Dealership Oil Change Blues

L

LazerBlueP5

Member
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2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe // 6spd
Just got my first oil change today. Did it a bit late at around 2600. I wanted to get it in around 1500 but never got around to it. Anyway the first thing I noticed when I got it back was the milage. They put 3 miles on my car??? I pulled up, and they took it right in, at least that's what I thought. At some point they had it out of the garage to drive it 3 miles. Bizzare. Is this normal for oil changes at the dealer or did one of the service guys take a joy ride?

Secondly I checked my oil and it's reading so high it's over the "max" point on the stick. It's reading at the curved area of the stick to be exact which technically would be about a GALLON too much oil. Should I be worried?

Also I asked that they specifically use 5w30 and the guy assured me that THAT was the only oil they carry (Castrol 5w30). I wonder if he was just trying to ease my obsessive compulsive mind?
 
They probably just put an even 6 quarts in it which may be causing it to read a bit too high. I agree with the last post - change your own. You wont need to worry about stuff like this. But the Mazda is a bit more of a PITA than other cars to do an oil change on...
 
LazerBlueP5 said:
Just got my first oil change today. Did it a bit late at around 2600. I wanted to get it in around 1500 but never got around to it. Anyway the first thing I noticed when I got it back was the milage. They put 3 miles on my car??? I pulled up, and they took it right in, at least that's what I thought. At some point they had it out of the garage to drive it 3 miles. Bizzare. Is this normal for oil changes at the dealer or did one of the service guys take a joy ride?

Secondly I checked my oil and it's reading so high it's over the "max" point on the stick. It's reading at the curved area of the stick to be exact which technically would be about a GALLON too much oil. Should I be worried?

Also I asked that they specifically use 5w30 and the guy assured me that THAT was the only oil they carry (Castrol 5w30). I wonder if he was just trying to ease my obsessive compulsive mind?
Click to expand...

call the service manager and ask him these questions....see what he has to say. 3 miles would not be acceptable in my book, not for an oil change. nowhere does it call for that type of 'test' for oil change protocol. the oil level, i don't mean to be insulting, but are you sure it's THAT high and you are checking it properly? over the max mark is ok to an extent, esp when they don't start measuring the quarts to the tenths (which most people don't- i do lol), and i can't recall what the dipstick looks like w/o checking my own, but a gallon too much? that sounds very extreme, lol. as far as what oil they used, you can ask to look at the drum they are pumping from if you like; they should have no problem with that.

in all honestly, i would do the spin on conversion and get someone local to do the change or do it yourself. even if everything checks about regarding your concerns with this change, i'd take care of things elsewhere for many reasons, cost being one, and control of the situation being another.
 
Man, there's nothing I hate more than taking my car to the dealership and leaving it with strangers. I recently decided to have my oil changes done at a local quick lube that allows me to sit in my car and they have monitors that show six angles, including under the car, so I can watch what they are doing. This eases my mind that I can see everything, and I don't have to leave my baby in the hands of who knows what. I still have my other maintenance done at the dealership, but I like having the oil changes done elsewhere. Also, the lube tech can tell me if they notice anything that the dealership may have missed and vice versa.
 
I would simply call the service manager, to document your complaint. I know it does not make sense to see miles tacked on, but maybe the service manager can shed some light on the situation? Maybe even throw in a discounted oil change for next time?
 
well for me am taking it to the dealer..i normally check my level before i leave the dealer so i know wheither its too full or under the limit..and if with the time for my next oil change and something goes wrong with my engine its there full responsibilty... i did mechanic work for 8 yrs and still do if its an emergency..
but it sucks they added 3miles to ur car for just an oil change..
did u mention u had any other problem and they had to test drive it..??
 
+1 on quick lube places. This way you can be sure they dont steal your mobile 1 and put in dyno oil. Plus if there is pretty much anything on the car you want checked out as long as your nice they will do it. My last oil change I asked them to make sure my rear stab links were tight (because alot of people here were saying theres were) and they made sure they were tightened for me.
 
I wish I could say good things about taking a Mazda 3 to a quick lube place. When I got the MSP after my 3 sedan I realized that the guys at the place I was going to had NO CLUE about what they were doing. After doing it myself I realized they were not even changing the filter!!!! At least a Mazda dealer is slightly more likely to know about the goofball filter setup in these cars.
 
They did like 15 miles when fixing winshield noise...Thats why i hate ******* dealership next oil change I will do on my own or go to trusted mechanic from my company atleast they wont bother me why I have sri or something.
 
One more thing, I had a dealer put about 30k for an alignment problem. Who the **** needs to drive 30 god damn km to test my alignment. I did a apprentiship in highschool at a shop with a front end guy and did tons of road tests for alignment and we NEVER went more then 10km.
 
I didn't mention and/or have any other problems to speak of when I brought it in. Simply walked up to the counter and asked for an oil change. I'm sure they'll explain the 3 miles as a drive to "warm" the car up to allow the oil to drain better. Though I pulled up the the garage and it was in within 7-8 minutes. I can't help but think it was the result of the service guy's little joyride in the relatively rare Mazdaspeed vehicle. I'm almost positive if it was a normal 3 that wouldn't have happened.

