# *Just back from the dealer..URGENT advice required*...UPDATE



## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

Had my car in at the dealers for an oil change this morning and as per usual supplied my own oil.

Now, I left them with 2x 4 litre containers and the previous time I did this I was left with a litre and a half, meaning the car uses 6.5 litres.

However, on this occasion I've been left with about three quarters of a litre and on returning home I checked the oil level in the car and it appears to be about 2-3 millimeters over and above the top notch of the dipstick.

Is having three quarters of a litre too much going to be harmful?

Should I take the car back to the dealer, or is there an easy way to drain the oil, bearing in mind I don't do any DIY stuff on the car?

Any advice or assistance would be greatly appreciated.

TIA


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## BreTT (Oct 30, 2002)

Why don't you either call the dealer that did the work, or another dealer that doesn't know you and ask them. Here's the number for Eastern BMW in Edinburgh if that helps: 0131 467 6000


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## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

BreTT said:


> Why don't you either call the dealer that did the work, or another dealer that doesn't know you and ask them. Here's the number for Eastern BMW in Edinburgh if that helps: 0131 467 6000


Cheers, Brett.


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## TVR_Man (May 21, 2002)

Probably won't hurt, but I'd get them to drain the excess off. A main dealer should know better and should bend over and fix the fault. I'm sure you paid through the nose for the prviledge of using them...

Oh, and don't try to do it yourself as once the flow of oil starts you won't get the plug back in again without making a serious mess at best. The dealer can suck it out of the dipstick hole (actually thinking about it, your local Kwik Fit type place can do this too).


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## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

I've always been told by my father to be very careful about not over filling the engine with oil - that overfilling is more detrimental than underfilling because it produces back pressure on the pistons and seals, and reduces the effectiveness of the oil as a lubricator.

In my A3 there was about 0.5 litre between the min and max points. If it's the same with your car, then that could mean it's been overfilled by half a litre beyond the max recommended. If you were an average customer, you would be driving around like that until your next service / oil warning light came on. I don't know what the tolerances on engines are, but I would not be surprised if that would damage the engine in some way (depending on how you drive it).

I'd speak to the dealership that carried out the service. If they said it's OK like it is, then I'd apeak to another one as that's bllx.


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## b3ves (May 6, 2002)

I accidentally over-filled my CSL by 1 litre (rubbish electronic dipstick and no manual alternative) whilst over in Germany and was told to keep it switched off until the flat bed truck arrived.


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

wak has used one of those extraction pump (hand pump) to get oil out for a inter service change

Could just use a bit of piping (nip to boots and the home beer wine part for some) and syphon some out.


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

http://www.********.co.uk/ttforumbbs/vi ... hange+pump

here you go


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## renton72 (Feb 17, 2004)

DXN said:


> http://www.********.co.uk/ttforumbbs/viewtopic.php?t=49089&highlight=oil+change+pump
> 
> here you go


Thats what i purchased and used when the dealer overfilled my car.


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## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

Thanks for the replies. 

Ok, the Customer Service Manager eventually agreed to send someone out to check the oil which was found to overfilled by between half and three quarters of a litre. I was advised that the Customer Services Manager would phone me and send me out a litre of oil.

Even prior to the man from the dealer arriving, I had decided I would by writing a letter of complaint to the owner of the gargage and below is my first draft of the letter.

However, just a few minutes ago, I was phoned by the Customer Services Manager, who firstly asked if I could buy the oil in a litre size, I told him I buy the oil in four litre containers. He then told me to buy another bottle of oil and bring him the receipt and he would recompense me.

I'm still very angry about the situation and the inconvenience and hassle it has caused me, so does anyone think I'm wasting my time with the letter?

BTW, I'm open to any suggestions re. the wording of the letter. 

.........................................................................................................

Dear Mr. *****,

Firstly, let me assure you Iâ€™m certainly not the type of person that is given to complaining about poor workmanship however, on this occasion I felt the circumstances give cause for me to write to you personally.

On the morning of Monday 4th September 2006, my car was at ******* BMW for a basic oil service.

As I had provided my own oil, on returning home after the service, I noted that more oil than usual had been used for the oil change. As per previous services and the vehicleâ€™s handbook, the vehicle required 6.5 litres of oil. The amount used on this occasion had been seven and a quarter litres. (three quarters of a litre was returned to me after I had supplied a total of 8 litres)

Due to the foregoing, I checked the oil level of my vehicle, and to my horror, discovered that the engine oil level was considerably above the maximum level, meaning that the engine had been overfilled.

Now, anyone with even the most basic of knowledge in relation to mechanics knows over filling with oil is harmful to the engine.

On eventually speaking to your Customer Service Manager, ****** *****, I was informed that the engine oil level would have been checked by a â€œQuality Controllerâ€ prior to the vehicle being returned to the customer.

However, on this occasion it is painfully clear that any â€˜quality controlâ€™ appears to have been severely lacking. Mr ****** eventually arranged for a â€˜Quality Controllerâ€™ to attend at my home address in order to check the engine oil level.

Whilst on the phone to Mr ******, I raised my concerns over the potential damage to my vehicleâ€™s engine caused by over filling it with oil. This was bourne out by the fact that the vehicle ownerâ€™s handbook clearly states â€œAdding too much oil will harm the engineâ€. Contrary to the warning given in the ownerâ€™s handbook, I was informed by Mr ****** that I had â€œnothing to worry aboutâ€ and that there â€œshould be no damage to the engineâ€. I was informed that if the engine was indeed found to by overfilled, it would be â€œdealt with internallyâ€.

