Too much motor oil...

[TarpleyG]

I had my wife run her Exploder by the local quickie lube place about 1000 miles ago.  I normally do the oil changes but I needed the tires rotated and they have the stuff to do that.  I don't.  Anyway, fast forward to this past weekend.  I check the oil since we are about to drive to Nashville.  It's all up the dipstick.  I figure it's because the truck is on a slope so I move it to level ground.  Still too much oil.  Hmmm.  I already have the oil and filter I need so I drain it.  Every bit of 6 quarts in a 5 quart crankcase.  Filter is on WAY tight.  I am a strong guy and could barely get it to budge using a filter wrench.  I am wondering about seals now.  I am going to call tomorrow and give them a ration of $hit.  Not that it'll do any good other than get it off my chest.  Anyone think the engine is damaged?  She only drives around town so no real high revs since it was changed last.

Greg

[yesterdaysyouth]

i managed to blow out the crank and one the of the cam seals on my car, i only drove it 50 miles.... just keep a close eye out for leaks in the near future...  if you're due for a timing chain/belt then this would be a good time to tear into it...

[Paddy]

I've heard the danger with too much oil in the crankcase is that the oil can 'froth' and not properly lubricate everything.

[Parker Dean]

I wouldn't get too worked up about  a quart over, myself. The 90 Cougar I use for work had a broken dipstick when I got it and more than once I ended up with the thing being several quarts overfull. So overfull that the crank was aerating the oil and you'd get a low oil pressure condition after a long highway run. This would settle after a couple of minutes idling.

Problems it caused? None. That was 150,000+ miles ago (now has 370,000) and while it has it's oil leaks now, they're due to age and not the overfill.

As for the tight filter, most lube shops teach them to tighten the filter with a wrench fearing an under-tightened filter more than a disturbed owner.

[cfabe]

The engine's probably just fine. I'd never take my car to a jiffy lube places, they're usually total hacks, and then they have the audacity to try to sell you all sorts of un-necessary maintainence items while they've already reamed you $30 for a $8 oil change. I'd never let them touch my lugnuts, if they can't tighten a filter properly I highly doubt they're going to properly torque the lugnuts.

[Guest]

Tick one off don't it?   Folks just don't care about the actual attention to service - "just hurry up and get the money- Next!"

I'm pretty sure the Explorer is fine.   I only base this on the fact a classmate has a Explorer and the dealer  has been known to overfill  hers while under factory warranty!   She checks her own oil and fluid and asked me, so I checked it - about a half quart I figure.  I went with her and she "inquired".  The just  use bulk and I guess playing with the hose is too much fun. They pulled this two more times and she "made it very clear" , mentioned her  daddy , and all the monies he has spent over the years on  fleet stuff....

They now use the quart bottles to fill her Explorer  - they show them to her and she approves first now.

She actually marched herself into the service area at the dealer and showed them how to open the plastic bottles and how to count to 5.  I understand she made it clear if needed she would give lessons on how to install a filter if they wanted and how to not overtighten....

Wearing a Business suit mind you...

I went  outside for a smoke - after I "heard" some of the guys folks were never married...

"Hell hath no fury like a lady getttng a run around at the Dealership".

[DustinD]

Too much oil will cause the crank to throw oil around, frothing and heating it. Frothed oil does not lubricate or move through tight spaces very well.

You may also want to check that your wheels where not over tightened. If they where they may warp when they get hot due to the excessive pressure.

[Ben]

They now use the quart bottles to fill her Explorer

Yes, I think it's that bloody bulk oil hose and laziness on the part of the Jiffy-Luber . My dad started taking his vehicles in for oil changes a few years ago because he's getting on in years and doesn't want to do them himself anymore. He usually takes his vehicles to Walmart, along with his own oil. That way he knows he's getting his preferred oil as well as the right amount.

As for me, there's been a few times I've taken mine in just because I was busy and lazy. Two of the times I also experienced the "too tight" oil filter when I did my next oil change. One of those times it was on so tight I completely crushed and ripped the filter cannister trying to get it off with a filter wrench (and yes, I had the wrench at the base of the filter). Ended up having to use two pairs of vice grips on what was left of the filter to finally break it loose. What part of "hand tight" don't these guys understand?

[K Frame]

Jiffy Lube?

Don't you mean Jiffy Screwed?

I had one leave my oil filler cap off AND leave my air filter assembly tipping around loose. I was extraordinarily pissed, and they knew about it.

[brimic]

"I had one leave my oil filler cap off AND leave my air filter assembly tipping around loose. I was extraordinarily pissed, and they knew about it."

They lost one of the wingnuts for my airfilter on my Nissan Truck and didn't bother to tell me about it. Cost me abou $7 to replace, I also got a bunch of greasy stuff in my window washer reservoir- I think they might have actually topped it off with transmission fluid . Now when I go to a quick lube place I only allow them to touch the filter, the oil plug, and the oil fill cap. Oh, yeah, I remind them that my truck takes 4 1/8 quarts of oil, not 4 1/2, not 5, but 4 1/8 quarts. There's a lot of love when I take my truck in for an oil change.  

[Guest]

*snicker*

Re: Jiffy

Years ago we were required to do vehicle  safety inspections.  State Police kept tabs on the inspection sites. So a friend of mine in State Police asked me to take his "wife's car"  in for service and inspection at Jiffy that is now closed. Seems some 'things were not right'. He shows up in his unmarked pickup truck - he did a lot of UC work, long hair in a ponytail, jeans ...

Jiffy was going to "let me pass" , they also 'said" I needed a new Idler Arm.

Boy were they surprised when "hippie" produced a badge. Not to mention the GM band was still on the Idler Arm , that a dealer had just replaced.

They quit doing inspections that day. 3 Months later they had closed up for good.

They had a tendency to mess stuff up so the vehicle wouldn't pass and then making monies to "fix " stuff to pass.  Folks had complained and hence the investigation.

I really like the part where all they did was replace the filter and add enough oil to get the level on the dipstick - all the while charging  for a complete oil, filter  change.  Quite a few folks had problems and Oil analysis showed the oil was not being changed.

An employee at Jiffy did in fact testify to this practice.

[onions!]

A few years back I was tasked to price out all four calipers,a master cylinder ,& all the brake hoses on a new Saab.It seems that the owner had been to an instant oil change & the ,um.."tech"had topped off the break master cylinder w/engine oil.All the rubber parts in the break system eventually swelled & the brakes just went away.

IIRC,it ended up about a $4k mistake after the lawyers got envolved.

Then there's the Cavalier engine from the stripped oil drain plug & all the air filters,rad caps,ps pumps,grrrr.

It got to be a joke.a too well dressed individual walks into our store w/a invoice in hand & says"I need this,this,&this."Priceless is the look on their face when we'd ask what instant lube they just came from.

Shysters,says I.