the dipstick check a habit right after any oil change, before you leave the lot, while the shop is still right there.

If you think a shop got it wrong

He documented his stop on video, and that instinct lines up with what the Federal Trade Commission tells consumers. In its auto repair guide, the FTC says to “get a completed repair order describing the work done” and to “document all transactions as well as your experiences with dates, times, expenses, and the names of people you dealt with.” Keep the oil change receipt, note the mileage on the sticker, and photograph the dipstick and any warning lights with the time showing.

For the dispute itself, the FTC’s order of steps is simple: “Talk to the shop manager or owner first.” If that does not work, it says to contact your state Attorney General or local consumer protection agency, and notes that small claims court is another option. The same guide says that if you have questions about recommended work, consider getting a second opinion.