HELP! Engine oil overfill by dealer

[Bob K]

I just returned from a Dodge dealer after having an oil and filter change on my '96 GTS. I haven't used this dealer before but my regular Viper tech. has left his dealership to open his own shop. I took in 11 quarts of my own Mobil 1 because I couldn't remember how much it required (all 3 of my Vipers require different amounts of oil). When I got home (17 mile trip) I discovered that they hadn't given me back the unused / un-needed oil so I called them to see how much oil they actually used. I was told that they used all 11 quarts!! I checked my records and found that in the past only 8 quarts were used. I then checked my dipstick and it was over an inch above the MAX line. I called the dealer back and they told me to bring it back and they would take care of it. I don't think it should be driven at all with all that extra oil - might blow the seals and ruin my engine. I put a call into the owner of the dealership and am waiting for his call back. He owns a Viper and hosts our club meetings occasionally at his dealership.
What would you all do at this point?

Bob K

 

[Ulysses]

I wouldn't drive it any more at this point.

Edit:

If you're handy with a wrench you can drain it yourself.

Or you can have them send a flat bed out to bring it back.

 

[Viperzilla]

Have them come to your house if they can't flat bed it. That's rediculous that they can't check to see the amount of oil that's supposed to go into the engine. I can do that and I'm not very engine savvy (but I can do the basic air filter replacement, fluid fillings, etc).

 

[Bob K]

The service manager called me back and tried to convince me that it would be OK to drive it back to them. He said he checked the '96 RT manual and it specified 10 quarts with filter and driving with one quart over would be no problem. He also told me that his Viper tech had 2 years experience and always used 11 quarts. I told him to get out his '96 GTS manual and read where it says 7.5 quarts with filter. He did not know that they had different engines!!.
They are sending out a flatbed truck to pick up my car and me so they can drain the oil. He said they would "of course refund the charges for the oil change and do whatever they could to compensate me for the inconvenience". I plan to require them to write me a letter stating what happened and that they would be responsible for any engine damage that may have resulted from the 17 miles I drove home with the overfill. Maybe a set of floor mats would be nice as well - or how about a Borla/Mopar cat back for my FE GTS?

Bob K

 

[GTS Bruce]

Pick up wrench.Remove drain plug part way.Let some oil seep out and tighten drain plug. Bruce

 

[Bob K]

Bruce,
Very helpful!! I can't get into my garage because I had fresh concrete poured.
I hope you need help some day and get the same kind of response.
Bob K

 

[onerareviper]

The person who changed the oil is a *****, Viper tech. or not. Who fills the oil (of ANY car) and does not check the dipstick before starting the motor? The manual should give you a ballpark of how much oil you needed to fill, not an exact quantity...

This type of service makes my blood boil!

 

[LETHAL GTS]

"Who fills the oil (of ANY car) and does not check the dipstick before starting the motor?"

Exactly what I was thinking! This is pretty simple stuff, Viper tech or no Viper tech!!!
That's what a dipstick is for, or is the guy that puts the oil in the engine the dipstick. It would seem so in this case.

Also, I thought GTS Bruces response was quite helpful. Basic and to the point, just a simple answer to a simple problem. That is if you have no leaks after your 17 mile run.

 

[GTS Bruce]

Sorry Bob.A quart over probably isn't any problem.A lot of the oil ends up up in the top of the engine.Old racer trick not for the drags.Add 1/2 QT oil too much to help prevent oil starvation.Worse case senario is you are running really hard and the crank turns that excess oil into foam.Not a problem on an easy drive back to the dealer. Bruce

 

[GTS Bruce]

Also would be a good ide to get a later model oil pan that does take 10 qts.Add baffles too if you drive it hard.Could save you from some expensive repairs down the road. Bruce

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Bruce, he said it was an inch over the max line. That's a lot more than a 1/2 qt over.

I also can't believe anyone wouldn't check the dipstick while filling.

 

[LarryJ]

I had a Viper tech do the same thing to me. I used a oil extractor to get the extra oil out. If you can't get one at your local auto shop, Griot's Garage sells one that looks pretty good but you won't be able to drive until it comes in. Just a suggestion... hope it helps.

 

[Tommy]

He also told me that his Viper tech had 2 years experience and always used 11 quarts.

My Viper tech adds that same amount of oil to my car. No problems here.

 

[Gerald Levin]

He also told me that his Viper tech had 2 years experience and always used 11 quarts.

My Viper tech adds that same amount of oil to my car. No problems here.

Tommy, not sure what year you have but if your car is getting 2-3 quarts of extra oil, I've heard that the excessive oil could be as detrimental as being 2-3 quarts low. Personally, what I would do is buy a set of plastic ramps that you get from any auto store, drive the car on the ramps so you can get under it and drain the oil to the appropriate level.

 

[FE 065]

You might be able to stick a long, but small diameter piece of clear tube THE SAME LENGTH AS YOUR DIPSTICK down the dipstick tube, then **** slowly until the tubing is almost full, pull the tube out and let the oil go out of the tube and repeat. The longer the tubing you'd use OUT of the dipstick tube, the quicker you get the oil down to where you want. Hey, it could work..

 

[SylvanSRT]

i had a dealer put too much in one of my RT's and he was under thecar undid the filter and drained some out and added till at full line again. the car takes 10.5 qts including filter.

 

[Bob K]

Thanks for all of the suggestions and comments. I guess I feel that I shouldn't have to buy ramps, oil extracters, etc. and spend an hour correcting a snafu on a simple oil change by a dealer.
They sent a flatbed truck out to pick up my car, took it back to their service dept. and drained nearly 3 quarts out to bring it down to the MAX line. They gave me back my check for the service and the 3 quarts of oil. I am to call the service manager on Monday (he left early) to see how he can compensate me for the inconvenience and time I wasted.
The owner of the dealership never called me back after I left a message on his voice mail. We have our club meetings there on occasion and he is always urging us to go there for service and to buy from him. You'd think he would have called me personally.
Lesson: Know how many quarts of oil your Viper requires, check the service receipt to see how much they put in and check the dipstick before you drive it away.
Bob K

 

[joe117]

I can see the crank beating the extra oil a little. I don't see any reason that the extra oil would blow out any seals. What seals are we talking about? Why would this much extra oil cause any more pressure in the crank case?

I wouldn't drive around with 3qts too much oil but I don't see how driving it back to the shop would have hurt anything.
Putting it on a rollback seems like more of a danger to me. Do you think they didn't start it up and drive it into the shop?

The tech should have done a better job, he screwed up and I'm sure he's not looking good at work right now.

 

[GTS Dean]

Put the extra drained oil back in the jugs it came out of and put them on the shelf. 17 miles = 0 miles.

 

[LETHAL GTS]

"I guess I feel that I shouldn't have to buy ramps, oil extracters, etc. and spend an hour correcting a snafu on a simple oil change by a dealer."

You're right about that!

 

[Jack B]

Aerated oil is no longer a true fluid and it is a guess to what happens to instantaneous oil pressure if the pump encounters an air pocket. Your gauge will not detect these pressure anomolies. If the oil is a full three quarts overfull it is also possible the oil level could be in the crank counterweight plane continuously not just during acceleration. That is like the crank hitting a solid object.

This is all conjecture, however, why take a chance. Every marine dealer has a $20 oil remover that connects to a hand drill. Just change it, you could experience a lot more damage by a little miscalculation when they put your car on the carrier, vipers are not trailer tolerant.