From the very beginning, I would have simply driven to the service department and pulled out the dipstick and showed the service manager the colour of your oil at 12,000k and demanded an explanation. Sorry to say, but right from the start you really have not handled this right.
gpg58,
Mar 20, 3:37pm
In hindsight, perhaps that could be true. But from my perspective having had this screwing me around done before, i think you can understand me not wanting to drive it further on that oil, and changing straight away, rather than wait for outcome of a complaint.
gpg58,
Mar 20, 3:43pm
Dead calm no wind day, oil in jar was put in immediately on draining, and sealed, sure the stuff left in tray may have picked up some dust potentially while taking that photo. The oil container was opened and used immediately and oil filler was replaced immediately as well, even while checking fill level. I am not accustomed to letting dirt get in things, (as a heavy refrigeration serviceman)and if you take into account the wide open doors on their service dept, allowing wind to blow thru, i fail to see much difference. Not seen in photo of the dirty stuff, is the large mat i had under car to work from, and pile of clean new rags.
gpg58,
Mar 20, 3:48pm
Thank you, interesting reading - GM recommends that an oil change should be completed within two fuel tank fill-ups from when the first message was displayed.
gpg58,
Mar 20, 3:54pm
Not quite correct, they at first said to take it in when it reached 15,000 or 1 year, but then AGREED TOO and said they had changed it as requested. I took it upon myself to change it after i discovered it had not (imo) been done, and worse with it being said it had been, i was now expected to drive a FURTHER 15000 on that oil. It was them that thought they knew better than the manufacturer(via cars monitor), not me, i believed the manufacturer knew best, not the budget driven dealer. https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/1509937098.jpg
secca2,
Mar 20, 4:52pm
are kidding me, nothing wrong with the colour of the oil, the filter is also fine, many of these filters are brownish from new, from my experience looking at the oil and filter I would say both have been renewed, you need to stop overthinking things and stop being pedantic!
gpg58,
Mar 20, 4:53pm
Thank you for your counter opinion, its the first one that thinks that oil has been very recently changed(if that is what you are saying you think is possible, for a new low km petrol non turbo car).
secca2,
Mar 20, 5:01pm
yes very possible, I've reconditioned hundreds of engines and changed thousands of oil filter cartridges. if no one else here agrees then obviously they havent had much experience, my advice would be to drop it before you end up looking like a right plonker.
secca2,
Mar 20, 5:06pm
that oil colour looks like some of the newer oils from new, the filter clearly is brown from new, did you install a pure white cartridge filter or something? sounds like you are comparing it to brake fluid? I can't believe you and the rest think that is black.
No filter i installed is same correct one, as i said i do not have anything to compare that cut open one too.
Ps re damage another poster mentioned, i used the strap type of tool, and it was absolutely stuck on and required a lot of effort to undo it(never had one so tight before, or that was damaged on removing), and those thin sheet metal filter cases are not exactly strong in compression. - But ok yes, will now get a socket set for them, i see topmaq has them.
ok i retract what have said, i got confused, yep thats black all right.
gpg58,
Mar 20, 5:31pm
No worries, we all sometimes miss stuff, including me. I really appreciate how everyone has kept this discussion reasonably polite so far. Needless to say i find this whole situation very stressful, being not the first time in this situation.
secca2,
Mar 20, 5:36pm
replied like a true gentleman. thank you.
gpg58,
Mar 20, 5:43pm
Thankyou, as i have aged(retired now), i have learnt to try harder to be fair, and not drop the flannel at first difference of opinions, and try to see how others came to theirs. Ok going to sign out now for today, and sink a few brews and drams.
marte,
Mar 20, 6:20pm
Oil will always look dark in a jar or such. The best way is to put some on a towel or blotter paper etc & look at it that way. I changed mine at 5kkms& it looked worse than that, even at 600 kms it's noticeably darker, but a few drops on some white paper shows what it's really like.
I'd be cutting the old oil filter apart to see what it's caught in its corrugations. That would tell you a lot more
gph1961,
Mar 21, 2:51am
find something else to worry about
tgray,
Mar 21, 2:57am
I had to read that twice - yes, very wise words that can only come from age, maturity and experience. Well said.
tgray,
Mar 21, 2:59am
Really? That has not been my experience in 40 years of motoring and many, many oil changes.
marte,
Mar 21, 12:26pm
Yep, in the container & jar. A few drops on some white paper or cardboard told me that it's not too bad though. It takes very little dye or ink to darken clear water. Think of what a couple of drops of inkjet ink in a litre of water will do. The only way to check it is the 'oil on paper' method.
I have never liked leaving oil in a car as long as they say it's safe too. I saw a engineering info thing about filtering oil & the degree of lubrication it gives & it seems most of the wear is in the end of the oils lifetime, like 2/3rds in the last 1/3rd. So I change oil + filter soon after buying, then less than 5kkms, then 6kkms. I use the old oil in my lawnmower anyway. If anybody wants to buy it off me, I'm ok with that. LoL.
Even then when I replaced the camshaft cover gasket last week, it had a thin layer of carbon buildup above it, under the cover. It was solid & needed physical movement to loosen it but it was still in there & little chunks might come loose over time. I cleaned it all out before replacing it.
Also from now on I'm using a European grade oil, Nylon 5-30 or Liqui-moly.
I saw the run in protocol for a Mercedes-Benz, unreal ! Like 1000kms for the first run in period, Inc oil change of specific run in oils. Oil sent for testing. Not past a certain rpm, no staying at one rpm, constant acceleration followed by deacceleration to specific instructions. After the first 1000kms, then it's ok to go 1000rpm higher.
Apparently a lot of it is seating in oil seals, rings & bearings and avoiding harmonics setting up marks in oil races & gear teeth. Letting the bearing shells seat into place too.
Last time I cut open a oil filter I found a few grains of casting sand, that was at 200,000 + kms. I might cut open another one right now, since I have a angle grinder job to do.
marte,
Mar 21, 12:43pm
OP, I would have been doing a trip away to do the first 1000+ kms run in, followed by a dealership oil/filter change. Then another at 5000kms. There would be nothing wrong with doing them more often, but not getting the dealership do it could be problematic.
Cars are not intended to have a lifetime of more than 160,000 kms now. Treated well a engine will go for much longer, but then there's gearbox, interior & electrical. You can see what certain brands let their weak point be. The gearbox seems to be the killer item these days.
tgray,
Mar 21, 1:19pm
If people say oil is discoloured after only a few hundred K's, I would suggest they didn't wait to drain out all the old oil first and the remaining oil has discoloured the new stuff straight away. I drain and walk away for an hour until every last drop of old oil has dripped out. It only takes a tiny amount of old oil to contaminate the new and simply waiting until the flow becomes a drip is not good enough - I know that is what a lot of mechanics do, due to hoist time restraints. After 1000k's driving, my oil looks as new as the day I changed it. Just my 2 cents worth. I have made my point, so will leave it at that.
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