I'm not sure what to make of the oil level. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but I don't see a definitive level until after the "MAX" mark, around the S-curl in the dipstick. I'll take this up with the service manager as well. I know putting too much oil in the car can cause problem, in extreme cases.

I hear that the MS3 uses a cartridge style oil filer- does the regular 3 use the same setup? What is the problem with this setup and why is it beneficial to "convert" it to a normal screw on filter?

Thanks for the input- I may start changing my own oil after this...though as bad as it sounds the most technical thing I've done on any past cars was change a tire or install a short-ram filter. Oh and install Cobb AP on my STi but that is probably about the difficulty level of turning the ignition on in a car. ;)
 
I sort of like the cartridge style more due to the drain plug so that oil doesn't splash all over like when you drop the filter in a conventional setup. With a cartridge style you just need the correct size oil filter wrench that you need to get from mazda.
 
LazerBlueP5 said:
I didn't mention and/or have any other problems to speak of when I brought it in. Simply walked up to the counter and asked for an oil change. I'm sure they'll explain the 3 miles as a drive to "warm" the car up to allow the oil to drain better. Though I pulled up the the garage and it was in within 7-8 minutes. I can't help but think it was the result of the service guy's little joyride in the relatively rare Mazdaspeed vehicle. I'm almost positive if it was a normal 3 that wouldn't have happened.

I'm not sure what to make of the oil level. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but I don't see a definitive level until after the "MAX" mark, around the S-curl in the dipstick. I'll take this up with the service manager as well. I know putting too much oil in the car can cause problem, in extreme cases.

I hear that the MS3 uses a cartridge style oil filer- does the regular 3 use the same setup? What is the problem with this setup and why is it beneficial to "convert" it to a normal screw on filter?

Thanks for the input- I may start changing my own oil after this...though as bad as it sounds the most technical thing I've done on any past cars was change a tire or install a short-ram filter. Oh and install Cobb AP on my STi but that is probably about the difficulty level of turning the ignition on in a car. ;)
Click to expand...


Yea, they both use a cartridge. It's not really that different from a normal filter. But because its different and requires you to remove the plastic guard under the car my hunch is many quick-lube guys blow it off.

The basic process is to remove the plastic guard under the car. Then you basically drain the cartridge canister, then unsrew it and remove the cartridge. You replace a couple of o-rings and reverse the process. But it requires a special wrench ($14) and you need to be careful about torque. A trick I use is to just mark the spot where it's tight with a white crayon on the outside of the canister and turn it just that far when I'm reinstalling it.

BTW there is a completely helpful How-To on this in that section. Clear with pictures....

Hope this helps.
 
Definitely just change your own oil. The last time I took my car in, they must've slammed my hood down and put in two dents. I didn't notice till the next day. From then on, I've done all my own work. Also, I learned from day one, don't get other people to do your brakes either. Just-4-Brakes = bunch of crooks
 
Never underestimate how many ways a quick lube place will mess up your car. I used to work at one of those joints and I wanted to do good work but the manager specifically told me to not do things and say they had been done. So I quit.
 
Seems like the high reading after a dealership change is pretty much the norm (mine was high from the factory). I think they just go by the manufacturer recommended fill rather than the dipstick. I can tell you it won't harm your car unless it was grossly overfilled. It think they put a full six quarts in which brings it over the mark. You can drain some for peace of mind but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I would advise against quick lube joints because of the nature of our filter. I usually take 6 quarts into my dealer and they change it without a hassle.
 
LazerBlueP5 said:
I didn't mention and/or have any other problems to speak of when I brought it in. Simply walked up to the counter and asked for an oil change. I'm sure they'll explain the 3 miles as a drive to "warm" the car up to allow the oil to drain better. Though I pulled up the the garage and it was in within 7-8 minutes. I can't help but think it was the result of the service guy's little joyride in the relatively rare Mazdaspeed vehicle. I'm almost positive if it was a normal 3 that wouldn't have happened.

I'm not sure what to make of the oil level. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but I don't see a definitive level until after the "MAX" mark, around the S-curl in the dipstick. I'll take this up with the service manager as well. I know putting too much oil in the car can cause problem, in extreme cases.

I hear that the MS3 uses a cartridge style oil filer- does the regular 3 use the same setup? What is the problem with this setup and why is it beneficial to "convert" it to a normal screw on filter?

Thanks for the input- I may start changing my own oil after this...though as bad as it sounds the most technical thing I've done on any past cars was change a tire or install a short-ram filter. Oh and install Cobb AP on my STi but that is probably about the difficulty level of turning the ignition on in a car. ;)
Click to expand...


On my first oil change (free), they did the same. They put in 6qts because that's on the spec., which over-filled. I drove afterward and actually smelled oil, stopped and checked for spills, etc., and discovered the overfill. They also failed to replace two clips on the under bit and also failed to latch my hood support (rattle rattle). I bitched, of course. They said the clips aren't necessary and I said that, if it came from the factory like that, I want it to stay that way unless they had a damned good reason ("it's easier for the mechanic on subsequent work). Told them to put in 5 qts next time, start motor, and top off.

The next oil change (free) they got it right, and the service manager walked me through everything afterwards to make sure the mechanic got it right. Since it was around Christmas time I also asked to see the mechanic and slipped him $10 for goodwill.

I'm currently due for my third. We'll see what happens.
 
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