# Oil Change Advice Please.



## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Folks,

popped in to National Tyres this morning for an oil and filter change. Good price and seemed decent staff. Waited an hour and a quarter so was in a bit of a rush at the end as had stuff to do. Anyway, an hour later, car parked up for half an hour too, I thought I'd check the level on the dipstick...feck, it's over the bloody maximum mark! I checked the invoice, turns out they used 7 litres (says 6 in the handbook)...

This is after it was wiped clean and put back in again:










However, I must have a squint heid 

Just to double check, I moved the car to another spot, though both looked flat to me, and waited another 10 minutes. There defintiely seems less than before if you compare the two photos:

2nd Check:










Honest opinions, do you reckon it's OK to leave it? I don't want to cause any damage. Certainly seems a bit better than it was first time around, but have no idea if that's too much over?

It's a Mondeo TDCi Mk3 130 and I got Castrol Magnatec Fully Synth 5w30 by the way (oh, and no oil leaks under car!).

Cheers guys.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

It's not good for the engine to be over, and may cause damage depending on engine design........get them to remove the excess, it's very bad for them to overfill it, especially in this day and age when they can look up the exact amount your car requires in a book and then pump that amount in with a digital flow meter on the pump.


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## unclejonboy (May 15, 2011)

I wouldn't worry too much... loads too much oil can strain oil seals and give you leaks in the future though.... but ten - fifteen percent isn't so bad... did the stated quantity include the oil filter capacity?... that might account for why it seemed a bit better after a drive...

If you are really bothered get them to pull out a half litre or so, but as most modern car and bike engines have a crankcase breather any serious excess will be vented out....This happened on my Subaru, and the only issue was the crankcase breather tended to drip onto the exhaust cat which was a bit smelly for a few days..... which is how I discovered it in the first place.... just an opinion tho'


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## Deco (Feb 15, 2011)

unclejonboy said:


> I wouldn't worry too much... loads too much oil can strain oil seals and give you leaks in the future though.... but ten - fifteen percent isn't so bad... did the stated quantity include the oil filter capacity?... that might account for why it seemed a bit better after a drive...
> 
> If you are really bothered get them to pull out a half litre or so, but as most modern car and bike engines have a crankcase breather any serious excess will be vented out....This happened on my Subaru, and the only issue was the crankcase breather tended to drip onto the exhaust cat which was a bit smelly for a few days..... which is how I discovered it in the first place.... just an opinion tho'


This.


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## DaveOS (May 9, 2010)

Agreed, I wouldn't worry about it


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## K300 (Apr 2, 2010)

yep, don't worry about it


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

One thing I would be a little concerned over is the colour of the oil. It looks like the quickie oil change was a bit too quick. With a proper drain interval the oil will be almost invisible on the stick. If you can find a small time shop that will let the car sit a few minutes while they complete the rest of the oil change, it will be fully drained and you will get superior results.

Later,

William


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## K300 (Apr 2, 2010)

You may have missed that the car is a diesel.

Hence the colour of the oil even after an oil change, there are far more deposits left in the engine on a diesel engine, the only way to get rid of that is to do an engine oil flush prior to the oil change, but of course if you don't do it yourself you would be charged for it by the garage.

On the wife's Shogun(2.8 diesel) I do an engine flush a few days before it goes for a service.


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

In my experience, maximum means maximum. Overfilling can lead to increased pressure in the crankcase and blown seals (can also cause contamination on cat and sensors by excess oil vapour getting through the engine). Overfilling at a local Kia garage caused blown seals leading to a crankshaft out (ie engine out ) repair on a one year old car. At the second oil change, a year later, they overfilled it again! Foreman's comment " He's done that before!" It's usually down to inexperienced "technicians" who don't have the patience to wait for the oil to run down the engine before they check it and overfill. I always recheck the level before leaving the garage now!

Mike


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Well, currently sitting in national tyres. Had argument with guy who reckoned the max mark was the end of the plastic marker where it meets the wire! He also argued 7 litres is what the car needed. Eventually had to show him the Ford manual and point out the manufacturers capacities! Then he agreed. Won't be coming here again...


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

7 litres? in a 2 litre Diesel????????? what they fill it to the top before screwing the lid on????

