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The idiots OVERFILLED my oil today!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by priusham, Jun 17, 2005.

  1. priusham

    priusham New Member

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    I took my Pri in for oil change #2 at 11,400 miles - yeah I know, it was a beotch getting the time to go to the dealer. :roll:

    Anyway, I took it to the same place I used for the first oil change. Same routine - I brought in a brand new 5Q jug of Mobile 1. They change the oil replace the filter, balance/rotate the tires, wash the Prius, $39 out the door.

    At the first oil change, I didn't say a thing to the guy and the jug of Mobile 1 had exactly 3 quarts poured out and the oil level was PERFECT! A bit over halfway on the dipstick. Not too little and not too much.

    Well this time, the FIRST thing I notice is they did a terrible job "washing" the car. It look like all they did was hose it off and there was obvious places where no soap or sponge ever touched the car.

    The second thing I notice is how dirty the passageway of the driver's door is. Did I do that? Maybe, but I don't typically rest my feet when getting in or out of the car. Looked like grease/oil.

    Now I'm a bit perturbed. I reach over and lift the Mobile 1 from the floor. GEEZ this jug is light! HOLY COW!!! There's less than a quart of oil left in the jug! SOB!!! :cussing:

    The guy who wrote up my service ticket is just outside the car and I tell him that the car's been over filled. He goes and gets a rag (I had already grabbed a wipe from the car) and was lifting the hood to check the situation.

    Yup.. at least a half inch overfilled! :guns:

    Man, I was steamed. I'd specifically told the service writer, "3 quarts ONLY"

    They drain my expensive Mobile 1 away and bring the car back with the oil a little under the full mark - perfect. For my "trouble" I was given a $10 Lowes Hardware gift card and a free BlockBuster rental. BFD.

    I have come to the conclusion that Prius owners are pretty damn anal. We track mileage, glide in neutral, some even name their cars. You'd think the dealers would know by now we don't like the crankcase pressurized with all that oil and cutting into our beloved MPG.

    Oh... two more things. They could not find anything wrong with my headlights which often point straight down at night illuminating 10 feet of the road.

    AND...

    when I drove in the MFD had 49.8 MPG over the past 350 miles. When I left, it had dropped all the way to 49.2 MPG. :Wth: did they leave the engine on while they changed the oil and "washed" it?
     
    #1 priusham, Jun 17, 2005
  2. Wolfman

    Wolfman New Member

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    That's why I always make sure that I have the oil pre measured.
     
    #2 Wolfman, Jun 17, 2005
  3. priusham

    priusham New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wolfman\";p=\"99583)</div>
    I have the jug with the two quarts remaining from the first change. You don't know how close I came this morning to pouring a quart out of the brand new jug into that - and taking it to the dealership. But I was running late and the old jug was a bit grimey from being on the garage floor for three months...

    Now of course I wish I had.

    Next time... but I think I need to find another dealership after this fiasco.
     
    #3 priusham, Jun 18, 2005
  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well, when I sent my Prius in for a service, my driver's side door sill was dirty (clearly, they stepped on it) and also the lower part of the seat with the plastic was scuffed. My battery was drained to two bars and my mileage went from 3.8 to 5.0. Granted, it was a new tank so mileage wil fluctuate greatly but.. damn it!

    I haven't checked the oil level yet.
     
    #4 Tideland Prius, Jun 18, 2005
  5. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

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    I've been lucky. I bring my car to Jiffy Lube and instruct them to fill it with a little less than 4. They know me and I watch them like a hawk. The dealers are clueless. That kinda scares me especially when this car will need something more major than just an oil change.
     
    #5 djasonw, Jun 18, 2005
  6. priusham

    priusham New Member

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    As he was writing the order, the service guy was pleased to tell me all three of their technicians were Prius certified.

    I'd venture to say that there's a minimum wage guy back there changing oil and not a ASC certified mechanic.
     
    #6 priusham, Jun 18, 2005
  7. gschoen

    gschoen Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusham\";p=\"99613)</div>
    If this is the worst problem you ever have with this dealer or service department, I'd say good luck finding a better one. Not only did they fix the error (making the level to your satisfaciton, it seems) but they gave you compensation for your trouble. This is WAAAAAY better than most places, and far above the US Average for customer service in general.

    If the capacity listed is 3.9Q, and they used about 4Q, resulting in up to 1/2 inch overage on teh dipstick, the actual amount of overfill was small. Including spillage, the tech may have poured in 3.9Q, which as far as he learned is accurate.

    It's fair people want their cars oil filled to their specification, but engineers know oil level varies due to a lot of factors and the cars were designed as such. I'd far FAR FAR prefer my car to be overfilled 1/2 inch from the mark than underfilled 1/2inch from the mark. One might slightly lower my MPG, the other lock up my engine. I check my dipstick to make sure oil isn't low (the dash light comes on minutes before your engine goes) and as long as it's not gushing oil, I don't stress about it. After all, it'll probably be slightly different next time I look anyway.
     
    #7 gschoen, Jun 18, 2005
    James1964 likes this.
  8. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    It is rare that an ASE certified mechanic will change oil for a living.

    I mean, they can: Change oil for maybe $10 per hour billed, totalling around $400 a week on a good week... Or, they can fix cars for $15-20 per hour billed and bill out maybe 60 hours a week on a slow week. Which would YOU choose?

    My husband just received his "official" ASE certification. He had passed the tests and just was waiting for the work experience requirement. The dealer stuck him in oil change because they didn't have a bay for him. Now, a bay is open and he JUMPED at the chance. He starts wrenching when we get back from vacation.

    All that work and studying and experience is certainly not worth the measly $10 an hour most places pay oil change guys. Which is why you get the guy who may not know or care what the hell he's doing...
     
    #8 galaxee, Jun 18, 2005
  9. bookrats

    bookrats New Member

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    I'm happy to say that the local Seattle Toyota Service dept. I've been going to has gotten the oil change right both times -- and the second time I didn't ask. I'm very satisfied with them.

    So there are some service departments out there who have their $%#! together.
     
    #9 bookrats, Jun 18, 2005
  10. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    It won't "lock up your engine". The ADD mark is 1.6 U.S. quarts below the FULL mark. Anywhere in between is fine. If anywhere in between were not fine, the design engineers would have put the ADD mark higher. Dontcha think?
     
    #10 richard schumacher, Jun 18, 2005
  11. priusham

    priusham New Member

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    Sorry gschoen but I have to agree with Richard. I want my oil in the nominal range, which is some where between the two dots on the dipstick. Not over and not under.

    They used over 4 quarts of oil in the change. The oil remaining in the container was well below the 4 quart mark. I should have taken a picture to show how much under.

    I'm glad they fixed it, but it should not have happened in the first place especially with me asking that they only add 3 quarts. I'll "top it off" if you will, which is better than wasting the expensive synthetic oil they poured out of the engine.
     
    #11 priusham, Jun 20, 2005
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