A member of staff from ****** subsequently attended my home later the same day, and on checking the vehicle, found the engine to be overfilled with oil by â€œhalf a litreâ€, albeit from the measurements from the container, which is more accurate than the human eye, the overfill is close to three quarters of a litre.

Getting something as basic as an oil change wrong is, in my opinion, completely unacceptable and I cannot express enough my disappointment with this completely inexcusable situation.

Apart from the potential damage to my vehicles engine, I have been considerably inconvenienced by this situation, which has taken up a considerable amount of my time.

I would like to know what action ******* are going to take with regard to the potential damage to my vehicle and the considerable inconvenience this situation has caused me.


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## Wolfsburger (Oct 21, 2002)

Letter looks good to me, you never know, you might get some sort of goodwill gesture from the dealer.

The standard of workmanship from motor dealers never ceases to amaze me.


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## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Don't like that letter at all.  You've missed an apostrophe in the penultimate sentence! 

I'm very surprised they have taken such a lax attitude, espeically compared to b3ves's experience. I guess their concern about the implications of their actions is indictive of their work ethic. I wonder whether they leave parts out when repairing cars, coz hell, the car will work without them...for a while.


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## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

One of the guys overfilled his diesel car the other day by about 3/4 of a litre and while he was going down the A13 at around 60MPH it started to bellow out smoke all over all 3 carriageways. Apparently the smoke was so thick it wasnt funny.

AA chap rocked up and said the turbo had blown - not likely it aint got one, but never the less the AA chap refused to listen.

Then after he was asked to locate the intercooler and the turbo he reckoned it was crap in the petrol tank :lol: - dumbass

Got the car home and it was overfilled with oil.


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## scavenger (Jun 25, 2002)

The Silver Surfer said:


> .... letter....


What do you want? If you are complaining for the sake of complaining don't bother. If you want something stipulate what you want.

I would say a written agreement from the dealer specifically detailing engine failure within the next XX amount of time is all you could reasonably negotiate. Possibly free labor on your next service as a goodwill gesture, however, if the dealer is as crap as you say you wouldn't take it back anyway.


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## Dr_Parmar (May 10, 2002)

Good letter, i think you should ask for a free service, some BMW golf balls, a golfing umbrella, free valet and a ride in the BMW Williams F1 car 8)

"If ya dont ask, ya dont get!" Ma papa always used to say.


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## vlastan (May 6, 2002)

Your letter has too many stars...are they meant to be hidden swear words? :lol:


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

Dr_Parmar said:


> Good letter, i think you should ask for a free service, some BMW golf balls, a golfing umbrella, free valet and a ride in the BMW Williams F1 car 8)
> 
> "If ya dont ask, ya dont get!" Ma papa always used to say.


Shy bairns get nae sweets :wink:


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## TTCool (Feb 7, 2005)

I'm slightly at odds with this post for the following reason:

In my handbook it says that if you want to thrash your TT in a hot climate (I can't remember the exact words) you can top up your oil to the edge of the first kink in the dipstick above the hatched area. So you are overfilling according to those who say the hatched area is the max, otherwise damage may occur. I always top up to this level because I never know :lol: when I might be tempted to thrash my TT.  I know the climate in the UK is not particularly hot but.......OR maybe the area referred to in my handbook only represents a very small amount of "extra" oil. How would I know how much oil is contained between the top of the hatch and the edge of the kink?

Joe


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## TTCool (Feb 7, 2005)

Just realised this is Other Marques. Anyway same difference I suppose.

Joe


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## Tubbs (Feb 14, 2004)

Please tell me it wasnt Dunedin.....?

I wouldn't put down a specific item as compensation, see what they offer you, if you dont think it is enough for the inconvenience then ask for more!

Pete


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## Carlos (May 6, 2002)

J55TTC said:


> One of the guys overfilled his diesel car the other day...
> 
> AA chap rocked up and said the turbo had blown - not likely it aint got one, but never the less the AA chap refused to listen.
> 
> ...


What car is it? I didn't think it was possible these days to buy a diesel car that _isn't _turbocharged. I can't think of a single one.


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## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

Tubbs said:


> Please tell me it wasnt Dunedin.....?
> 
> I wouldn't put down a specific item as compensation, see what they offer you, if you dont think it is enough for the inconvenience then ask for more!
> 
> Pete


No, it wasn't Dunedin. It was one of the Glasgow dealers.

My letter, which was addressed personally to one of the brothers who owns the garage, (this should give you a clue, Pete) was posted on Tuesday using Recorded Delivery. I haven't had a reply yet.

I didn't ask for anything specific, and TBH am not holding out a lot of hope.


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## Tubbs (Feb 14, 2004)

The Silver Surfer said:


> Tubbs said:
> 
> 
> > Please tell me it wasnt Dunedin.....?
> ...


Know where you mean now...

Glad to hear it wasnt dunedin!!

Give them time to reply, If you dont hear anything back within 2 weeks then write to BMW customer services and enclose a copy of the letter you sent the dealer. They will take it seriously!!


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## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

Tubbs said:


> The Silver Surfer said:
> 
> 
> > Tubbs said:
> ...


Well, it's been exactly two weeks since I posted the letter and I still haven't had a reply. :evil: So, it looks like I'm going to need the address for Customer Services.

I've sent you a PM, Pete.


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