how to correctly check oil level civic 2004 CTDI diesel

when i check my oil level from cold there is over an extral litre of oil so i told my local honda and he insisted to check the oil level correctly you should turn the car over for a minute to fill the filter etc and then recheck the level??? which then the level is correct,But in the book it just says check the level from cold and that's all? but it's way over the max mark.Honda doesen't think so.

Reply to
Ady
Loading thread data ...

Your correct and Honda is wrong.

Your oil level is the level when the majority or all of the oil is in the pan. If you shut it off and let is sit a minute or so you will get a fairly accurate reading. The most accurate reading is from cold like in the morning, before turning over on a flat surface.

Additionally the oil filter has a anti-drainback valve that keeps the tiny ass filter full of oil while sitting so the filter is technically always full. The new filters only hold about 3 ounces of oil at the most anyways. This honda guy is blowing smoke up your ass.

The difference however between a cold level check and starting the car for a minute and letting it drain for a minute or two and then checking should be nowhere near a liter difference. Either method can be utilized.

Reply to
halo2 guy

do i still insist they drain some oil out then? cause as an eg the difference between min-max is 1 litre according to the dipstick but if i let the car sit a while and check it,It's double over the max mark?

Reply to
Ady

it sounds too full to me. It shouldn't be over the full mark at all. That is why it is called the full mark. Anything over the full mark would make it overfilled. I fail to see why the dealership doesn't understand this.

I would call the regional office and talk to a manager about your problem if talking to the dealership manager doesn't work out for you.

Reply to
halo2 guy

"Ady" wrote in news:yMz%d.97271$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

Are you certain there's *that* much extra? Is it overfull by the distance between the upper and lower marks?

If so, you bring that damn thing back and get them to drain the excess out. You are running serious danger of damage with that much excess.

If it's just 1/16" over, then there's no worry.

If you checked the oil after an oil change, but BEFORE it was started for the first time, then you should check it again, because at that point the dealer is right.

The car should have been shut off for at least a half-hour after having been run, and should be on a reasonably level surface.

Reply to
TeGGer®

it's almost the distance between the lower & upper overfilled when i check

1st thing in a morning.
Reply to
Ady

I have spoke to the honda manager who has now told me the correct way to check engine oil level is when the engine is warm but has been switched off for at least 3 mins so now i'm being told 2 different ways to check the oil from the same garage! which then i pointed out " So your saying the civic manual is wrong which states check the oil from cold?????". in which case i've just been for a run fully warmed it up and left it for 3 mins and it's still almost half the distance between min-max over the max mark.I'm taking it back on thu all guns blazing.

Reply to
Ady

"Ady" wrote in news:gX_%d.107843$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

You have given no indication as to whether or not you've read your Owner's Manual.

What does it say in there?

Reply to
TeGGer®

I mentioned in the last post in the manual it says to check it from cold.

Reply to
Ady

Sounds like your anti-drainback valve in your oil filter is toast.

Reply to
Steve Bigelow

"Steve Bigelow" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com:

Internally, the oil filter is the size of a small coffee cup. It does not hold an entire quart. If oil were draining out of the filter because of a bad drainback flap, the level would rise less than a quarter of the distance from top to bottom mark on the stick.

I am very surprised at the approach everyone is taking here. I am also surprised no one has suggested the simplest solution yet:

1) Drain the oil on a LEVEL SURFACE 2) replace the filter 3) add, from a measured container, EXACTLY THE QUANTITY OF OIL SPECIFIED IN THE MANUAL FOR A DRAIN-AND-FILL WITH A NEW FILTER, NO MORE, NO LESS 4) start car, let it run for a minute, then turn off 5) let sit for two hours 6) check level WITHOUT starting the car.

I'll bet that oil level will be found to be dead on. If it is not, two situations are possible:

1) The Owner's Manual contains a typo 2) the dipstick is wrongly made, or the dipstick tube is seated too far.

If the manual has a typo, there will be a discrepancy between the Service Manual and the Owner's Manual. If the dipstick or its tube are wrongly made, that will be shown up by comparing with another vehicle.

THINK, people.

Reply to
TeGGer®

Unfortunately that cannot be done because the car has only done 5000 miles i want this so called break in oil kept in until the 1st service @

9000,Excellent suggestion though i would have done that myself if i could the the bloody thing on ramps.Doesen't matter though i may be refusing to accept the car tommorrow due to miss information and premature damage it may have already done.

Reply to
Ady

"Ady" wrote in news:e5e0e.123507$ snipped-for-privacy@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

Ohhhh...NOW it comes out. This is Honda FACTORY FILL, not dealer-installed oil. Why didn't you say so in the first place?

Don't touch it. It's probably fine as-is.

Call Honda UK's corporate Customer Service (dealer will have number) and take it up with them. They sould be able to tell you if what you're seeing is normal.

Reply to
TeGGer®

Sorry i may be being stupid but i fail to see how even if done from factory way overfilled is normal,And besides when i took the car back last friday complaining that it was overfilled he told me he had to top it up! cause he thought it was too low! I find this very bad practice from this honda dealership for lying to me in the 1st place.

Reply to
Ady

"Ady" wrote in news:3Dh0e.124544$ snipped-for-privacy@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

Your engine came from the factory with special "break-in" oil. This oil is meant to help the friction surfaces inside the engine wear in properly to their final finishes.

During this time, your engine will use lots and lots of oil, much more than it will when broken in. I can see the rationale for overfilling the crankcase with oil with its initial fill, since a lot of it will get burned off fairly quickly.

However...

Normal everyday oil is high in detergents and dispersants to help keep combustion byproducts and water in suspension until such time as you drain and refill. If the level of this oil is too high, the additives in the oil will cause the oil to foam as the crankshaft whips into it. If the oil should foam, the oil pump will end up pumping air instead of oil, to the detriment of your engine.

Aviation, farm, and marine break-in oil is low in dispersants. It is highly likely that Honda is using a similar formulation in their break-in oil. If the oil is low in detergent/dispersant additives, it will not foam the way normal detergent oil does when whipped by the crankshaft, so overfilling would have much less of an effect. Old-fashioned engines with "splash lube" used a similar kind of oil as regular fill.

The dealer is probably feeding you a line because you won't shut up about it and they're trying to get rid of you.

I think you should go take up yoga or something and relax about this. At this point it is very doubtful that there is anything even slightly wrong with your engine or the oil inside of it.

Reply to
TeGGer®

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.