i just got an oil change at my dealer.. am a newbie so i need some explanation

from what the picture shows, is the oil level high or low?

 

It's too high!! I would go back and make them take some out.
Contrary to popular belief, oil at too high of a level will damange an engine if left for too long. The correct leve should be bwteeen the 2 rings. Not below, not above.

My dealer did the same thing, I took the car back and they fixed it.

I would not run it too long like that.

Pat

 

Yes, Too HIGH...

It looks like they used 5 quarts instead of 4.4 quarts. Can't believe a dealer technician would overfill on an oil change. Did they change the filter like they were supposed to? I'd go back to talk to the Service Manager.

 

They probably filled it with 5 qts of oil instead of 4.5 (or 4.75 depending on who you beleive). Look on the sheet it'll tell you how much they used. They did it to me, they did it to Robin Casady too. Don't worry about it. We both called them and the different SAs said that it won't hurt anything. I don't know why they do it. I actually sucked some out of mine when I saw it before the dude called back.

 

That is bull. They just don't want to expend the labor to fix their problem.

I wouldn't stand for it. But they can do what they want. It's their coin and car.

Pat

 

Actually my SA said he'd send me a check for whatever I paid for the tubing/apparatus I bought to remove the excess oil (I didn't get much out). I live 100 miles away but he said they'd drain it out there if I wanted or pay to have it done here. Robin said his dude told him that some gizmo automatically fills the car with oil to the correct level (however they do that). Since it's happened to a number of us I wonder how they do this. Obviously they don't measure 4.5 qts going into the car. I doubt they're too lazy to put in less than 5 qts, that would cost them money. They print a sheet that says 5 qts of XX oil was put in. I'm not sure what the deal is.

 

Man, that looks nothing like the dip stick on my 2 week old MCS...

 

I've had at least 3 different designs of dipstick, they seem to change it every year. Each design has an obvious top and an obvious bottom. Does yours have a coloured plastic end with 2 bumps, or something else entirely?

 

It looks a bit like a red suppository and there are no clear markings on it that I can see. I'll have to see if I can get a picture of it.

 

The only accurate way to know where that 4.5 or 4.75 Quart line falls on Your DipStick is to completely drain it yourself and then refill it yourself,
checking DipStick as Quarts #3 and #4 and last half (or three-quarter) quart are added.

Dubaian's DipStick looks exactly like the one in my week 12, 2008 MINI and calibration of mine showed the following:

Lower ferrule is three quarts, halfway between two ferrules is four quarts and full reads about three 'threads' below top ferrule.

(So I guess 4.75 might be at top ferrule )

Hot oil expands and will read a little higher, another good reason to check it when cool.

 

Like this?

 

yes, that's the bugger right there... I guess that image is rather self-explanatory.

 

that is EXACTLY like how my dipstick looks after i took it to the dealer cuz my car was running on 1L of oil.
went to dealer and he said they put in 5qts, and that is the "standard" on every mini cooper change.
pple here on NAM say its 4.5q i believe em, but the dealer puts in extra i guess cuz ... minis have a tendency of burning oil?
im just guessing i could be wrong (most likely.)

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-dipstick4.jpg
picture of my dipstick

 

Thats exactly what they told me too.. the owner's manual says "don't fill beyond the upper mark on the dipstick. Excess Oil will damage the engine."

 

TheBigNewt,

The best gizmo to use is the liquid extractor pump. The one I have is from griots garage and it works well. There are many types out there.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...rrivals&page=1

 

Both of our cars are exactly like the stick above. It is self explanatory and it will cause damage if left unattended. My manual says so as well but also I have been around engines all my life and I don't need the manual to tell me so. Any dealer who says it won't harm an engine is mistaken.

If you don't want to make the dealer correct his error then the solution is the pump that takes out the excess as was already mentioned. Cheap and easy.

Pat

 

.25 of a quart is not going to self-destruct your motor, but I dont see why a well trained mechanic would throw all the oil in at once. You usually put in about a 1/4 of the last quart and then run the engine for a bit, let it sit for little while and top off as necessary, small(.25 qts) amounts at a time. You should also check the next morning and verify the level as well. Not to mention on a regular basis, for me its every 3rd tankful of gas or so, or whenever I am under the hood.

 

Agreed, 1/4 more is not going to instantly tank your motor. However it will do harm to seals and other components and shorten the lifespan and create additional problems down the road. (The owners manual states that overfilling will do harm for a reason.)

Even a backyard mechanic knows how to fill a car with oil. I think the problem stems from poor management at the dealership service level.

 

I guess my problem with this whole thing is that the recommended amount would not fall on the top marker. It should fall in the middle, so to me it looks like this car is somewhere close to a full quart too high. And in that case you have a beef with the dealer, and yes they should remove the excess. .25 quarts wont make much of a difference on my dipstick, so something isnt right here. And .25 quarts is not going to cause a motor problem, its just way too small of an amount to affect anything, and I am sure they have at least that much leeway in their recommended amounts.

 

I think you've identified the basic issue: these oil changes are not being done by well-trained mechanics, or even surpervised by well-trained mechanics!

 

The Griot's model is very similar to the Mityvac Fluid Extractor Plus, Model 7201, which is also available on Amazon and other sites. I have one, and it's very handy, although I don't use it for MINI oil changes as I had trouble getting the last 8 ounces of oil or so sucked out using the extractor. The MINI oil change is still very easy without using one.

 

Actual effects of an unproperly filled oil system are the following...

Too low: simply not enough oil to lubricate engine parts adequately, plus less oil means less heat dissipation... So engine parts like piston rings and cylinder walls will wear very prematurely. Extremely low oil level could eventually cause the engine to exterme overheat and seise completely!

Too high: too much oil will raise the oil system pressure since there is too much oil for the space it's got to circultate, therefore you will pressurize the system and risk of blowing or damaging various engine seals and gaskets.

2 different situations, neither is good for your engine, but i'd rather be a victim of too much than not enough

 

3rd situation - keep your oil level between the marks -

I'd rather be victim to that

 

I always check my oil as soon as I get home and the car sits for a bit. I may change my tactics and check it at the dealership before I leave.

As routine I check my oil at every car wash which is typically once per week.