After the same experience TWICE, after FULL draining and leaving time to allow it to drain properly

I now only do 7 quarts, check stick- start run for 10 mins, cool down for 10 mins check again. Usually add 1/2 quart-

Then I check the level on the computer- once a week and then manually at least every other week.

I now do not have any problems.

Don

 

Mediocrity is the norm in stealerships, took my 300 in last Monday week for an oil change and a look at why the parking brake did not work. I told them that I thought the cable had broken, it had and I was told they would phone me when the cable came in ....... I'm still waiting for that call nine days later. There must be a shortage of Bowden cables, the plant the car was made is just 5 miles away.
If your oil leak is from the rocker covers they will not be using a gasket, RTV is used and it comes in tubes and they will have lots of it. Lies lies and more lies.
How do you make sure you get the job you applied for at a stealership? Tell lies on your resume and they will know you are just what they are looking for. Tell the truth and you haven't got a chance.

 

Blazingsaddle if you don't mind me asking what part of WA are you in?

 

GDrag,
I'm in Issaquah, WA. You must be in Washington as well?

 

I actually spoke to the service director the other day when I took my car in and she was a pro. She valided all of my concerns and buttered me up very well. She recognized that her service person ordered my engine gasket without having a technician take a look first. I asked her to have some one take a look at the oil leak in a conscientious manner.

I got a call today to pick up my XF. I asked what was done. The guys says they replaced the gasket. What do you say to that? Obviously, they did not notice that oil leak was much higher than the where the gasket is at. I thought gravity was common knowledge. It'll be a long day tomorrow when I pick it up. My wife says they will mess up my XF for giving them a piece of my mind. I'll give them a piece of my mind.

 

I had my first oil change done about a month ago at the dealership. Charged me $130, but I got a "free" $10 Target gift card. They put in a new fleece filter, 8 quarts of Pennzoil 5W-40 synthetic oil. It meets the MB229.5 requirement. I was told they have a bulletin saying that changing from Mobil1 0W-40 to the 5W-40 is OK. The tech said he pulled the plug to drain the oil. The problem I have is that I am getting a "HI" reading on the FSS after the car is up to temperature. I also get a slightly high reading on the dipstick after it's been sitting overnight. I brought the car back to the dealership, and talked with Pete the tech, and he said he always puts 8 quarts in on the Crossfires, and has never had a problem. He knew about the FSS, because he has to reset it after and oil change, but he wasn't aware that we could check the oil that way too. While I was there, I showed him the FSS reading - it was "HI" again, and he checked the dipstick and saw that it was high also. He really didn't want to drain any oil out - he said that he only put in 8 quarts. I said I would post this on the forum, and see what everybody says. He said he would be happy to drain a little oil out. What do you think? After reading all the posts, I'm thinking that I should have them drain the oil, but would a little extra oil wind up being aerated? I'd appreciate your comments, and I'll do as you all say. Thanks again for this great forum. My wife and I have got our reservations for the Crossfire across America get together in June!

 

Hey BlazingSaddle that's pretty sweet. I am in Kirkland, WA most of the time as I have my coffee shop there. But I reside in Kent, WA. Let me know if you ever need any extra hands with your xfire, I'll be glad to help!

 

I've never really had an issue yet with oil level after an oil change. The 3.2 liter M-B block actually holds 8 liters of oil, which is just slightly less than 8.5 quarts. Like by 1.5 oz. is it enough to trip the excess oil level alarm? Maybe. But I doubt even German design engineers are that anally accurate. But I always just make sure that when I add the 1/2 quart, I stop short a little bit.

Oh, and I still believe that the only true method to void the oil pan or sump is to let it drain out the bottom. Pull the car up on oil change ramps (minimal height), remove the splash piece, and easy access to the drain plug. I'm all for HI-TECH, but no one is going to convince me that "sucking" the oil out from above gives the same result.

Later,

 

If he only put in 8 quarts.....then he must have not even come close to letting it drain long enough...now you got a lot of contamination from the old oil. Make them totally drain it & refill with new oil!

 

Eight quarts only, put mine dead on the Full Line. Was NOT drained on ramps.

 

Wow, I am saddened and yet relieved to hear that my dealership aren't the only morons on the planet. I have have an unbelievable series of crack-pot incidences with mine in Lubbock. They have overfilled my oil every single time. Telling them to check the dipstick seems to go in one ear and out the other.

This last time I went, I discovered they didn't even change my oil! It was black as night. I took it back up to them and gave them a piece of my mind. The service manager had the GALL to say to my face, "yes ma'am, Mobil 1 changed their formula and now it's a dark oil." Uh huh. After going round and round with him, he finally agreed to "re-change" my oil and filter.

