Hi everyone. I just had my oild changed about a week ago.. and I just checked my oil dipstick last night and realized that the oil level is WAYYYY over the max line on the dipstick... I checked 5 times with a rag... The oil level is about 12 inches over the MAX line... SO I was thinking.. is it because the FOOL filled my oil too much OR... I might have the wrong ford focus dipstick.. Does anyone know if all the ford dipsticks are the same? ex.. focus wagon, zx5, zx3, svt.. all years??? cause maybe i have the wrong one.. for a dif year and thats maybe why my oil reading appears wayy off... is there another good way to tell what my level is without the dipstick? Also what kind of damage can be done to my car if im driving it like this?
I'd get that checked out immediately! Overheating would be one of the possible symptoms along with sluggish performance, blue smoke coming out of the exhaust, constant "oil" smell. This is actually pretty serious. Gaskets and or seals could blow out because of too much pressure, plugs might foul & need replacing, head gasket could go bad, catalytic converter, etc.
Did you change it yourself, or did you have it changed? It sounds like the old oil might not have been fully drained before adding the new. I think the likelyhood of having the incorrect dipstick is very small.
If this car was mine, I'd immediately drain ALL the oil, and measure how much drains out. This will give you an idea of how much over the max was in there. I'd then put fresh oil in, as well as a new filter. If you're unsure of how much, consult the owner's manual. It's almost never more than 5 qts.
My 2002 ZX3 takes a max of 4 1/2 qts. When I change the oil (I always do my own) I take 5 quarts out of the case & put them on the radiator. That way, when I pour them in, if I get distracted or lose count, I know I have the correct amount. The last bottle gets 1/2 added. I save the rest for my lawnmower. Hah! Well, this time of the year, better make that snowblower.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
WOW!! IM SCARED NOW !!!! ... I have driven a LOT.... and Midas was the place that changed my oil... CRAP... im goin back there Monday morning when they are open again... Just so i know in the future.. if I'm gonna start changing my own oil and filter ... can someone tell me or guide me through everything and what I will need... cause i'm 19 and have never changed oil in a car before.. but i have noticed that a box of oil at a auto store is a LOT of money.. compared to having it done at a midas or some shop.. they usually only charge about $25...
but back on the topic.. what do you guys suggest i do? cause i need my car to get to work tomarrow at 8 and im takin it to AAMCO to have the tranny checked out... should i drain the oil in a clean container of some kind and then see how much it is that drains out and the drain teh correct amount in? or should i just go to midas and be like.. LOOK HERE YOU ASSHOLES... YOU FUCKED UP MY CAR... NOW IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG.. YOU GONNA PAY BASTARDS lol
cause this is really ridiculous.. NO SUCH THING as a good mechanic... they all SUCK where i live.. thats why im goin to UTI to become one.. that way i know my car will be perfectly in shape and i wount ever get ripped off like this again.
I can understand your anger. I'd be angry too. IMO - and this is really just IMO - keeping your anger in check might end up doing you much more good than venting. Everybody's human. Everybody makes errors.
If you go to Midas, angry, shouting, pounding the table, etc. whoever you're talking to is immediately going to become defensive. They may deny their mistake (if indeed they made one), refuse to take any action, or take the minimum action they can get away with.
If you take your car in and tell them you've checked the oil and it seems to be overfull, and would he mind taking a look at it? I think you'd get a lot farther using that kind of approach. It comes down to what do you want to accomplish? Want your car fixed? Fast? Or: do you want to tell this guy what an asshole he is, and that you wouldn't trust him to install a light bulb? I think you should pick one, because IME, one is all you're likely to get. OK - maybe the guy IS an asshole. If it were me, I'd get him to fix my car by being Mr. Nice Guy, then never go there again, and tell my friends never to go there either.
You said that they charged you about $25 to change your oil. IME, that's about average for an oil change place like Midas, Grease Monkey, etc. You also noticed that oil was pretty pricey when you looked at it in the store. I buy my oil by the case. While I'm there, I also buy oil filters. I've found that I can change my own oil for the cost of 30 minutes of my time, dirty hands, and just a few bucks. I can always come in at less that $10 doing it myself.
I'm not going to get into what brand/kind of oil or oil filters to use. That's a discussion for another thread. Everybody has their own opinion (and trust me -they're ONLY opinions) on what kind of oil and filters are best.
If you've never changed your oil before, you'll need the following:
an adjustable wrench, a funnel, and a flat pan to let the oil drain into.
IME it's much easier if you have ramps to drive the front end of your car onto.
The oil change pan & funnel will cost you ~ $5.00. The ramps might be ~ $20. Remember, these things will last you a lifetime. For a 1 time investment of <$30. You'll make that money back on your 2nd oil change.
Mechanically, there's not too much to learn. Actually what you're doing is
1. unscrewing a plug & letting the oil drain out
2. unscrew the oil filter using your hand & discard it
3. screw in a new filter using only your hand
4, screw the drain plug back in
5. add new oil
I shop at discount stores & take advantage of sales. Like I said earlier, it almost NEVER costs me more than $10 to change oil, and I can do it at my own convenience.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
Wow thanks for the advice and instructions. Really appretiate it A LOT! However today i noticed.... oil was pouring out of my cars engine..... ... Im gonna have to go to Midas Monday and probably have to break my finger to keep a smile on my face.. idk if ill be able to keep my smile goin too long lololol.. but I def will look into buying the supplies for my car to change the oil... REALLY HELPFUL INFO THANKS!
I knows it a little late but bring your receipt with you to double verify thay you went to them for the change. The should have it in the computer but bringing your receipt won't hurt.
Oil pouring out dosen't sound good.
Mr. V had it right with the posibilities.
Let us know what Midas said/did.
The proper way to get the correct level back into your car is to drain it all our and put new stuff back in. You miht as well change the filter at the same time again. Some fluids you do not put back into a car after its been in there once. For example. Brake fluid. When changing, it you end up flushing new fluid through the system but you are not supposed to reused the new fluid that was flushed through.
Oil isn't all that expensive depending on where you shop and what you are looking for. My Toyota leaks oil so I buy the $15(or $18)/case oil at Sam's or BJ's wholesale club. Walmart has there Tech3000 stuff thats pretty cheap as well (I would make sure to change at or before 3K miles. Buts that just my though on the stuff).
As for your dip stick thing. I agree with Mr. V it probably the correct one in it. They are all the same per motor no matter the year. All DOHC(Zetec) motors have the same one and all SOHC(SPI) motors have the same one. I am not 100% sure but the Zetec and SPI might even have the same dip stick.
