I have a 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4wd v6 and every time the Suzuki dealer changes the oil the dip stick shows oil 1/2" above the full mark. They insist they put in 5.2 quarts US and are not overfilling. Who is correct, the dealer or the dip stick? Thanks
First, tell us what the manufacturer says the fill is, 5.2 qts or less. A slight overfill (half quart or less) is not a big deal. Anything more than should be taken out.
Dealer may not be fully draining the oil during the oil change, and then putting in the correct amount. Sometimes the dip stick can be off. These are two possible reasons for what you see on the dipstick.
I generally fill to the dipstick, or a bit short, but since I do my own oil changes, I can easily control what I put in. In the absence of other info or explanations, I would go with the dipstick as being correct.
Does the dipstick have two marks? Our Subaru’s has a cold and a warm mark (actually perforations) to allow for “thermal expansion”. If the engine is hot, the top hole is where the oil level should be. It’s about 1/2 inch higher. This has been a bit of a puzzle to me - never had a car before where this was an explicit consideration.
Anyone have any light to shed on this? Thanks.
The owner’s manual says 10.1 US pint so that is 5 quarts to me. When I changed the oil myself 5 quarts brought it up to the line, but not over. The dealer insists 5.2 quarts is correct, but the dip stick reads full with 5 quarts.
Fighting over 0.2 quarts is not worth the trouble.
It could be 6 - 8 ounces over if they’re not changing the oil filter. The dealer doesn’t use individual quart containers to put oil into your engine. The dealer has a 55 gallon drum of oil that the mechanic draws from with a long hose and nozzle to fill your engine.
Hey…here’s a novel idea…DON’T GO TO THE DEALER FOR OIL CHANGES. In fact you should only use the dealer for warranty work. Find a good LOCAL mechanic to do your oil changes. Far cheaper then the dealer…and they’ll do as good or BETTER job then the dealer. Just stay away from the national chains like Jiffy Lube or Sears.
This dealer is changing the oil for free because I bought the car there. My concern is that they are overfilling by a quart. A quart down on the dip stick is about a half inch down from the full mark and they are filling to a half inch above the full mark. There are only two marks - full and add a quart.
Thanks to all.