It's been about 4k miles, and I just took a 425 mile road trip to San Antonio. After I got there, my boyfriend looked at my car. There was oil pooled down in my skid plate, and there was oil all over my engine. He checked my oil and it was ugly ugly. When he popped out my filter, it was all degrated. He decided to go ahead and change my oil himself cause he really didn't like the looks of any of this. When he crawled under my car, not only did they lose some screws to my skid plate, the drain plug fell out into his hand when he touched it. (Those of you who do it yourselves, you know that's a fairly long plug with many threads on it. )

MORONS! They did NOT change my filter, and if that drain plug had come out while I was on the highway, they'd be buying me a new engine right now! I hate these guys!! I don't trust them one bit.

Oh and last time I went in and gave them a piece of my mind, when they finally changed my oil, I noticed my computer compartment door was open. What the heck were they doing in there?? I wouldn't put it past them to "spit in my burger" since I yelled at them.

 

Almost forgot to respond to you last comment: it's very nice of you say so. Thanks.

 

My, my. That is some story -- a nightmare, that is. You gotta talk firm and down at juveniles like that. I feel for you. Your "gasp" photo is fitting to this situation.

 

Years ago, Monkey Ward changed my oil and checked my rear end. 2 weeks later Im motoring happily down the road
when I hear this ungodly sound from the rear end. THOSE IDIOTS FORGOT TO PUT THE REAR PLUG BACK IN!!!!
Ruined the car. When approached, the manager said "Sue us then, we're Montgomery Wards!"

NOW DAYS I change my OWN oil when possible, and if I DO take it in before driving off I tell the service manager I am
stopping the car in front of his service bay and crawling under it to check for bolt tightness and all screws back in the plastic underbelly
and I STAY there blockin that fkn bay until I am done.I will NEVER trust any of these clowns again

 

I always have a high oil level, I choose to be topped off as the oil slides to the side in hard corners -autocrossing- and hi oil does not hurt the enging, you MAY loose some power but nothing to account for. The extra allows for cornering and is extra insurance, nothing to sweat, though I know some would get all green in the gills because it was not BOOK level. Throw away the book and think on your own now and then. Woody That is how I invented the DCAI, the super cooler, the pulley saver, and the F/A compensator in addition to the dual cross manifolds. Woody ENJOY LIFE..........

 

I changed oil my level is JUST on the "bulb" past the max mark. (Maybe 1/8 quart over at best?)
Just leave the damn thing alone you are saying and dont think anything more then?
She runs great

 

To get the oil to drain as fully as possible from the sump plug, the bottom of the pan would have to be perfectly flat and the car left for a few hours so that oil from all over the engine had time to drain into the sump. How are you to know that the sump pan is not tilted slightly in one direction thus letting the pool stay put? The floor may be flat but the springs would have to be just right to ensure the bottom of the pan was horizontal. What dealership let’s the car sit for a couple of hours any way ?
I suck my oil out from the top, if I feel real keen I drive the driver side wheels onto pieces of 2 x 4 with the engine warm suck out the oil and if I am really keen I let it sit overnight and get more oil out the next day. Not worth the effort really because the amount of old oil eft in the engine after the first drain is really quite negligible, my oil gets changed every 2,000 miles on average or once a year in actual fact. Anyone who drives 7,000 miles before changing the oil is not doing themselves or the next owners any favours.
I put in 8 litres and have no trouble at all, I would say it is slightly above the full mark by a tad but so what?

 

I would say invent is not quite the word to use, adapt to fit the Crossfire is a better way of saying it I would say. Not much is new these days as most things have been done before.

 

IN the lower colonies the dictionary describes it as so, Woody


in·vent
/inˈvent/

verb

1. create or design (something that has not existed before); be the originator of.
   "he invented an improved form of the steam engine"
   Similar:
   originate
   
   create
   
   innovate
   
   design
   
   devise
   
   contrive
   
   formulate
   
   FYI

 

I just did my oil change for the first time on my new to me 2004 coupe. I did it on ramps, did a very long drain, probably over an hour, and the car took exactly 8 quarts to reach the top of the hatch marks.

I have driven it and checked the oil several times, that level is correct.

My only conclusion is to why I couldn't get that .5 qts out is that this particular car and oil pan would need to be level. Most vehicles I have done oil changes on actually drain better on ramps or nearly equal on ramps or flat. But you can see how the drain pan on this car would be better level.

That being said, .5 quarts isn't a big deal to me, especially when you consider total volume of oil is 8.5 qts.