Why do SUBARU dealer mechanics ALWAYS put in too much oil during an oil change? The web is littered with complaints about this. The SUBARU site says “Do Not Overfill”! How much is too much for a “Boxer” engine?
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First of all that dealer oil change is not done by mechanic’s . They might be called service techs but most of the time they are minimum wage people who might not even be there next week . Also just how much is your vehicle over filled ?
If your are concerned let your vehicle set for 5 to 10 minutes and check the oil level before you leave ( actually a good thing to do wherever you have the work done ) . If the level is not correct ask for the shop manager.
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I don’t recall this issue mentioned here before. OP can use the forum search feature to verify, link upper right this page.
No experience w/that engine, but if the crankcase on any of my cars was 1/2 quart beyond the dipstick full-line I’d drain the over-fill portion out before running the engine. Maybe try this approach: When the dealer shop staff delivers your car to you after an oil & filter change, don’t just get in and drive away. Instead pop the hood and check the oil level on the dipstick yourself. If it is significantly over (or under) the full-mark, ask them to correct the situation before leaving. This is a good idea anytime work is done on your car btw, check under the car for leaks too. And do the same the next morning before starting the car. You’re paying the fee so you’re the boss, so you might think you shouldn’t have to check the work. But before complaining, ask any boss, car related job or not, if they always check the work done their employees. It’s one of the jobs a boss has to do is all.
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This sounds like something I would have posted , Oh wait - I did.
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Dick41, you are spot on. I have owned 4 Subarus and still have a much-loved Forester that I take to dealers for oil changes. I have used many dealers, and only 1 (McGovern in Mass) always put in too much oil. Way too much. Like a half-inch above the full line. One dealer in Reading Mass put in over an inch extra on the stick. I insisted they correct it. So they did. And the oil leaked because they failed to use a new compression washer. You can’t win!
My local mechanic passed away. He always did it perfectly on any car, including my Subies. It would always be at the full line. No more no less. He explained that, in his opinion, dealers put in the extra to keep the owners of cars that consume oil from coming back between change intervals. Here is what I do now. I ask the service advisor if “The oil will be overfull, past the full one when I pick up the car?” They always act surprised. I then check it when I pick the car up. So far, that has helped, and McGovern has done a fine job at an affordable price on my Suby for about a year now. Let us know if you figure out a solution.
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Your Subaru requires 4.4 quarts of oil when changing the oil and filter.
They just add 5 quarts because it’s easier to measure out.
I don’t know of a single shop that doesn’t do this when a vehicle requires a fraction of a quart during an oil change.
And guess what?
That extra .6 quarts of oil isn’t going to hurt a damn thing
Tester
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An extra pint of oil will cost them $2 or more won’t it? I’m surprised they would do that. They usually have a filler machine tells the operator how much oil has been pumped out.
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Every owner of every brand of car should be doing this.
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It seems likely that the dealership shop uses 55 gallon drums of oil and they could have a dispenser that provides 4.4 quarts when set for that amount. Could I be wrong? You bet! Still, it seems like a small cost for a big shop. If they do that they save 17 barrels of oil per year. Mostly they would do it for the money, of course, and the dispenser could be paid for quickly.
My Corolla doesn’t use an integer number of quarts either. Forget, but say it takes 3.6 quarts. I’ll start with 4 quart bottles. I pour in 3 full bottles, then pour 40% out of the final bottle into another container, leaving 0.6, which I then pour into the engine. Easier than trying to pour 0.6 quarts into the engine from a full container.
I don’t have that problem since I do it myself. Then if a mistake is made I just yell at myself. I keep a few empty one quart containers around marked for one half quart, 20 oz etc. to make adding the proper amount fairly easy.
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I release the control valve at the desired amount, 4.4 quarts if that is what is called for.
I think half of the lube techs don’t check the oil capacity specifications, they add the amount shown on the work order.
A common mistake: with a high mounted oil filter, the filter must be removed before or while the drain plug is removed. If the oil pan is drained, plug installed, then the oil filter removed, the oil from the filter and housing will run down into the oil pan. Then there will be an extra 1/2 to a full quart of oil in the engine.
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Yes. I always change the filter before pulling the drain plug. On every car.
And the extra half quart will be the old engine oil, the very stuff you are trying to get out of the engine. Maybe there’s a motivation I’m not aware of for removing the filter later, but on all the cars I’ve diy’er changed oil and filter, I’ve always opened the drain plug, then while the oil drains into the catch pan I remove the filter. If the filter leaks during removal or I accidentally drop it, pretty good chance it will end up in the catch pan.
First, it’s not just Subaru dealers - I had to trust (was working out of state) “professionals” to do two oil changes, and both times they overfilled, one - by three quarts! I had to fight them for an hour so that drained extra oil. They screamed and yelled that it was OK.
In my professional capacity, I dealt with a Subaru stealer in Denver - the car they had changed oil 2 (TWO) miles ago was towed back with locked up engine, and they insisted that it had nothing to do with them. When extended warranty I worked for forced them to take it apart, the bearings were blue but they still insisted that it was not their accomplishment.
Bottom line: NEVER LET ANYONE TOUCH YOUR VEHICLE!
And just how do you think everyone is going to be able to fix everything theirself. Some of us have physical problems that even keep us from doing a simple oil and filter service .
If you want to feel good with your capital letter statements try this one.
Ask freinds , coworkers or relatives for a dependable independent shop to have stuff done.
I know it’s tough out there. I still can’t figure out how people who can’t fix their cars, replace a sink or a faucet, fix a leaking pipe even live… at the mercy of “professionals”.
I am not a handyman - I am a Mechanical Engineer turned Software Engineer but there is literally nothing I can’t do. Every time I HAVE to turn to third parties it’s a disaster. My son drives my 2004 4Runner with 280,00mi+, and he’s working out of state. The original water pump started leaking and he apparently overheated the engine. Not drastically but enough to cause minor head gasket leak. He has no means to do a major job there so we contacted a bunch of shops. They want $5-6 grand! And I am not even sure they can do it right. So we decided to add gasket sealer and wait until he comes home to get it done. Otherwise, it’s not worth the hassle.
I guess I must live in the right place . I have had to have all kinds of things done to our vehicle and home in the last 2 years and have zero complaints about those we hired .
For your personal mental health I hope you never get where just getting up from the floor is an ordeal .
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You have a point. Some people don’t have physical capacity to do stuff but most are just plain lazy.
And if you are happy with somebody else’s work, you either are extremely lucky or - most likely - have overlooked something…
