So the used car dealer that sold me my car, covered the first oil change, at a shop next to his lot. Had I not been standing there, the mechanic was just going to put whatever oil in. I showed him my owners manual, and he had to make two calls, one to a local parts supplier, and another to somebody else??? I even told them it used a special synthetic since it was a mercedes motor, so they had the right stuff on hand. I get there and almost get 5w30! guess I wont step foot in that garage again. chris

 

I believe when I bought mine, they changed the oil with the wrong weight. It would tap for fesconds dring start up on cool mornings. I changed the oil soon after I got it and the tapping went away instantly. I am sure they put in heavier oil.

Steve

 

When I had my oil changed last week I only had them put in 8 quarts...figured I'd top it off myself later....but when I pull the dipstick (which is difficult to read as you all know), it looks full.....I hesitate to add the other 1/2 quart the manual calls for......

Maybe they didn't drain every last oz. , anyone think of a strong reason I must add the other 1/2 quart....I can't imagine any harm to running 1/2 quart low (if it really is).....I know the manual talks about aeration of the oil if significantly low....but I doubt 1/2 quart would make a significant difference????

 

Some seem to take 8 qts, some 8.5 qts. I usually put 8 qts in, let it run for a while, keep an eye on the level for a day or so, then add the other 1/2 qt. That oil filter canister can hold a lot of oil.

 

me too 8qt on the spot , 8 1/4 also would be fine....

any oil change add 7 1/2 qt then check add as needed...
walmart has the oil
and napa , mb dealer and others have filters.. use fleece

do a search on oil change you will see several methods to change and where to get parts..

 

I'm thinking when the car isn't running that where the oil filter is located, it drains down into the engine. So 8 quarts would show up as full all the time. Am I wrong to think like this? It only seems logical to me. How can you get a good reading on the dip stick with the oil filter above the engine? The manual says 8.5 quarts with filter and that is what I put in and the car is running just fine.

 

Its true, the oil filter holds some oil. Best thing to do is stand the car on level ground (hot engine) and let it sit there for 20 mins or so to give the oil chance to drain down into pan (sump). I fill mine so oil level is just up onto shoulder of dip stick at top of full mark. The car has an internal oil level warning and will soon tell you if its too high or too low. I tested this warning by refilling with just 7 litres; turning ignition on, and yes the low warning came up on the service indicatoir. Then went out as poured another 1.5 litres in.
Cheers Steve

 

^^ Is it a wet sump or dry sump oil system?

 

I want to second Steve's suggestion to let the oil drain for a long time. When I did my first oil change it drained level for over 15 minutes before the tiny stream changed to drops.

Then I repositioned the drain side one stop lower on my jack stand and the stream started up again for more than 5 minutes. At this point I went inside and came back 20 more minutes later and the pan was still dripping, just slowly now.

If someone merely pulled the drain plug on a level car and only drained it for 5 minutes I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there is 1/4 to 1/2 quart still spread around in the motor.

 

Its a old traditional wet sump.
Further to conversation about oil changes, yes the oil does take a while to drain, even then there will be residue still in there. Thats why some recomend using a good engine flush product. But, if you change it at reasonable intervals say 10K miles, it should still be fairly clean oil that comes out. Now - This may shock you - its an old trick that my father used to do, but one of the best ways (and cheapest) to flush is to get equilevant quantity of deisel. Pour it in, up to the full mark on the dip stick. Start the engine and let it idle for around 20 seconds, and then let it stand for half an hour and drain. When it drains out its as black as the oil was!

 

Similar experiences with both used Crossfires, both from non-Chrysler dealers. I asked them to show me the paperwork on the oil change they did when they prepared the cars for re-sale, and both were obviously regular oil. I stipulated Mobil 0W-40 as a condition of sale (verified with a new work order) and had to prove that was the only approved oil per the owner's manual.

It was sad to pour out 8+ quarts of brand new oil, but no way around it. So many of these places know so little about our cars and don't take the time to check the specifications.