As already said, too much oil can knock the engine out due to the crank thrashing in the oil and making it airated, i.e lots of bubbles so you lose the protection and oil pressure........

And for those of you wanting to flush your engine, only do it on a modern one, not an old engine as it will go "pop"

Trust me...........20 years in the motor trade as a "qualified" mechanic.........

And don't forget, all those expensive sensors in your modern engines, air flow, ambient air pressure, ambient air temperature, boost pressure sensor, none of them like being plastered in oil. Also the breather is usually part of the filler cap, if the engine is breathing heavy the gases will be turned back into the inlet manifold to be re-burnt to clean up the emissions, especially on a Euro 4 / Euro 5 engine on the TDCI Mondeo :yes:


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Thanks mate. 

I'm fed up of crap service. The manager said that he had started it off but left it to a technician to finish off. He said he spoke to him about it and said his answer was he'd been 'day dreaming'!

Why would you employ someone like that?!

I've checked the dipstick again and it's half way between min and max. I'll buy a litre of castrol to top it up, they couldn't even get that right.

Lesson learned, won't be back there again, and next time I'm doing the oil change myself.


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## K300 (Apr 2, 2010)

> I've checked the dipstick again and it's half way between min and max.


so are you now saying that your initial readings were incorrect?



> And for those of you wanting to flush your engine, only do it on a modern one, not an old engine as it will go "pop"


utter b****x !



> Trust me...........20 years in the motor trade as a "qualified" mechanic.........


what exactly does "qualified" mean in terms of mechanics(genuine question)


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

K300 said:


> > I've checked the dipstick again and it's half way between min and max.
> 
> 
> so are you now saying that your initial readings were incorrect?


Er, no, this is after I've just sat in the garage and watch them drain a litre / litre & a half out!


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## K300 (Apr 2, 2010)

scottishcammy said:


> K300 said:
> 
> 
> > > I've checked the dipstick again and it's half way between min and max.
> ...


sorry, missed that


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

K300 said:


> You may have missed that the car is a diesel.


Yes, I did miss that point, though I still maintain that many of these "whileUwait" places don't perform proper oil changes.

Qualifications were mentioned later in the thread. In my case it was a five year apprenticeship program. The result of which was this:










As we used to say: That and two bucks will buy you a cup of coffee. :lol:

Oh, I have one for Truck and Coach as well.

Later,

William


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

K300 said:


> > I've checked the dipstick again and it's half way between min and max.
> 
> 
> so are you now saying that your initial readings were incorrect?
> ...


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

harryblakes7 said:


> K300 said:
> 
> 
> > > I've checked the dipstick again and it's half way between min and max.
> ...


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Harry, any chance you could come up to East Lothian to do any work on my car! :thumbsup:


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## K300 (Apr 2, 2010)

> so to call my advice, which was an opinion on this forum, like everyone has an opinion "utter b****x" is uncalled for and goes against the friendly nature of this forum


Possibly, however,

you made an absolute statement, in my opinion that absolute statement was as previously described.

In fact there are many circumstances(and you have now alluded to some) that will affect whether the engine will "pop", making an absolute statement was, in my opinion, a mistake and may affect how other people on this forum service their own vehicles which is unfair to them without giving all the scenarios and then allowing them to then form their own opinions.

My opinion is not an attack on you personally(no wish to fall out with a fellow member), but is my opinion of your particular statement.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Well, Scottish Cammy if i lived up near you i would help of course, as you can imagine i could work 24/7, but must have some time free to look at all the nice watches out there  I hope your satisfied now about your car......you never said how much they charged you?........ Â£40???

I used the shortened form "pop" instead of the words "catastrophic failure caused by a thermal incident" as it wears my fingers down on the keyboard...........  But as said i would not use engine flush on an old engine in my opinion

Still all's well that ends well, lets all have a pint :cheers: need it in this weather........


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## K300 (Apr 2, 2010)

> Still all's well that ends well, lets all have a pint need it in this weather........


sounds good to me


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Engine Oil, it is one product that has more myths, stories, urban legends and down right lies about it than just about anything else. Usually by service managers trying to justify why the charged you a hundred quid to change it for you 

Never has the phrase "Snake Oil" or "Snake Oil Salesman" been more appropriate.

:lol: :lol:


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