Oil Overfill - Again !!

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Fri 11 Nov 2005 21:41
Oil Overfill - Again !! - steveb
Dear me,

How difficult can it be to fill an engine with oil to the correct level?

My Leon was in for its 2nd year service today, on picking it up checked the oil - yes again it was 1cm over the max level on the dipstick. This is now the third time in a row from (different) SEAT dealers.

Strangely I never manage to overfill the oil when doing interim changes, so perhaps there is a "technique" I am missing and known only to car mechanics ?

Anyway straight home to siphon out the excess with the Pela Extractor - purchased for this very reason (and the interim changes). Hopefully no damage done.

Steve
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Fri 11 Nov 2005 22:22
Oil Overfill - Again !! - Civic8
How difficult can it be to fill an engine with oil to the correct level?

If they are in a hurry, suspect they dont even check- seems to be very common now.2 or 3mm I could understand but not 10mm,used to be a comeback to fitter if level was either over/under level.seems its not the case now?
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Steve
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 00:22
Oil Overfill - Again !! - Dynamic Dave
If they used an oil extractor rather than undoing the sump plug to change the oil, *maybe* they didn't extract all the oil before refilling with the specified quantity.
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 07:25
Oil Overfill - Again !! - L'escargot
I think some garages may put in the theoretical amount of new oil as stated by the car manufacturer, regardless of whether there is still some of the old oil remaining.

Where can you buy a Pela Extractor? Does it actually siphon, or does it suck? On one occasion I siphoned some oil out using a pvc tube down the dipstick tube but it only dribbled out of the siphoning tube and it took ages to remove a pint.
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L\'escargot.
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 08:57
Oil Overfill - Again !! - smokie
Here's a couple on eBay tinyurl.com/7j9mg and tinyurl.com/a7raj . And here's a compnay that sells them. Other sources easily found on Google.

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Sat 12 Nov 2005 09:13
Oil Overfill - Again !! - Aprilia
Try this Ebay item: 4412882288

Looks identical to the one in the Sealey catalogue (the 'TP69') which in turn looks identical to the Pela that I have. This one is much cheaper - even when you add delivery.
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 14:04
Oil Overfill - Again !! - Xileno {P}
Overfilling can cause problems particularly on a diesel. The engine can start to run on its own sump oil and if you can't stall it, it will all end in tears.
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 17:18
Oil Overfill - Again !! - Multimeter
Where can you buy a Pela Extractor? Does it actually siphon,
or does it suck?


I bought a Pela 6000 from the link below, £30 + P&P
www.seamarknunn.co.uk/catalog/subcat473.htm

It sucks the oil out - there's a vacuum pump that you use to create a vacuum in the tank which pulls the oil up the tube and out of the sump.
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Sat 12 Nov 2005 22:53
Oil Overfill - Again !! - steveb
I'll give the Pela 7 1/2 out of 10. Works fine on the Leon, however only gets 2/3rds of the oil out of my Vectra as it seems to hit a restriction towards the bottom of the dipstick which prevents it entering the bottom of the sump. Therefore cannot be fully recommended.

As it happens the Vectra has enough clearance underneath without resorting to axle stands, to change the oil the old fashioned way.

Steve
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