JBG

Can 1.5 quarts too much oil damage my baby?!?
After getting an oil change at the dealership I drove around for about 2 weeks and was filling up for the second or third time since the oil change when I thought I should check the oil. It was overfilled to a point not even discernable from the dipstick. Took it in this morning and had them look at it (as well as replace a tail light with condensation in it) and it turns out it was overfilled by 1.5 qts?!?!? They drained it down to between the lines and gave me a quart of mazda 5W-20 oil for my trouble... all this after they put 5W-30 in last oil change. I would never even have known except that I was reading the receipt really carefully and noticed 5W-30. I asked if it was a typo and it turns out it was not... they put the wrong oil in. I got it fixed right away, but still... WTF?! I take my car to the dealership because THEY are supposed to be the ones who know how to treat a rotary and if any warranty issues ever come up I can say "I've only ever taken it to teh dealership... no third party work at all." Now I'm starting to rethink that. Sorry about the rant, but can being 1.5 quarts over for a few hundred miles do any damage? Thanks

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

I don't think you need to worry as long as your car wasn't registering high oil pressure readings.

5W-30 won't hurt your car. In fact, it's what I plan on using during the warmer summer months.

Skythe

I'm sure your not the first or the last to have an overfilled crank case. I've actually done it on accident. I didn't know anything was wrong until I couldn't rev past 6,000 RPM. From what I was told at the delearship, it will only be a real problem if you have too little oil. But who believes those dealearship guys anyway?

DarkBrew

My dealership says 3.8 litres is the right amount for an oil change but it ends up slightly overfilled. Did they list how much oil they put in your car?

Butch Brown

I had the same problem twice, they put 5 quarts in twice now. The last time I specifically asked for 5W20 since it was early winter, I got the receipt and it said 5w30 so I complained about it and of course they said that was just the printout and they really put in 5w20, I doubt it. I also complained about the overfill although I don't think it hurts the Renesis. I did get the new battery and starter and spark plugs since I mentioned how the battery goes dead if I don't use the car for two weeks during the winter.

Budweiser8Jr

the oil pressure gauge is a non-functioning gauge....RacingBeat says there is no sending unit on the car at all and offers an aftermarket one. Seriously, have you ever seen this gauge move? It should move with the RPM of the engine ideally. It's dead dead deadski.

loyed

I've had mine overfilled at the deal as well. I took it back and the RX-8 guys said it was fine and "you'll burn that off in no time!"

Asmoran

5w-30 is what's recommended in all markets but North America.

Skythe

i'm not sure if that needle works, but I know that light works. I almost shat myself when mine came on. I felt so bad for neglecting Melissa for that long. How could do that to my baby? I vowed never to go that long without looking up her skirt again or at least changing her panties.

rx8wannahave

The dealer took my oil all the way to the top, so not overfill but close enough. BUT, what really has me concerned is:

Shouldn't the oil look clean after a oil change, my oil still looks dirty...should I call the dealer or will this clear up after a few drives???

captain mercury

yikes

Asmoran

I've never checked it after a change, but it should probably be a bit dirty, since they only get about half the old oil out.

rx8wannahave

OK...I thought maybe they forgot to change the oil or something.

cptpain

the rotary oiling system has a 6 or 8? quart oil capacity. just the oil pan can only hold so much before it gets into the crankcase ventilation system i suppose. ive overfille my 7 with 6 quarts one time, only needs 4.5. no problems. plus my idle oil pressure is 60psi and i dont know what it is at WOT cause the needle is pegged just past 110psi. while i was doing my rebuild i modified the oil pressure regulaters with shims.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Check your air filter! If it has been seriously overfilled it will get into the breather tube. With no PCV valve, this dribbles down into the air filter, you may find a big black stain, and the filter can weigh a pound more than it used to!

It also leaks out the drains on the airbox, into the rad below - get 'em to clean it all out.

Been there, t-shirt acquired.

S

zoom44

YES! i was just coming to post this myself- one of the reasons for finding oil in the airbox(search for past threads) is overfilling. a little over isnt bad but if you are talking a quart or more get them to drain some.

once its in the airbox its bound to end up in your MAF. dirty MAF=bad mileage

sharward

I had a similar incident take place a few weeks ago. After being disappointed with the level of service at the dealership I usually go to (and the one where I bought the car), I thought I'd try a different one. Well, they overfilled, and I didn't notice it until I drove it about 250 miles. That afternoon I drove it back to them, and at first they denied it was overfilled, telling me I wasn't reading the dipstick correctly. The service advisor tried to convince me that the "bead" above the "line" was the oil level. However, there's a "bead" over every "line" on the dipstick, because the "lines" are actually three-dimensional. After I finally convinced him it was overfilled, he removed about a half quart of oil, and even then it was still over the line. He tried to recommend leaving it overfilled by that much, telling me it was "ideal" because most people aren't very good about maintaining their oil level in the RX-8, but I told him that I'm not most people, and that I religiously check it every two or three fill-ups (hence my being there talking to him!). He then removed another half quart.

Thanks to this thread, I went out to my car today to check on the condition of my <5,000 mile new air filter. Thankfully, it was free of oil.

Moral of the story: check the oil level before you drive away from the dealer!!

I'm running out of local area dealers to take my car to. :-(

mysql101

It should look clean after being changed.

tjbourgoyne

There is a reason for not filling past line and not mixing oil. It will FU the engine.
Whatever they tell you is b.s.