Your opinion on engine oil condition please

It's true and with petrol engines as well. Oil goes black on my Capri within 30 miles of an oil change. I know it has been done because I do it myself and also as I've had the top off the engine, I know its been done regularly in the past.

Do it yourself. It's a service item.

You're one of those nightmare owners aren't you? Not got a bloody clue.

True, in my experience. I had a ZX and BX TD which turned new oil black in a short time. This is why oil specified for diesel engines is used, and more frequent oil changes are a good idea on diesels. (Modulo new developments in diesel engine design)

Was it parked on level ground and had it been stood still for more than ten minutes? If not, you won't get reliable readings.

Cheers,

This should be in the FAQ, if it isn't already. Most diesels will turn their oil black almost immediately.

If it's a brand new car then there probably isn't much soot in the system yet.

I suppose it depends upon the car then, my old Volo (petrol) with 64K on the clock barely had any discolouration of the oil between services, thats is why I was surprised at the colour of the oil in my wifes car after 2 weeks.

Yeah but the car is only 2 days old, is it not reasonable for the supplying garage to fill the sump up to the correct oil level.

I did ask what top up oil I should be using but I did not expect to have to top it up so soon.

Why do you say that, on my cars I regularly check the oil and all fluild levels, type pressures etc blimey what do you expect ???.

Yes I was left on level ground for about 40 mins.

Thanks for info.

Good answer, makes sense.

I've owned Diesel cars that could happily turn the oil completely black in less than 50 miles. The petrol cars I've owned took several thousand miles to discolour the oil. Diesels are much harder on oil by design.

So they didn't underfill it or overfill it? Whats the problem? Why not go and ask them for a pound or two refund for the oil you reckon you never recieved.

Did you check with the engine cold and after leaving it standing overnight? That can make all difference.

I'd expect you not to make accusations of the dealer not changing oil and THEN actually going and finding out what the f*ck you are talking about.

(c:

May I introduce you to Conor - Cars.maintenace's own Basil Fawlty

Andy

I should have put a smiley after this, its upset some of you.

Well at least they did,nt overfill, at times I have had garages put over half a litre over the top, as it is its quater a litre above min

On the first oil change done last year the immeadiate discolouration of the engine oil was not so obvious, so on this second service I was rather surprised at the colour of the oil after 500 miles. The dealer give me the explanation that this was normal for a diesel engine, only having owned petrol engined cars before I decided to check out this explanation with you lot.

Wish I had,nt, now getting a earfull fro the likes of yourself, although others have been helpfull.

See the two marks on the dipstick? One is a minimum and the other a maximum. Anything inbetween is OK. Is it inbetween those two marks?

I'm not the one accusing a garage of not changing oil because it has gone black as it should do.

JimS wrote in news:vo8g92phm3cfv7imcmubakkbg1lebfofd9@

As an extra thing to think about, but which might not apply, is the type of oil used. One of my friends had a brand new 205 TD; with the dealer oil it turned black from new in a couple of hundred miles. He used to change the oil to a fully synthetic oil, Millers I think which stayed opaque until the next service was due, when he drained it and put the dealer oil back in. He was worried they would notice the good oil and tear up his warranty :-). After a service he would drain it again and put new synthetic back in. The dealer once told him his car was the only one that came in for a service/valet cleaner than it went out. He used to polish the brass fittings, pipes etc. Yes I know, but he is Navy. Maybe its the difference in oils that your two cars use. IYSWIM

OK: Yes, it is normal.

Heh, I'm just a big jessie, you haven't seen a real earfull yet.

Sorry to come over as a whiner but the sequence of events were:

We took the Citroen in for a service and repair for a glow plug fault, they found they needed to keep to car for two days, no courtisy car available we had to take a 1.5 hour bus ride home, next day they lost the car keys, so they lost a bit of credibility with us.

When I checked the (Black) oil I thought crumbs they have forgotten to change the oil . Phoned the garage and they were very professional , they checked the paperwork and found the oil had been changed, explained diesel engine oil can turn black very quickly and did a very reasonable thing, they offered to change the oil again.

I said thanks we believe you, however I thought it prudent to check the explanation out with this newsgroup.

BTW, I rechecked the Vectra Oil is on Min on the dipstick, the handbook says oil consumption is 0.6L per 1000KM and I've done

See reply to DP

Don't mollycoddle the engine. If this engine's like the older 1.9 diesels, I've heard stories of gently run-in engines drinking oil.

Give it some welly[0]

Pete.

TBH I'd be surprised at a new one using any oil. Even my 20yr old Capri doesn't need a top up between oil changes.

Just a note...

Next time you post, remember we have no idea about your car so it's a good idea to let us know whether its a new one or not as well as THE WHOLE STORY behind the post.

That way you don't get your head bitten off.

Conor wrote in news:MPG.1f0267fa7065917298cdf0 @news.individual.net:

Fuck, look !!! Conor in mellow mode, get your questions in now !!!! heheheheh.

I can say with a fair degree of certainty that had your original post or even any of your early replies contained what you said here, you would not have gotten such a silly response from the likes of me.

(c:

Not Lovekyn Citroen in Ewell was it? They managed to lose the keys to mother in laws C3!

I had a Zafira 2.0 DTi from new which drank oil until it had covered about